Biography
Micheline Lanctôt (born May 12, 1947) is a Canadian actress, film director, screenwriter, and musician. Lanctôt was born in Frelighsburg, Quebec. Her post-secondary education was in music, fine arts, and theatre at Collège Jésus-Marie in Outremont, and in art history at the Université de Montréal and the École des Beaux-Arts de Montréal; she later studied film animation at the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) and then at Gerald Potterton's studios, Potterton Productions, where she remained for four years. Lanctôt began her acting career in 1972, winning a Canadian Film Award for Best Actress for her starring role in Gilles Carle's The True Nature of Bernadette (La vraie nature de Bernadette). Since then, she has appeared in a wide variety of film and television roles, such as Carle's The Heavenly Bodies (Les Corps Célestes), Ted Kotcheff's award-winning The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz, Claude Chabrol's Blood Relatives and Guy Fournier's Radio-Canada TV series Jamais deux sans toi. She has directed for the theatre also, directing Oleanna by David Mamet for the Théâtre de Quat'Sous in Montreal in 1994, and in 1999, Bousille et les justes by Gratien Gélinas for the Théâtre du Rideau Vert. She began her live-action film-directing career with The Handyman (L'Homme à tout faire) (1980), nominated for best direction and for best film at the Genie Awards in 1981. This success was followed by Sonatine (1984), which launched the career of Pascale Bussières and won both the Genie Award for Best Director at the 6th Genie Awards in 1985, and the now-defunct Silver Lion for Best First Film (1983-1987) at the 41st Venice International Film Festival. Since 1982, Lanctôt has been a part-time instructor in the Mel Hoppenheim School of Cinema at Concordia University. Lanctôt defended Gaétan Soucy's novel The Little Girl Who Was Too Fond of Matches (La petite fille qui aimait trop les allumettes) in the 2004 edition of Le Combat des livres, broadcast on Première Chaîne. In 2016 she was the curator of the Festival Vues dans la tête de... film festival in Rivière-du-Loup. She is also a matron of the Prix collégial du cinéma québécois, an annual program engaging film studies students in Quebec CEGEPs to present an award for the year's best Quebec film.
Acted in 66
2020s
- 2026
Les oubliés
Rose
- 2025
Where Souls Go
Louise
- 2024
You Are Not Alone
Lucy
- 2023
Martin Matte en direct
Tireuse de couteaux (Le dernier lien) · 1 episode
Frontiers
Angèle Messier
À cœur battant
Édith Leclerc · 48 episodes
- 2022
Arlette
Présidente de la chambre
Le temps des framboises
Martha Conley · 20 episodes
- 2020
L'autre midi à la table d'à côté
TV
Laughter
Jeanne
2010s
- 2019
Les invisibles
Micheline Lanctôt · 1 episode
- 2017
Winter Claire
Mère de Claire
- 2016
Boundaries
Movie
- 2015
Early Winter
Lucille
- 2014
The Yellows
Nel
Maternel
Movie
- 2013
The Yellows
Nel · 2 episodes
Sarah Prefers to Run
Entraîneure McGill
Joy and Elation
Movie
- 2012
- 2011
Pour l'amour de Dieu
Léonie (62 ans)
Good Neighbours
Mme. Gauthier
Score
Movie
2000s
- 2009
J'ai la mémoire qui tourne
TV
Suzie
Suzie
- 2007
Happiness Bound
Movie
- 2005
A Year in the Death of Jack Richards
Julie Duceppe
Familia
Madeleine
Tripping the Wire: A Stephen Tree Mystery
Movie
- 2004
Happiness is a Sad Song
Chauffeur (Autobus)
- 2003
The Barbarian Invasions
Nurse Carole
How My Mother Gave Birth to Me During Menopause
Mère
- 2002
Bunker, le cirque
Lise Langlois · 11 episodes
Women Without Wings
Zef
- 2000
Heaven
Veuve #1
1990s
- 1999
The Long Winter
Rose-Aimee Bouchard
Le Polock
: Aurore Langlois · 6 episodes
- 1998
Now or Never
Arlette
Streetheart
Movie
- 1997
The Revenge of the Woman in Black
The Director
Heads or Tails
Huissier Saisibec
- 1996
L'oreille d'un sourd
Movie
Omertà, la loi du silence
Lucille Mallette · 3 episodes
- 1995
Les héritiers Duval
TV
- 1994
Ruth
Movie
1980s
- 1980
The Coffin Affair
Movie
1970s
- 1979
A Scream from Silence
La monteuse
- 1978
Blood & Guts
Lucky Brown
Blood Relatives
Mrs Carella
- 1976
Ti-Cul Tougas, ou, Le bout de la vie
Odette
- 1974
Child Under a Leaf
The Friend
The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz
Yvette
Voyage to Grand Tartarie
Movie
- 1973
Noël and Juliette
Monique
The Heavenly Bodies
Sweetie
Souris, tu m'inquiètes
Movie
- 1972
The True Nature of Bernadette
Bernadette
Directed 14
2010s
- 2019
A Way of Life
Director
- 2016
9
Director
- 2015
Others
Director
- 2011
Pour l'amour de Dieu
Director
2000s
- 2009
Suzie
Director
- 2004
Les Guerriers
Director
- 2003
The Juniper Tree
Director
- 2001
1990s
- 1994
A Hero's Life
Director
1980s
- 1988
Onzième spéciale
Director
- 1987
La poursuite du bonheur
Director
- 1984
Sonatine
Director
- 1980
The Handyman
Director
1970s
- 1975
A Token Gesture
Director
Wrote 10
2010s
- 2019
A Way of Life
Writer
- 2015
Others
Writer
- 2011
Pour l'amour de Dieu
Writer
2000s
- 2009
Suzie
Writer
- 2004
Les Guerriers
Writer
- 2003
The Juniper Tree
Writer
1990s
- 1994
A Hero's Life
Writer
1980s
- 1987
La ligne de chaleur
Screenplay
- 1984
Sonatine
Screenplay
- 1980
The Handyman
Writer
Edited 1
2000s
- 2003
The Juniper Tree
Editor
Art department 1
1970s
- 1975
A Token Gesture
Production Design
Appearances26
2020s
- 2025
À la lumière du soir
Self
- 2024
Dans un cinéma près de chez vous
Self · 1 episode
- 2021
39-45 en sol canadien
Self · 1 episode
- 2020
À tour de rôles
Self - Main Guest · 1 episode
2010s
- 2019
Zone franche
Self · 1 episode
L'effet Wow
Self · 1 episode
- 2018
Pour emporter
Self · 1 episode
Les poilus
Self · 1 episode
The Devil's Share
Self (archive footage)
- 2017
- 2016
Les réalisatrices contemporaines: l'état des choses
Self
Esprit critique
Self, Self - Collaborator · 1 episode
- 2014
Viens-tu faire un tour?
Self · 1 episode
- 2013
On passe à l'Histoire
Self · 2 episodes
- 2010
2000s
- 2009
Les Appendices
Self · 1 episode
- 2007
- 2002
