Stéphanie Lapointe

Stéphanie Lapointe (born March 26, 1984 in Brossard, Quebec) is a Quebec singer, song writer, television and movie actress and humanitarian activist. She is best known as the winner of the second season of Star Académie. Lapointe discovered and developed her interest in music as a young child. It was in 1992, at the age of 8, that she had her first piano lessons at her elementary school in Brossard (formerly Longueuil) a southern suburb of Montreal. In 1996, right after finishing primary school, she traveled to France for a school extracurricular and educational activity. It was there she made her debut in theatrical plays. Her trip to France marked the moment she discovered an interest in the world of acting. In 2001, at age 17, Lapointe became a member of a group which performed musical comedies. She then played in various other plays, including a French remake of (Beauty and the Beast), as well as other French plays such as Aida, and Once on This Island. While in France, she also followed several dance classes. At the same time, she continued to develop her skills in music and theatrical acting. The lessons later proved important for her future roles in Quebec television reality shows and movies starting in 2005. While refining her acting skills, Lapointe studied at Collège Édouard-Montpetit in humanities. She is not related to the Québécois singer Eric Lapointe. In 2003, TVA's newest reality show Star Académie, a remake of France's Star Academy, debuted. Lapointe, while in France, never auditioned for the French edition prior to returning to Quebec. She first auditioned for Star Académie in 2003 but had a greater success the following year, on the series second season, when she impressed the three judges. During the performances as a top-ten finalist, she delivered several impressive performances, full of emotion and sensitivity. Despite her timid nature and calm demeanor, she was known by the public for her energetic performances including rock hits such as Green Day's "American Idiot".