Isild Le Besco (born 22 November 1982) is a French actress and filmmaker. She has written, directed, and appeared in several films, and her honours include the ÃÂtoile d'or de la révélation féminine and the Marcello Mastroianni Award at the Venice Film Festival.
Le Besco was born in Paris to actress and journalist Catherine Belkhodja. On her mother's side, she is of French and Algerian descent, while on her father's side she is of Vietnamese and Breton descent. She is the third of five children, all of whom work in theatre and film.
Le Besco began acting at the age of eight, appearing in Lacenaire (1990), directed by Francis Girod, and La Puce (1996), directed by Emmanuelle Bercot. She later appeared in several French and international films, including Sade (2000), opposite Daniel Auteuil, and The Good Heart (2009), directed by Dagur Kári. In addition to acting, Le Besco has written and directed several films, beginning with Demi-tarif (2004).
She accused Benoît Jacquot of raping her during their relationship, which began when she was underage, and filed a criminal complaint by July 2024. Jacquot was placed under preliminary investigation and criminally charged with the rape of a minor on 4 July 2024. The Paris prosecutor's office announced that a partner of Le Besco was charged with raping her over a 10-month span in 2007. Jacquot was designated as a special witness in this separate case. Le Besco also alleged Jacques Doillon made advances during work sessions and tried to sexually blackmail her in 2000, when she hoped to star in his film Carrément àl'Ouest.