:Mylène Jampanoï

{{Infobox person

| name = Mylène Jampanoï

| image = Mylène Jampanoi Deauville 2012 (crop).jpg

| imagesize =

| caption = Jampanoï at the 2012 Deauville American Film Festival

| birth_name = Lena Jam-Panoï

| occupation = {{hlist|Actress|model|painter}}

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1980|7|12}}

| birth_place = Aix-en-Provence, France

| spouse = {{Marriage|Milind Soman|2006|2009|reason=divorced}}

| years active = 2002–present

| children = 1

}}

Mylène Jampanoï ({{IPA|fr|milɛn ʒɑ̃panɔj}}; born Lena Jam-Panoï;{{cite web|url=https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/mylene-jampanoi/bio/3000134687/|work=TV Guide|title=Mylène Jampanoï Biography|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221224221722/https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/mylene-jampanoi/bio/3000134687/|archive-date=24 December 2022}} 12 July 1980){{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/mylene_jampanoi|work=Rotten Tomatoes|title=Mylène Jampanoï|access-date=22 December 2022}}{{cite web|url=https://www.allmovie.com/artist/mylène-jampanoï-p474118|work=AllMovie|title=Mylène Jampanoï Biography|access-date=22 December 2022}} is a French actress, model, and visual artist. Her first leading role was in the drama film The Chinese Botanist's Daughters (2006). She subsequently garnered international attention for her role in Pascal Laugier's controversial horror film Martyrs (2008).

She later had a supporting role in Clint Eastwood's Hereafter (2010), and starred as Bambou in the Serge Gainsbourg biopic, Gainsbourg: A Heroic Life (also 2010). Other film credits include the American animated film Kung Fu Panda (2008), the Canadian drama Laurence Anyways (2012), and the Netflix-produced Madame Claude (2021).

In addition to her acting and modeling career, Jampanoï is a painter whose works have been exhibited at Paris's Galerie Sobering.

Early life

Mylène Jampanoï was born Lena Jam-Panoï on 12 July 1980{{cite web|work=AlloCiné|title=Mylène Jampanoï|language=fr|url=https://www.allocine.fr/personne/fichepersonne_gen_cpersonne=141006.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240102224007/https://www.allocine.fr/personne/fichepersonne_gen_cpersonne=141006.html|archive-date=2 January 2024}}{{cite instagram|user=mylene.jampanoi|url=https://www.instagram.com/p/Ceylcu_r-1U/?hl=en&img_index=1|date=14 June 2022|archive-url=https://archive.today/20250325024132/https://www.instagram.com/p/Ceylcu_r-1U/?hl=en&img_index=1|archive-date=25 March 2025|title=Retrouver ses cartes d’étudiante #institutnationaldeslanguesetcivisationsorientales #facdeDroit et philo :- Année privilège|language=fr|postid=Ceylcu_r-1U}} Note the image Jampanoï shared of her Institut national des langues et civilisations orientales student identification card, which shows a birthdate of 12 July 1980, and birthplace of Aix-en-Provence. in Aix-en-Provence, Bouches-du-Rhône, France, to a Chinese father and a French-Breton mother.{{cite web|url=http://www.parismatch.com/People/Cinema/Mylene-Jampanoi-son-talent-explose-dans-Rani-158172|title=Mylène Jampanoï: son talent explose dans "Rani"|language=fr|work=Paris Match|date=26 November 2011 |url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160818073304/http://www.parismatch.com/People/Cinema/Mylene-Jampanoi-son-talent-explose-dans-Rani-158172/|archive-date=18 August 2016}} Her father, who immigrated to France from China through Vietnam, abandoned the family when she was three years old, and later established a prosperous textile business in Canada.

Jampanoï was raised by her mother, who worked as a cashier at the food retailer [https://fr.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rallye_(entreprise) Rallye]. As a teenager, Jampanoï fled her family home due to her mother's severe depression, and lived with her boyfriend in a Paris squat. She eventually returned to her family home in Aix-en-Provence to complete her education, earning a scientific baccalauréat at age 17. While still a teenager, she was taken under the wing of a 35-year-old male attorney in Aix-en-Provence, who became her mentor. After she earned her baccalauréat, he urged her to pursue a career in law, but she instead relocated again to Paris to pursue acting and modeling.

