The daughter of former Prime Minister and diplomat Dominique de Villepin, she spent most of her childhood in India before moving to various countries in Latin America[1] and Africa, Through her many travels, she began developing drawing and musical skills at an early age.

As a young girl she landed a role in Danièle Thompson's movie La Bûche and then took acting classes at Cours Florent as well as from Raymond Acquaviva, both in Paris.

When she turned 18 and after graduating with a degree in applied mathematics from Dauphine University Paris,[citation needed] she moved to New York to pursue a modeling career.

[1] After several seasons on the catwalks of New York, Milan and Paris, appearing in ad campaigns of major designers shot by the likes of Mario Sorrenti, Inez and Vinoodh, and Gilles Bensimon, Marie was selected to be the face of Givenchy's perfume Ange ou Démon.

[1] For her starring role in Veit Helmer's Baikonur [fr], shot in the steppes of Kazakhstan and in Moscow, Marie completed a full cosmonaut training course in zero gravity.

[2] Marie spent her childhood surrounded by a prominent circle of artists, poets, musicians, and filmmakers, while counting distinguished painters including Anselm Kiefer, Pierre Soulages, and Zao Wou-Ki as family friends.

She had a minor career as a child actor, appearing in the Danièle Thompson directorial debut La bûche (English: Season's Beatings) (1999) alongside Sabine Azéma, Emmanuelle Béart and Charlotte Gainsbourg.

[citation needed] She decided to start using her real name - Marie de Villepin - again when she landed her first leading role in the film Baikonur [fr] by German director and producer Veit Helmer.