French Actors
These guys combine acting with a screen presence second to none
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- Actor
- Producer
- Director
Becker attended the Conservatory of dramatic art in France, the court Florent (Olga Hörstig Prize) and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art of London.
He was part of the promotion of Young Talents Cannes in 2010. That same year, he made his debut on screen in a variety of roles. He played a young politician in L'Assaut, directed by Julien Leclercq, an alcoholic hitchhiker in La Proie, directed by Eric Valette, a student in Marie-Castille Mention Schaar's Ma Première Fois and a young businessman in La Croisière, by Pascale Pouzadoux.
In 2010, he made his debut in Hollywood, playing Louis Grimaldi, Prince of Monaco, in the CW drama Gossip Girl. Initially, he signed on for two episodes in the fourth season. Later, his role was extended for another eighteen episodes.
In 2011, he played Xavier in the American film Damsels in Distress, directed by Whit Stillman (Oscar nominated for his film Metropolitan). The film closed the 68th Venice Film Festival and was selected at the Toronto Film Festival.
In 2012, Becker starred as Antoine Lavoisier in the American docufiction Mystery of the Matter, directed by Mr. Meyer. In 2013, Hugo played Isaac Dreyfuss, a football star involved in a terrorist affair, for two episodes of a BBC3 series.
In 2014, he played the role of Romain in the 6 episodes of the miniseries Chefs alongside Clovis Cornillac, for which he received the Adami Prize for the best promising actor at the Luchon festival.
In 2015, he played the lead role in the 12 episodes French series entitled Au service de la France, written by Jean-François Halin, for the role of André Merlaux, a young recruit of the French secret service, in the year 1960.
In 2016, he began playing the role of Cyril Balsan in the political drama series Baron Noir alongside Niels Arestrup, Kad Merad and Anna Mouglalis. In the same year, he starred in a main role alongside Yon González and Lluís Homar in the Spanish crime drama series Bajo sospecha. He played the role of a police officer infiltrated to find a missing person in a hospital in Madrid. He also played the role of Guillaume in the comedy Un jour mon prince!, by Flavia Coste.
In 2018, he starred in Xavier Durringer's Paradise Beach alongside Sami Bouajila, Kool Shen, Seth Gueko and Tewfik Jallab. In the same year, he starred in Jusqu'ici tout va bien, by Mohamed Hamidi, alongside Gilles Lellouche, Malik Bentalha and Sabrina Ouazani.
In 2019, he starred as Paul Vanhove in the Netflix science fiction series Osmosis. He is set to play a role as Paul WR in Le dernier voyage de l'énigmatique Paul W.R. by Romain Quirot and as Max in the film Döner directed by Jean-Luc Herbulot.
Hugo Becker is fluent in English and Spanish.
Since 2014, he is one of the producers at Nouvelle Donne Productions.- Actor
- Producer
- Stunts
The son of the renowned French sculptor Paul Belmondo, he studied at Conservatoire National Superieur d'Art Dramatique (CNSAD); after the minor stage performances he made his screen debut in À pied, à cheval et en voiture (1957) but the episodes with his participation were cut before release. However, the breakthrough role in Jean-Luc Godard's Breathless (1960) made him one of the key figures in the French New Wave. Since mid-60s he completely switched to commercial mainstream pictures and became a big comedy and action star in France. Following the example of Alain Delon he founded his own production company Cerito named after his grandmother's maiden name. In 1989 he was awarded Cesar for his performance in Itinerary of a Spoiled Child (1988) . Recently he returned to stage performing in the Théâtre Marigny, Paris, notably as Edmund Kean or Cyrano de Bergerac. He still appears in the movies but not so often as before preferring mostly dramatic roles. The president of France distinguished him with order of Legion of Honour. Belmondo had three children with his first spouse Elodie Constant: Patricia Belmondo ( who died in a fire in 1993), Florence Belmondo and Paul Belmondo. In 2003, he had another daughter, Stella Belmondo, with his second spouse Natty Belmondo. None of his children became actors though you could have seen his son Paul in an episodic role (the same as his father, at an earlier age) in Itinerary of a Spoiled Child (1988).- Actor
- Producer
- Writer
Alain Fabien Maurice Marcel Delon was born in Sceaux, Hauts-de-Seine, France, to Édith (Arnold) and Fabien Delon. His father was of French and Corsican Italian descent, and his mother was of French and German ancestry. His parents divorced early on, and Delon had a stormy childhood, being frequently expelled from school.