Career

After appearing in the French television series Sous le soleil, Jampanoï had a minor part in the action thriller Crimson Rivers II: Angels of the Apocalypse (2004), followed by a supporting role in 36th Precinct (also 2004), a crime thriller starring Daniel Auteuil and Gérard Depardieu.{{cite web|url=https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/642188/36-quai-des-orfevres#credits|work=Turner Classic Movies|title=36 Quai des Orfèvres|url-status=live|archive-date=11 August 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220811150400/https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/642188/36-quai-des-orfevres#credits}} She was then cast in the independent drama film Valley of Flowers (2006).{{cite web|url=https://screenanarchy.com/2006/04/pan-nalins-valley-of-flowers-starring-milind-soman-mylene-jampanoi-naseerud.html|work=Screen Anarchy|title=Pan Nalin's 'Valley of Flowers'starring Milind Soman, Mylène Jampanoï, Naseeruddin Shah, Eri, Jamp|date=21 April 2006|url-status=live|archive-url=https://archive.today/20221224210105/https://screenanarchy.com/2006/04/pan-nalins-valley-of-flowers-starring-milind-soman-mylene-jampanoi-naseerud.html|archive-date=24 December 2022}} Next, Jampanoï starred in the drama The Chinese Botanist's Daughters (2006), a role which necessitated her to phonetically learn Chinese. In 2007, she became the face of Dior Snow cosmetics in Asia for LVMH and travelled to Japan and South Korea to represent the brand. She subsequently appeared on the cover of Asian Elle magazine.

Jampanoï gained international attention for her role in Pascal Laugier's controversial horror film Martyrs (2008), which was filmed in Montreal.{{cite web|work=Total Film|via=JonathanCrocker.com|title=Martyrs: Dying For Your Art|date=19 March 2009|last=Crocker|first=Jonathan|url-status=live|archive-url=https://archive.today/20221224110913/https://jonathancrocker.com/2009/03/19/martyrs-dying-for-your-art/|archive-date=24 December 2022|url=https://jonathancrocker.com/2009/03/19/martyrs-dying-for-your-art/}} Jampanoï took the role against the advice of her agent, and later stated that making the film was emotionally difficult due to its extreme content: "Every night when I went back to my room, I just cried, because I was so physically and psychologically tired. All my scenes [were] violent." Also in 2008, she had a minor voice role in the American animated comedy film Kung Fu Panda as Maître Vipère.{{cite web|url=https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/mylene-jampanoi/credits/3000134687/|work=TV Guide|title=Mylène Jampanoï Credits|access-date=23 December 2022}} Next, she appeared in the French mockumentary film The Ball of Actresses (2009), directed by Maïwenn, and in 2010, had a supporting role in Clint Eastwood's drama Hereafter, playing a news reporter. The same year, she starred in the Serge Gainsbourg biopic Gainsbourg: A Heroic Life, portraying actress Bambou.{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/31/movies/gainsbourg-a-heroic-life-by-joann-sfar-review.html|work=The New York Times|date=31 August 2011|title='Je T'Aime,' He Sang, to His Women and Himself'|last=Scott|first=A. O.|author-link=A. O. Scott|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140822115355/https://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/31/movies/gainsbourg-a-heroic-life-by-joann-sfar-review.html|archive-date=22 August 2014}}

In 2017, Jampanoï guest-starred on the Apple TV-UK series Kill Skills, and reprised her role in the film sequel of the series, Kill Skills 2 (2018). She subsequently had a central role in Made in China (2019), a comedy film about a French-Chinese family preparing for a wedding, directed by Julien Abraham.{{cite web|work=The Hollywood Reporter|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/made-china-review-1222907/|title='Made in China': Film Review|last=Mintzer|first=Jordan|date=8 July 2019|url-status=live|archive-url=https://archive.today/20221224205846/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/made-china-review-1222907/|archive-date=24 December 2022}} She then had a supporting role in the Netflix-released Madame Claude (2021), a biopic about French brothel owner Madame Claude.{{cite web|work=British Board of Film Classification|title=Madame Claude|url-status=live|url=https://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/madame-claude-q29sbgvjdglvbjpwwc01mzawodm|archive-date=24 December 2022|archive-url=https://archive.today/20221224205326/https://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/madame-claude-q29sbgvjdglvbjpwwc01mzawodm}}

In addition to acting, Jampanoï is also a visual artist, whose paintings were exhibited in the spring of 2022 at the Paris Galerie Sobering, as part of the Athènes n'est pas en Grèce ({{Literal translation}} English: Athens is not in Greece) show.{{cite web|work=Voici|title=Mylène Jampanoï fête ses 42 ans : que devient la célèbre actrice|language=fr|date=12 July 2022|last=Theo|first=Melissa|url=https://www.voici.fr/news-people/mylene-jampanoi-fete-ses-42-ans-que-devient-la-celebre-actrice-733622|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220714095748/https://www.voici.fr/news-people/mylene-jampanoi-fete-ses-42-ans-que-devient-la-celebre-actrice-733622|archive-date=14 July 2022}}{{cite web|url=https://www.artsy.net/show/sobering-athenes-nest-pas-en-grece?sort=partner_show_position|title=Athènes n'est pas en Grèce|work=Artsy|url-status=live|archive-date=24 December 2022|archive-url=https://archive.today/20221224221406/https://www.artsy.net/show/sobering-athenes-nest-pas-en-grece?sort=partner_show_position}}

