Noemie Lenoir - Biography

Like many others before her - from Elle Macpherson to Gisele Bundchen - French supermodel Noemie Lenoir took the leap from modeling to acting after gracing the innumerable magazine spreads and European catwalks. Ironically (for one with her degree of physical allure), Lenoir embarked on one of her first significant film outings with an offscreen role - when she voiced a character in the Gallic animated feature Astérix et Obélix: Mission Cléopâtre (2002). Lenoir achieved recognition among U.S. audiences with the 2007 action comedy Rush Hour 3, thanks in no small part to the film's Parisian setting; in that Jackie Chan/Chris Tucker vehicle, she played Genevieve, the star attraction at a French nightclub. Lenoir's mother hailed from Malagasy, on the island of Réunion in the West Indian Ocean - which accounts for the actress-model's dark-skinned complexion and slightly exotic look. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide