Actress Lou Gala has hit the scene on a broader scale than ever after appearing in Netflix's The Decameron.
Taking place in 1300s Europe, the streaming comedy tells the story of people living amongst the Black Death, one of the deadliest pandemics in human history.
Gala plays Nelfie, a member of the Brigata, a group of storytelling women used by the noble class.
5 Things To Know About Lou Gala from The Decameron
Lou Gala Booked Her First Film Role While Still in High School
Lou Gala is a French actress with a long history (already) working in TV and film. In fact, she booked her first movie role while still in high school.
According to The Decameron star, her acting journey started young, "[happening] little by little" (via EcranLarge).
She said she "started doing theater in high school" and was eventually admitted to acting school:
"It happened little by little. It wasn't necessarily a childhood dream. I started doing theater in high school, I wanted to do more so I signed up for a class. After my Baccalaureate, I applied to the district conservatories and I didn't yet know what my level was, because there are still a lot of candidates and it's very selective. I was admitted to the 7th arrondissement conservatory and that determined my path."
She continued, remembering "[starting] to go to auditions" and then her rise happening "gradually:"
"I was at the same time at the Conservatory and in a drama school, Blanche Salant, it was intense. At the same time I started to go to auditions and work, it happened a bit at the same time. Everything happened gradually and it imposed itself little by little."
"I was in class and I was already filming," Gala posited, pointing to her first appearance in the French film, The Adulteen at 16:
"I was in class and I was already filming. My first feature film was when I was in high school, 16 years old or so. Tristan Séguéla offered me a small role in this film. So there was never a real break between school and the real world."
Lou Starred in Many French Films Before The Decameron
Since breaking on the scene at 16, Gala has built up quite a career in French cinema.
To date, she has 42 acting credits to her name, including Saturn Bowling, Pourquoi je vis, and Les Chicons.
She also notably appeared in the Max Julia series, which outlines the life of renowned chef and cookbook writer Julia Child. In Julia, Gala played Yvette - a maid to Julia's French co-author, Simone Beck
Lou Was the Muse of a Film Festival
While Lou Gala may be catching eyes internationally in The Decameron, she has been doing so for a long time in her home country of France.
In 2017 the young actress was chosen as the muse of the Saint-Jean-de-Luz International Film Festival.
This honor is given to a young actor each year the festival runs, being selected as an exemplary French talent that is featured on much of the festival's marketing.
Other names to receive the honor include Juliette Besson, Alice David, and Rod Paradot.
In speaking about her honors as the 2017 muse for the festival, Gala told French Mania it was "a pleasure and an honor," positing that she "jumped for joy" when she heard she had been selected:
"It's really a pleasure and an honor. I'm delighted that I was asked to pose for the poster for this edition. It touched me because I came to the festival for the first time two years ago to present a short film directed by Stéphanie Murat, Samedi soir , in which I played, and I didn't know St-Jean-de-Luz and the festival at all. So I discovered everything at the same time and it was great. So when I was asked to come back this year to be the face of the festival, I jumped for joy, and what's more I get to enjoy the Basque Country for a week, which is not unpleasant!"
Lou Is Inspired by French Actress Isabelle Huppert
Like any actress, Lou Gala takes inspiration from a myriad of places, but there is one French star of the stage and screen she credits as her biggest inspiration, that being Isabelle Huppert.
Huppert (71) has acted across five decades, earning many accolades in that time, including being named by The New York Times in 2020 as the second greatest actor of the 21st century.
Gala cites Huppert as someone she looks up to, "[putting] them on [her] pantheon" (via EcranLarge):
"Gérard Depardieu and Isabelle Huppert, I put them in my Pantheon. It's not a very original choice, but I'm not taking any risks in saying that. (laughs) They are the best. There is an actress I admire enormously, Gloria Swanson, particularly in Sunset Boulevard for her role that is both powerful and frightening."
Lou Used to Post Music on YouTube
Outside of acting, Lou Gala also seems to have a knack for making music.
She used to post some of her musical works on YouTube, singing some covers as well as a few originals.
Most of the music posted on her official YouTube channel was moody, broody guitar-driven pop music in the vein of Lana Del Ray or Billie Eilish.
However, her last upload centered on music was over three years ago in September 2021.
How To Follow Lou Gala On Social Media
Fans can follow Lou Gala online on Instagram (@lou_gala).
The Decameron is streaming now on Netflix.
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