Frédérique Cantrel
Description
Frédérique Cantrel is a French actress whose career spans theatre, film, television, and voice work, with a particular emphasis on dubbing for cinema and animation. Born in 1946, she received classical training at the Cours Charles Dullin and the Cours Florent in Paris, where she was awarded the Premier Prix de Comédie Moderne in 1969. Her early career was rooted in theatre, performing in productions such as La Voix humaine and La Mouette, and she has also directed for the stage.
While Cantrel has appeared in on-screen roles in French cinema and television, including films like L'Aile ou la Cuisse and the long-running series Plus belle la vie, she is particularly renowned for her extensive work in dubbing. Her voice is characterized as a medium to low timbre, suited for both adult and senior female characters, and she is proficient in dubbing from English and Spanish.
In the realm of animation, Cantrel has been the French voice for several prominent characters. Notably, she voiced the lead role of Sophie in Hayao Miyazaki's animated feature Howl's Moving Castle. She also contributed her voice to other major animated films, such as Despicable Me, where she dubbed the character of Gru's mother, originally voiced by Julie Andrews. Her work extends to the 2018 Chinese-Japanese animated film Flavors of Youth, in which she played the role of Limo's grandmother. More recently, she was part of the French voice cast for Miyazaki's The Boy and the Heron.
Beyond animation, Cantrel's dubbing filmography is vast, encompassing a wide range of live-action films and television series. She has been the regular French voice for actresses such as Celia Imrie, including her role as Una Alconbury in the Bridget Jones film series, and for Harriet Sansom Harris. Her repertoire includes dubbing Queen Mary in The King's Speech, characters in films by directors like Robert Altman (Gosford Park) and Pedro Almodóvar, and roles in popular TV series such as Nip/Tuck, Heroes, and Better Call Saul. In recognition of her acting talent, she received the Prix d'interprétation féminine at the Eicar film school for the short film Double Bed in 2011.
While Cantrel has appeared in on-screen roles in French cinema and television, including films like L'Aile ou la Cuisse and the long-running series Plus belle la vie, she is particularly renowned for her extensive work in dubbing. Her voice is characterized as a medium to low timbre, suited for both adult and senior female characters, and she is proficient in dubbing from English and Spanish.
In the realm of animation, Cantrel has been the French voice for several prominent characters. Notably, she voiced the lead role of Sophie in Hayao Miyazaki's animated feature Howl's Moving Castle. She also contributed her voice to other major animated films, such as Despicable Me, where she dubbed the character of Gru's mother, originally voiced by Julie Andrews. Her work extends to the 2018 Chinese-Japanese animated film Flavors of Youth, in which she played the role of Limo's grandmother. More recently, she was part of the French voice cast for Miyazaki's The Boy and the Heron.
Beyond animation, Cantrel's dubbing filmography is vast, encompassing a wide range of live-action films and television series. She has been the regular French voice for actresses such as Celia Imrie, including her role as Una Alconbury in the Bridget Jones film series, and for Harriet Sansom Harris. Her repertoire includes dubbing Queen Mary in The King's Speech, characters in films by directors like Robert Altman (Gosford Park) and Pedro Almodóvar, and roles in popular TV series such as Nip/Tuck, Heroes, and Better Call Saul. In recognition of her acting talent, she received the Prix d'interprétation féminine at the Eicar film school for the short film Double Bed in 2011.
All Characters
- FrenchAnime overview: Flavors of Youth