In 1953/1954 he served with the French Marines in Indochina. In the mid-'50s he worked at various odd jobs including waiter, salesman and porter in Les Halles market. He decided to try an acting career and in 1957 made his film debut in Yves Allégret's Quand la femme s'en mêle (1957). He declined an offer of a contract from producer David O. Selznick, and in 1960 he received international recognition for his role in Luchino Visconti's Rocco and His Brothers (1960). In 1961 he appeared on the stage in "'Tis a Pity She's a Whore", directed by Visconti, in Paris. In 1964 he formed his own production company, Delbeau Productions, and he produced a short film directed by Guy Gilles. In 1968 he found himself involved in murder, drug and sex scandal that indirectly implicated major politicians and show-business personalities, but he was eventually cleared of all charges. In the late 1960s he formed another company. Adel Film, and the next year he began producing features. In 1981 he directed his first film, To Kill a Cop (1981).
Delon was a sensation early in his career; he came to embody the young, energetic, often morally corrupted man. With his breathtaking good looks he was also destined to play tender lovers and romantic heroes, and he was a French embodiment of the type created in America by James Dean. His first outstanding success came with the role of the parasite Tom Ripley in 'Rene Clement''s sun-drenched thriller Purple Noon (1960). Delon presented a psychological portrait of a murderous young cynic who attempts to take on the identity of his victim. A totally different role was offered to him by Visconti in Rocco and His Brothers (1960). In this film Delon plays the devoted Rocco, who accepts the greatest sacrifices to save his shiftless brother Simon.
After several other films in Italy, Delon returned to the criminal genre with Jean Gabin in Any Number Can Win (1963). This work, a classic example of the genre, was distinguished not only by a soundly worked-out screenplay, but also by the careful production and the excellent performances of both Delon and Gabin. It was only in the late 1960s that the sleek and lethal Delon came to epitomize the calm, psychopathic hoodlum, staring into the camera like a cat assessing a mouse. His tough, ruthless side was first used to real effect by Jean-Pierre Melville in The Samurai (1967). In 1970 he had a huge success in the bloodstained Borsalino (1970)--which he also produced--playing a small-time gangster in the 1930s who, with Jean-Paul Belmondo, becomes king of the Marseilles underworld. Delon later won critical acclaim for his roles, against type, in Joseph Losey's Mr. Klein (1976) in which he played (brilliantly) the icily sinister title role, and the art-movie Swann in Love (1984). He has an older son Anthony Delon (who has also acted in a number of movies) from his first marriage to Nathalie Delon, and has a young son and daughter, Alain-Fabien and Anouchka with Rosalie.- Actor
- Director
- Cinematographer
Lambert Wilson was born in Paris and studied acting at the Drama Centre in London.
A fluent English speaker, he made his feature film debut at the age of twenty-two in Fred Zinnemann's Five Days One Summer (1981) starring opposite Sean Connery. He went on to work with many of France's most prestigious auteur directors, playing leads in Andrzej Zulawski's La Femme Publique, (1983), Véra Belmont's Rouge Baiser (1984), André Téchiné's Rendez-vous, (Official Selection at Cannes and winner of the Best Director Award, 1984), Luigi Comencini's La Storia (1985), Claude Chabrol's Le Sang des Autres (1987), Philippe de Broca's Chouans (1987) and Peter Greenaway's The Belly of an Architect (1987). He starred in his actor/director father Georges Wilson's feature film debut, La Vouivre (1988), and won the Jean Gabin Award for his performance in Denis Amar's Winter '54, (1989). Further film work includes James Ivory's Jefferson in Paris (1994) opposite Nick Nolte and Gwyneth Paltrow and John Duigan's The Leading Man, with Thandie Newton and John Bon Jovi (1996). He has made four films with Alain Resnais: Same Old Song (1997), Not on the Lips, 2003, Private Fears in Public Places, (2006) and You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet (2012) and has worked with Jacques Doillon in Trop (peu) d'amour, (1997), Deborah Warner in The Last September, with Maggie Smith, Fiona Shaw, Jane Birkin and Michael Gambon (1998) and starred in Raùl Ruiz's Combat d'amour en songe (2000).
