Married to documentary filmmaker Patrick Rotman since 2005, Florence Pernel had two children with him: Paul and Tina. Playing Agnès Duval in The Eighth Heaven at the Théâtre Actuel La Bruyère until January 15, 2025, the 62-year-old actress was spotted when she was just a little girl, while she accompanied her mother who was filming in the TV movie Full sun. The writer Marie Suzini fell under the child’s spell and immediately offered her the role of Vanina. She was only 10 years old. Five years later, she was nominated for a César for Most Promising Actress at age 15 for her role in Let the big salaries raise their finger, by Denys Granier-Deferre. Polish filmmaker Krzysztof Kieślowski chose her for his project Three colors: Bluereleased in 1992 and for Three colors: Whitein 1993. After these big successes, however, the actress decided to give up everything to become a second-hand dealer.
I didn’t find what I wanted there
“As a child, I accompanied my mother who was an extra and I found myself playing the main role in the TV movie. As a teenager, I worked as a junior model and then one day, I was asked to do tests for a soap opera. But at the time, I didn’t find what I was looking for and I became a second-hand dealer. Then, I went abroad, which allowed me to practice three languages. I worked small jobs, notably in New York in an art gallery. Back in Paris, I found a job at the Louvre des antiquaires, and that’s where I met Dominique Besnehard again, who took me under his wing“, she revealed to Ciné Télé Revue.
Second-hand dealer: a job that Florence Pernel loved
“I was a child actress and a teenage model. But at 19, I stopped everything to become a second-hand dealer. Then, a few years later, I returned to comedy“she also told RTL Info. “I loved the energy, getting up at 4 a.m., I loved selling, discovering objects… Every time, it was Christmas“, she added in the show Temporary Madness. It was also in the Paris region, in Vanves, that Florence Pernel sold her objects. “With a group of friends, we started unpacking at the Porte de Vanves. I discovered the auction rooms… I had the talk, crazy energy and frightening authority, I loved it. This experience brought me a lot for my profession as an actress.“, she confided to our colleagues at Monde. A job that allowed him to gain confidence and sass. Essential qualities on screen or on stage.
