Audrey Tautou was born on August 9, 1976, in Beaumont and was named after the actress Audrey Hepburn. Her father, Bernard Tautou, is a dentist, and her mother, Evelyne Nuret, is a teacher. When Audrey finished high school, her parents paid for a two-week course at the Parisian acting school Cours Florent.

Audrey graduated from music school in piano and oboe. She speaks German and Italian, and speaks English well.

After entering acting courses, Audrey finally decided to devote her life to theater and cinema. After moving to Paris, she studied, worked as a secretary, and appeared in a TF1 television series about the detective Julie Lescaut.

Audrey Tautou played her first role in the television film "Coeur de cible" (1996), after which she performed several small roles in television films and series.