Julie Dreyfus is a French actress who is best known for her collaborations with director Quentin Tarantino, appearing in two of his films. She played the role of Sofie Fatale in “Kill Bill: Volume 1”.
Background Info
Dreyfus was born on January 24, 1966, in Paris, France and is the only child of actress Pascale Audret and producer Francis Dreyfus. She has Romanian-Jewish and Alsatian-Jewish roots from her father’s side, while her mother’s ancestry is purely French.
In 1985, Julie Dreyfus embarked on her journey of learning Japanese at the Institute for Oriental Languages and Civilization at the University of Paris.
Initially studying interior design, her fascination with Japanese architecture sparked her interest. She later moved to Japan, enrolling in a six-month intensive Japanese course at Osaka University of Foreign Studies, with the intention of pursuing a career in interior design.
However, her path took a surprising turn as she found herself working part-time in a design studio in Tokyo, taking private Japanese lessons, and eventually being hired as a French language instructor on a morning-television program. Through her involvement, she became a gaijin tarento (foreign talent), securing numerous TV and film roles, and even serving as a judge on the popular cooking show Iron Chef.
Early Career
Dreyfus’ first acting credit came in 1992 for the movie "Toki rakujitsu," which was directed by Seijirô Kôyama. In 1994 she would land a small role as the ‘Mademoiselle’ in Rampo. A movie about a censored writer who witnesses his forbidden story come to life in a world influenced by Poe and Stoker’s Dracula.
In 1998 she would land a 2-episode stint on the short-lived television show, The Crow: Stairway to Heaven. She would played the character of India Reyes.
Kill Bill
In 2003, Dreyfus gained the attention of audiences worldwide when she was cast as Sofie Fatale in Quentin Tarantino’s film “Kill Bill: Volume 1.”
Sofie Fatale is a member of the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad (DVAS) and serves as the personal assistant to Bill, the leader of the group. She plays a significant role in the story as she is involved in a critical event that sets the revenge plot in motion.
Her fate would lead her to getting her arm severed off by Kiddo, the main protagonist of the film. While most characters met their demise, she was spared to convey a crucial message to Bill.
Dreyfus would have a small appearance in Kill Bill 2.
Later Career
After Kill Bill, Dreyfus would have limited success and landed small roles in movies and television shows.
In 2009, Tarantino would cast her again in the role of Francesca Mondino, a French interpreter and the mistress of Reich Minister of Propaganda Joseph Goebbels, in “Inglorious Basterds.”
Dreyfus would round out her career with 3 small roles in 2010, 2011 and 2013. Her last acting credit would be on the Japanese television show Bitter Sweet Home Kyoto.
Where is Julie Dreyfus Now?
Julie Dreyfus has not acted in anything since 2013. She maintains a private life and has no social media presence and has not given any interviews. However, she is slated to revise her role as Sofie Fatale in the forthcoming Kill Bill Volume 3, according to IMDB.
While there is no official release date, Tarantino expressed his interest in creating a third installment situated around ten years after the previous events.
In Volume 3, the story would revolve around Nikki (portrayed by Ambrosia Kelley), who has grown into an adult. Nikki is the daughter of Vernita Green (played by Vivica A. Fox), a former member of the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad and one of Beatrix’s victims.
When Nikki was just four years old, she witnessed her mother’s murder and was left alone with her lifeless body. Despite Beatrix having no remorse for killing Vernita, she treats the young girl with compassion. Beatrix acknowledges that if Nikki harbors a desire for vengeance when she grows up and feels the rawness of her loss, Beatrix will be there, ready to face her.
According to Tarantino’s concept, Nikki indeed nurtures intense feelings of grief over her mother’s death and embarks on a quest for revenge against Beatrix. She is not alone in her pursuit, as other characters, including Elle Driver (portrayed by Daryl Hannah), Sofie Fatale (played by Julie Dreyfus), and the identical twin sister of Gogo Yubari (portrayed by Chiaki Kuriyama), all seek revenge for Beatrix’s previous rampage.
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