Personal life

Jampanoï married Indian supermodel and actor Milind Soman{{cite web |url=http://www.apunkachoice.com/happenings/20060718-0.html |title=Milind Soman marries French co-star Mylene Jampanoi : Happenings News : ApunKaChoice.Com |accessdate=2014-03-21 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120208021455/http://www.apunkachoice.com/happenings/20060718-0.html |archivedate=8 February 2012}} in Goa in 2006. They met during the shooting of their film Valley of Flowers. The two divorced in 2009.{{cite news|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news/Milind-and-Mylene-part-ways/articleshow/3192338.cms|title=Milind and Mylene part ways |work=The Times of India|date=4 July 2008 |accessdate=23 October 2017}}

In the summer of 2014, she gave birth to a son, Andrèas Vassily, with her longtime partner, Greek producer Dimitri Stephanides.

Jampanoï is a Roman Catholic, and was baptised in the church in 2015, though she has expressed criticism of the church's clerical celibacy policies. She also stated her support of the legalization of same-sex marriage in France.{{cite web|url=https://www.liberation.fr/cinema/2014/06/02/mylene-jampanoi-bonne-petite-diablesse_1032069/|date=2 June 2014|title=Mylène Jampanoï, bonne petite diablesse|last=Le Vaillant|first=Luc|language=fr|work=Libération|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220110205444/https://www.liberation.fr/cinema/2014/06/02/mylene-jampanoi-bonne-petite-diablesse_1032069/|archive-date=10 January 2022}}

Filmography

=Film=

class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable" style="margin-right: 0;"
scope="col" \| Year ! scope="col" \| Title ! scope="col" \| Role ! scope="col" class="unsortable" \| Notes ! scope="col" class="unsortable" \| {{Tooltip\|Ref.\|Reference}}
scope="row" \| 2004 \| Crimson Rivers II: Angels of the Apocalypse \| Pénélope \| \| style="text-align:center;"\|
scope="row" \| 2004 \| 36th Precinct \| Jade \| French: 36 Quai des Orfèvres \| style="text-align:center;"\| {{Cite web\|work=British Film Institute\|title=Mylène Jampanoï Filmography\|access-date=23 December 2022\|url=https://www2.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2bd770605b\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190301161522/https://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2bd770605b\|url-status=dead\|archive-date=1 March 2019}}
scope="row" \| 2005 \| Cavalcade \| Soraya \| \| style="text-align:center;"\|
scope="row" \| 2005 \| Le Détective : Contre-enquête \| Angèle \| Television film; as Lena Jam-Panoï \| style="text-align:center;"\|
scope="row" \| 2006 \| The Chinese Botanist's Daughters \| Min Li \| French: Les Filles du botaniste \| style="text-align:center;"\|
scope="row" \| 2006 \| Valley of Flowers \| Ushna \| French: La Vallée des fleurs \| style="text-align:center;"\|
scope="row" \| 2006 \| Pleure en silence \| Kristina \| \| style="text-align:center;"\|
scope="row" \| 2008 \| Choisir d'aimer \| Julie \| \| style="text-align:center;"\|
scope="row" \| 2008 \| Martyrs \| Lucie \| \| style="text-align:center;"\|
scope="row" \| 2008 \| Kung Fu Panda \| Maître Vipère \| Voice role \| style="text-align:center;"\|
scope="row" \| 2009 \| The Ball of the Actresses \| Herself \| French: Le Bal des actrices \| style="text-align:center;"\|
scope="row" \| 2010 \| Gainsbourg: A Heroic Life \| Bambou \| French: Serge Gainsbourg, vie héroïque \| style="text-align:center;"\|
scope="row"\| 2010 \| The Skin of Sorrow \| Fedora \| Television film \| style="text-align:center;"\|
scope="row" \| 2010 \| Hereafter \| Jasmine \| \| style="text-align:center;"\|
scope="row" \| 2012 \| Laurence Anyways \| Fanny \| \| style="text-align:center;"\|
scope="row" \| 2012 \| The Maneater \| Jezabel \| \| style="text-align:center;"\|
scope="row" \| 2014 \| La Mante religieuse \| Jézabel \| \| style="text-align:center;"\|
scope="row" \| 2018 \| Kill Skills 2 \| Julia \| Television film \| style="text-align:center;"\| {{cite web\|title=Kill Skills 2\|url=https://en.notrecinema.com/communaute/v1_detail_film.php3?lefilm=257500\|work=Notre Cinema\|url-status=live\|archive-url=https://archive.today/20221224210822/https://en.notrecinema.com/communaute/v1_detail_film.php3?lefilm=257500\|archive-date=24 December 2022}}
scope="row"\| 2019 \| Made in China \| Lisa \| \| style="text-align:center;"\|
scope="row"\| 2021 \| Madame Claude \| Yoshiro \| \| style="text-align:center;"\|
scope="row"\| 2021 \| Undercover \| Mylène Antoine \| \| style="text-align:center;"\|

