Léa
Two César Awards: one for a survivor in *Custody*, one for a truth-seeker in *Case 137*.
Léa Drucker (born 23 January 1972) is a French actress who first seized the spotlight as Catherine Durand in the French-British television series *War of the Worlds*. She has since clinched two César Awards for Best Actress: first for her raw, harrowing portrayal of an abused woman in *Custody* (2017), and again for her turn as a relentless IGPN investigator in *Case 137* (2025). Born in Caen, Normandy, she is the niece of TV host Michel Drucker and former M6 president Jean Drucker. Her father Jacques is a medical doctor; her mother Martine, an English teacher. She is also the cousin of journalist Marie Drucker. Her paternal grandfather was a Romanian Jewish immigrant. Drucker trained at the École de la rue Blanche and the École Nationale Supérieure des Arts et Techniques du Théâtre (ENSATT) in Paris.
- Role
- Protagonist / emotional anchor of the story
- Affiliation
- Central to the main narrative thread of Twice
- First appears
- Opening sequence of the series
- Status
- Alive (as of the final episode)
Verified Timeline
Lore & Background
Drucker's early career swung between classical theatre—like Molière's *Le Misanthrope*—and contemporary works such as Emmanuelle Marie's *Blanc*. She earned two Molière Award nominations for Best Female Revelation: in 2001 for her role in *Danny et la grande bleue* and in 2004 for *84 Charing Cross Road*. In 2017, she starred in Xavier Legrand's domestic-abuse drama *Custody*, which premiered in competition at the 74th Venice International Film Festival. Her performance, a gut-punch of vulnerability and defiance, won Best Actress at the 44th César Awards. In 2019, Drucker took on her first English-language role, playing Catherine Durand across three seasons (24 episodes) of the StudioCanal French-British series *War of the Worlds* (2019–2022), alongside Gabriel Byrne and Daisy Edgar-Jones. In 2025, she anchored Dominik Moll's crime drama *Case 137*, which premiered in competition at the 78th Cannes Film Festival. For her layered, steel-eyed performance as an IGPN investigator, she won her second César for Best Actress and earned a nomination for the European Film Award for Best Actress.
In Their Own Story
Drucker lives with director and screenwriter Julien Rambaldi; their daughter was born in July 2014. Her career arcs from classical and contemporary theatre to award-winning film roles. She won her first César for playing an abused woman in *Custody* (2017), a film that premiered in competition at the 74th Venice International Film Festival. She won her second César for playing a dedicated IGPN investigator in *Case 137* (2025), which premiered in competition at the 78th Cannes Film Festival. In between, she spent three seasons (24 episodes) in the English-language series *War of the Worlds* (2019–2022), her first foray into English-language television.
Reader's Guide
Name: Léa Drucker Born: 23 January 1972 Place of birth: Caen, Normandy Notable roles: Catherine Durand in *War of the Worlds* (2019–2022, 24 episodes); abused woman in *Custody* (2017); IGPN investigator in *Case 137* (2025) Awards: César Award for Best Actress for *Custody* (44th César Awards); César Award for Best Actress for *Case 137*; nominated for European Film Award for Best Actress for *Case 137* Molière Award nominations: Best Female Revelation in 2001 for *Danny et la grande bleue* and in 2004 for *84 Charing Cross Road*
Did You Know?
- Léa Drucker was born on 23 January 1972 in Caen, Normandy.
- She is the niece of television presenter Michel Drucker and ex-president of M6 Jean Drucker.
- Her paternal grandfather was a Romanian Jewish immigrant.
- She won her first César Award for Best Actress for playing an abused woman in *Custody* (2017).
Elsewhere in the Twice universe
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