Biography
Louise Portal is a Canadian actress, singer and writer, also credited as Louise Lapointe. Born on 12 May 1950 in Chicoutimi, Québec, she trained at the Conservatory of Dramatic Arts in Montreal and began her screen career in the 1970s.
She is best known for playing Diane (later Diane Leonard) in Denys Arcand's films The Decline of the American Empire (1986) and The Barbarian Invasions (2003). She won the Genie Award for Best Supporting Actress for the former and received a nomination for Best Actress for Sous-sol (Not Me!, 1996). Other film roles include Cordélia (1980), My Best Pals (1989) and The Guide to the Perfect Family (2021).
Her twin sister, actress Pauline Lapointe, died in 2010.