class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable" style="margin-right: 0;"

scope="col" | Year

! scope="col" | Title

! scope="col" | Role

! scope="col" class="unsortable" | Notes

! scope="col" class="unsortable" | {{Tooltip|Ref.|Reference}}

scope="row" | 2004

| Crimson Rivers II: Angels of the Apocalypse

| Pénélope

| style="text-align:center;"|

scope="row" | 2004

| 36th Precinct

| Jade

| French: 36 Quai des Orfèvres

| style="text-align:center;"| {{Cite web|work=British Film Institute|title=Mylène Jampanoï Filmography|access-date=23 December 2022|url=https://www2.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2bd770605b|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190301161522/https://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2bd770605b|url-status=dead|archive-date=1 March 2019}}

scope="row" | 2005

| Cavalcade

| Soraya

| style="text-align:center;"|

scope="row" | 2005

| Le Détective : Contre-enquête

| Angèle

| Television film; as Lena Jam-Panoï

| style="text-align:center;"|

scope="row" | 2006

| The Chinese Botanist's Daughters

| Min Li

| French: Les Filles du botaniste

| style="text-align:center;"|

scope="row" | 2006

| Valley of Flowers

| Ushna

| French: La Vallée des fleurs

| style="text-align:center;"|

scope="row" | 2006

| Pleure en silence

| Kristina

| style="text-align:center;"|

scope="row" | 2008

| Choisir d'aimer

| Julie

| style="text-align:center;"|

scope="row" | 2008

| Martyrs

| Lucie

| style="text-align:center;"|

scope="row" | 2008

| Kung Fu Panda

| Maître Vipère

| Voice role

| style="text-align:center;"|

scope="row" | 2009

| The Ball of the Actresses

| Herself

| French: Le Bal des actrices

| style="text-align:center;"|

scope="row" | 2010

| Gainsbourg: A Heroic Life

| Bambou

| French: Serge Gainsbourg, vie héroïque

| style="text-align:center;"|

scope="row"| 2010

| The Skin of Sorrow

| Fedora

| Television film

| style="text-align:center;"|

scope="row" | 2010

| Hereafter

| Jasmine

| style="text-align:center;"|

scope="row" | 2012

| Laurence Anyways

| Fanny

| style="text-align:center;"|

scope="row" | 2012

| The Maneater

| Jezabel

| style="text-align:center;"|

scope="row" | 2014

| La Mante religieuse

| Jézabel

| style="text-align:center;"|

scope="row" | 2018

| Kill Skills 2

| Julia

| Television film

| style="text-align:center;"| {{cite web|title=Kill Skills 2|url=https://en.notrecinema.com/communaute/v1_detail_film.php3?lefilm=257500|work=Notre Cinema|url-status=live|archive-url=https://archive.today/20221224210822/https://en.notrecinema.com/communaute/v1_detail_film.php3?lefilm=257500|archive-date=24 December 2022}}

scope="row"| 2019

| Made in China

| Lisa

| style="text-align:center;"|

scope="row"| 2021

| Madame Claude

| Yoshiro

| style="text-align:center;"|

scope="row"| 2021

| Undercover

| Mylène Antoine

| style="text-align:center;"|

=Television=

class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable" style="margin-right: 0;"
scope="col" \| Year ! scope="col" \| Title ! scope="col" \| Role ! scope="col" class="unsortable" \| Notes ! scope="col" class="unsortable" \| {{Tooltip\|Ref.\|Reference}}
scope="row" \| 2002 \| Sous le soleil \| Laeticia Valanski \| Television series \| style="text-align:center;"\|
scope="row" \| 2011 \| Rani \| Jolanne de Valcourt \| Television miniseries \| style="text-align:center;"\|
scope="row" \| 2014 \| H-Man \| La Main Verte \| 1 episode \| style="text-align:center;"\|
scope="row" \| 2017 \| Addict \| Déborah \| 6 episodes \| style="text-align:center;"\|
scope="row" \| 2017 \| Kill Skills \| Julia \| 1 episode \| style="text-align:center;"\|
scope="row" \| 2022 \| Addict \| Déborah \| 6 episodes \| style="text-align:center;"\|

class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable" style="margin-right: 0;"

scope="col" | Year

! scope="col" | Title

! scope="col" | Role

! scope="col" class="unsortable" | Notes

! scope="col" class="unsortable" | {{Tooltip|Ref.|Reference}}

scope="row" | 2002

| Sous le soleil

| Laeticia Valanski

| Television series

| style="text-align:center;"|

scope="row" | 2011