His more recent, English language work includes the Wachowski brothers' Matrix Reloaded and Matrix Revolutions (2001), Pitof's Catwoman (2004) with Halle Berry and Sharon Stone, Breck Eisner's Sahara, (2005), Michael Radford's Flawless (2006) with Demi Moore and Michael Caine, and Mathieu Kassovitz's Babylon A.D. (2007) with Vin Diesel and Charlotte Rampling. He has just starred in three international productions, Lulu Wang's Posthumous with Jack Huston and Britt Marling, Victor Levin's 5 to 7 with Anton Yelchin, Glenn Close and Frank Langella, and Suite Française, opposite Michelle Williams, Kristin Scott Thomas and Matthias Shoenaerts, all due for release in 2014.
Highlights from his latter French filmography include: Valérie Lemercier's Palais Royal! (2004), Xavier Beauvois' Of Gods and Men, Cannes Official Selection and Winner, Grand Prize of the Jury (2009), Bertrand Tavernier The Princess of Montpensier (2009), Alain Chabat's Le Marsupilami (2011), Philippe Le Guay's Cycling with Moliere (2012).
In the summer of 2013, he played the lead in Eric Lavaine's Barbecue, opposite Florence Foresti, Franck Dubosc, Guillaume de Tonquédec, Lionel Abelanski, Jérôme Commandeur, Valérie Crouzet, Sophie Duez et Lysiane Meis (2014).
Lambert Wilson is a Chevalier and Officier des Arts et des Lettres and Chevalier and Officier de l'Ordre National du Merite.- Actor
- Stunts
- Additional Crew
Jean Marais was a popular French cinema actor and director who played over 100 roles in film and on television, and was also known for his many talents as a writer, painter and sculptor.
He was born Jean Alfred Villain-Marais on December 11, 1913, in Cherbourg, France. His father practiced veterinarian medicine, then fought in the World War I, and eventually left the family. Young Jean Marais was taken to Paris at the age of 4. There he was raised by his mother and grandmother. He attended the Lycée Condorcet, a prestigious State school where also studied his future film partners such as Louis de Funes and Jean Cocteau, and the faculty had such figures as Jean-Paul Sartre. At the age of 13, Marais dropped out of Lycee Condorcet, he tried several other schools, albeit he did not complete his college education, instead he was placed in a Catholic boarding school. At 16, he left school and became involved in amateur acting. After being rejected from drama schools, he took a job as a photographer's assistant and also worked as a caddy at a golf club.
In 1933 Marais made his film debut in Les Amoureux (1933) (aka.. Les Amoureux), by director Marcel L'Herbier. In 1937, at a stage rehearsal of 'King Aedipus', Marais met Jean Cocteau, and they remained close friends until Cocteau's death. Cocteau had a major influence on life and career of Jean Marais who appeared in almost every one of Cocteau's films. Together they made such classics as Beauty and the Beast (1946), Orpheus (1950) and Testament of Orpheus (1960), to name a few.
During the World War II, Marais was an actor in the occupied Paris. After liberation of Paris in 1944, he became a truck driver for the French Army, he was decorated for his courage. During the war Marais was married to his film partner, actress Mila Parély, and their marriage was blessed by Cocteau, who wanted Marais to be happy. Marais and Mila Parély divorced after two years of marriage, and shortly after their divorce, they worked together again in 'Beauty and the Beast' (1946), under directorship of Jean Cocteau. During the 1950s, Marais shot to international fame, after starring in films directed by Cocteau, Visconti, and others.
During the 1960s and 1970s, Marais went on to star in several popular comedies, such as the Fantomas (1964) trilogy by director André Hunebelle. He co-starred with many major French actors of the time, including such stars as Louis de Funès and Mylène Demongeot in the Fantomas trilogy, and also Jean Gabin, Guy Delorme, Bourvil, Danielle Darrieux, Michèle Morgan, and Yves Montand.
