Satine is the beautiful and desirable highlight of the Moulin Rouge! A dancer, singer and courtesan she longs to be a real actress, like her hero Sarah Bernhardt.

Marie: That twinkle-toes Duke has really taken the bait, girl. With a patron like him, you could be the next Sarah Bernhardt.
Satine: Oh Marie, do you really think I could be like the great Sarah?
Marie: Why not? You've got the talent. You hook that Duke and you'll be lining up the great stages of Europe.
Satine: I'm going to be a real actress Marie, a great actress. I'm going to fly away from here.

Little is known about Satine's early life, she appears to have been a regular feature at the Moulin Rouge! for some time. Satine is known as the "star of the Moulin Rouge, and it is assumed that she worked her way up from the ranks to become the most coveted, and wanted, dancer and call-girl at the there. She acts as the star performer, and the audience is introduced to her as the 'Sparkling Diamond.'

Christian: The Moulin Rouge, a nightclub, a dancehall and a bordello, ruled over by Harold Zidler. A kingdom of night-time pleasures where the rich and powerful came to play with the young and beautiful creatures of the underworld. The most beautiful of all these was the woman I loved. Satine. A courtesan, she sold her love to men. They called her "The Sparkling Diamond," and she was the star of the Moulin Rouge.