Her paternal grandparents are journalist Georges de Caunes and Jacqueline Joubert, one of the first continuity announcers on French television.

[3] De Caunes began acting in 1988 at the age of 12 with a role in Margot et le voleur d'enfants, a short film by director Michèle Reiser, her godmother.

[6] In 2001 she starred with Radiohead’s Thom Yorke in the music video for the song “Knives Out,” directed by Michel Gondry.

[7] She had a main role in the 2007 comedy film Mr. Bean's Holiday, in which she played an actress in an independent being made by Willem Dafoe's character.

[8] In 2017, De Caunes publicly accused Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein of sexual misconduct at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival.