Patricia Barzyk

About Patricia Barzyk

Patricia Barzyk (born October 28, 1963) is a French model, actress and beauty queen from Montbéliard, Doubs, France. She became Miss France 1980 at the age of 16 after initially finishing as first runner-up to Thilda Fuller, Miss Tahiti. Fuller resigned the title only three days after her coronation, allowing Barzyk to succeed her as Miss France.

Before becoming Miss France, Barzyk had been crowned Miss Jura 1979, representing the Jura department. Her elevation to the national title led to an international pageant career, and she represented France at the Miss World 1980 competition, held at the Royal Albert Hall in London on November 13, 1980. Barzyk was initially named second runner-up. Following the resignation of Miss World 1980 Gabriella Brum of West Germany shortly after the competition, Barzyk moved up to become first runner-up.

After her pageant career, Barzyk pursued modeling and worked with Elite Model Management, appearing in magazines, advertising campaigns and other fashion-related work. She also gained international exposure when she appeared as the female lead in the 1984 music video for Duran Duran's "New Moon on Monday."

Barzyk subsequently developed a career as an actress, appearing in French films and television productions. One of her earliest film appearances was in Manoel de Oliveira's Le Soulier de satin. She later became particularly associated with filmmaker Jean-Pierre Mocky, appearing in numerous films and television productions directed by him over the course of several decades.

Her work with Mocky eventually extended beyond their professional relationship, and the two remained closely associated for many years. Barzyk continued working in French cinema and television into the 2000s and 2010s, accumulating credits across both film and television.

Barzyk's daughter, Sarah Barzyk, also entered the world of beauty pageants. Sarah was crowned Miss Paris 2008 and went on to compete in the Miss France 2009 competition, following in her mother's footsteps.

Patricia Barzyk has continued to make occasional appearances connected with the Miss France competition and her career in entertainment. In 2020, she was a member of the jury for the Miss France 2021 competition.