Born on April 25, 1956, in Lyon, Dominique Blanc grew up in the working-class Croix-Rousse neighborhood. She developed a passion for theater early on, but faced several rejections, notably from the Conservatoire National Supérieur d'Art Dramatique and the École de la Rue Blanche. She then decided to join the Cours Florent, where her teachers were Francis Huster and Pierre Romans. Her talent was quickly spotted by Patrice Chéreau, who hired her in 1981 to star in Ibsen's "Peer Gynt." This role marked the beginning of a fruitful collaboration with Chéreau and a promising career.

Her film debut was more tentative. In 1982, she starred in Jean-Luc Godard's "Passion," an experience she didn't enjoy, prompting her to focus on theater. However, in 1986, Régis Wargnier convinced her to star in "The Woman of My Life," where she played an alcoholic. Her performance earned her a César Award nomination for Most Promising Actress and marked the beginning of a brilliant film career. She quickly established herself as one of the essential supporting actors in French cinema, appearing in Claude Sautet's "A Few Days with Me" (1988), Louis Malle's "Snowy in May" (1989) (which earned her a César Award for Best Supporting Actress in 1991), and then in Claude Chabrol's "Madame Bovary" (1991).

Staying true to Régis Wargnier's style, she starred in "Indochine" (1992), where her role earned her a second César Award. Her collaboration with Patrice Chéreau continued with "La Reine Margot" (1994), then with "Those Who Love Me Will Take the Train" (1998), which earned her a third César Award. Dominique Blanc does not hesitate to work with young directors or on daring projects. She starred in "Faut-il aimer Mathilde?" (1993), the Albanian film "Far from the Barbarians" (1994), and "Alors voilà" (1997), directed by Michel Piccoli. Her boldness was rewarded in 2001 when she received the César Award for Best Actress for her role in Roch Stéphanik's "Stand-by," a film that went unnoticed upon its release but was critically acclaimed.

Subsequently, she alternated between demanding auteur films and lighter roles. She was moving in Lucas Belvaux's trilogy ("Un couple épatant", "Cavale" and "Après la vie" in 2003), played a woman in the midst of a downward spiral in "L'Autre" (2008) by Patrick Mario Bernard and Pierre Trividic – a role that earned her the Best Actress Award at the Venice Film Festival – and tried her hand at comedy with "C’est le bouquet!" by Jeanne Labrune.

At the same time, she continued to grace the stage and became a major figure in French theater. Winner of several Molières, she joined the Comédie-Française in 2016 before becoming a member in 2021, consolidating her status as a key player in the French cultural landscape.