Baye won César awards for Every Man for Himself (1980), Strange Affair (1981), and La Balance (1982) in successive years, including two for best actress. She was discovered in the 1970s by director François Truffaut. According to The Guardian - Main UK, Nathalie Baye described Truffaut as relying on her because she was not a problematic actress.
Her collaborations extended to directors including Jean-Luc Godard, Claude Chabrol, Bertrand Blier, and Steven Spielberg. In her personal life, Baye had a romantic relationship with Johnny Hallyday in the 1980s, and they had a daughter named Laura Smet. French President Emmanuel Macron paid tribute to Baye.
If François asked me to perform with him, it was because he knew I wasn’t the kind of actress who caused problems. He could rely on me, which was very reassuring to him.
The exact date and cause of her death have not been confirmed, nor have the full list of tributes beyond Macron's.