STEPHANIE - Josiane Balasko

Born Josiane Balaskovic on 15 April 1950 in Paris, Balasko began her career writing and performing with the caf' theatre troupe Splendid in 1976. She made her feature film debut in 1976 and has combined a career as a comedian, actress and film director enjoying considerable success in all three. In 1990 she was nominated for a César for best actress for Bertrand Blier's Trop Belle Pour Toi (Too Beautiful For You) opposite Gérard Depardieu and again in 1994 was applauded for her role in Tout le monde n'a pas eu la chance d'avoir des parents communistes (1994), movingly playing a working-class mother and communist activist in Paris of the 1950s. In 1996 she won a César for best original screen play for her film comedy Gazon Maudit (French Twist) in which she also starred as the film's lead character. It went on to become one of the highest grossing films of the year.

More recently she has written, directed and acted in the film Bushwhacked.

Writer/Director Jan Dunn wrote the part of Stephanie specifically with Josiane Balasko in mind and was overwhelmed when this astonishing French Legend of an actress agreed to play the leading lady. Ruby Blue marks Balasko's first English Language film.

FRANKIE - Josef Altin

Josef Altin is definitely a new British discovery worth looking out for.

Ruby Blue writer/director Jan Dunn first spotted Josef when she met him for her first feature film Gypo after he had been recommended to her by a theatre director friend. Dunn was so excited by his contribution to that project, that she wrote the part of Frankie in Ruby Blue especially for him.

Josef's professional career began when he was plucked from a children's drama group to appear in the short film DJ Stepper. Director Toby McDonald was so impressed with Josef's natural ability that he put him in touch with his now agent and there has been no looking back. Dunn says of him, "he's quite an extraordinary talent and I'm so glad he agreed to play our 'baddie', Frankie but he's a big softy really and I should try and write a nicer character for him next time but he's done such a good job of Frankie. Josef's definitely someone to watch out for in the future."

The last few years have been tremendously exciting for him. He has enjoyed screen success, appearing in the films Stoned which marked veteran producer, Stephen Wooley's directorial debut in 2005. He has also appeared in Stephen Frear's Dirty Pretty Things and Sixty 6 (Paul Weiland Films). His television credits include Pulling (BBC), Robin Hood (Tiger Aspect), Soundproof (Channel 4/Blast Films), Peep Show (Channel 4 / Objective Productions), Happy Slapz (Channel 4), Murphy's Law (BBC), and The Golden Hour (Talkback Thames) to name but a few. On stage, he has played lead roles in Kingfisher Blue (Bush Theatre), Low Dat (Birmingham Rep Theatre) and Badnuff (Soho Theatre).

Josef will conclude 2006 and start 2007 playing Ekrem in legendary director David Cronenberg's latest film Eastern Promises.