Jean Marais was also a remarkable stage actor known for his association with Théâtre de Paris, Théâtre de l'Atelie, and the Comédie Francaise, among others. Marais received numerous international awards and recognitions for his contribution to film art, including the French Legion of Honour (1996). He spent his later years living in his house in Vallaruis, in the South of France where he was involved in painting, sculpture and pottery, and was visited by Pablo Picasso and other cultural figures. Jean Marais died of a heart failure on November 8, 1998, in Cannes, France, and was laid to rest in the small Cemetiere de Vallauris, France.- Actor
- Soundtrack
Appealing actor Romain Duris is the exact example of those who arrived in the movie industry by chance, and to stardom without really desiring it. Discovered by a casting director while he was waiting in front of a high school in Paris, he was offered a role. Between popular successes such as Good Old Daze (1994), Dobermann (1997), Tom Thumb (2001), The Spanish Apartment (2002) or Arsène Lupin (2004), and independent films like Seventeen Times Cécile Cassard (2002), Exils (2004), The Crazy Stranger (1997), Being Light (2001), Déjà mort (1998) or When the Cat's Away (1996), Duris proves to be versatile enough to be credible as a bandit, as a homosexual, or simply as a French student in the streets of Barcelona. The consecration has been The Beat That My Heart Skipped (2005); now Duris is seen as an excellent and touching actor by the critics and by the audience.- Michael Vartan came to international acclaim with his starring role as 'Agent Michael Vaughn' on the worldwide hit ABC series, "Alias," which ran for five seasons. With upcoming film and television roles, he continues to explore the different facets of his talent and versatility.
Vartan currently stars in E!'s original one-hour drama series "The Arrangement," about the relationship between an A-list movie star 'Kyle West' (Josh Henderson) and his beautiful young co-star 'Megan Morrison' (Christine Evangelista). Vartan portrays 'Terrence Anderson,' best friend, producing partner and mentor to 'Kyle,' as well as leader of a fictitious self-help organization called the Institute of the Higher Mind. His influence on Kyle's life is pervasive, and when 'Kyle' begins to date 'Megan,' 'Terrence' becomes particularly invested, presenting her with a marriage contract to ensure that the 'The Arrangement' goes as planned. E! will debut the 10-episode first season on March 5, 2017.
He played a key role in Season 2 of A&E's "Bates Motel" as 'George,' a charming divorcé who caught the eye of Norma (played by Emmy-nominee Vera Farmiga). He also had a recurring role in USA Network's "Satisfaction." He previously starred for three seasons alongside Jada Pinkett Smith in TNT's medical drama "HawthoRNe."
On the feature front, Vartan next appears in the indie thriller "Small Town Crime," with Academy Award nominee John Hawkes. The storyline revolves around a boozing ex-cop 'Mike' (Hawkes) who becomes a makeshift private investigator to solve the murder of a young prostitute. Vartan plays 'Detective Scott Crawford' who is investigating the murder and knows that 'Mike' has messed up in the past, yet to a certain extent still believes in him and trusts him to carry out his private investigation as long as he reports back to him with his findings. The film will make its World Premiere at the SXSW Film Festival on March 11, 2017.
Vartan previously starred opposite Zoe Saldana ("Avatar") in TriStar Pictures' "Colombiana." In 2011, he starred opposite Jessica Chastain, as 'Brad Benton' in the independent film "Jolene: My Life," for director Dan Ireland ("The Whole Wide World"). Based on a story from critically acclaimed author, E.L. Doctorow ("Ragtime," "Billy Bathgate").
He previously starred opposite Jane Fonda and Jennifer Lopez in New Line's summer blockbuster, "Monster-In-Law." He also starred opposite Robin Williams in the psychological thriller, "One Hour Photo." Additional film credits include a starring role opposite Drew Barrymore in the romantic comedy "Never Been Kissed."
Born in Paris to a French father and an American mother, Vartan grew up in the tiny Normandy village of Fleury until the age of 16 when he moved to Los Angeles to live with his mother, who encouraged him to take acting classes.
After starring in two small French films, Vartan grabbed the attention of the film world with his breakthrough performance in the 1993 Italian epic, "Fiorile," directed by Paolo and Vittorio Taviani. Soon after, Vartan signed with an agent and landed a role in "To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar," playing the bigoted small-town thug who harasses three drag queens (Wesley Snipes, Patrick Swayze and John Leguizamo). He went on to star opposite David Schwimmer as one of his best friends in "The Pallbearer," a comedy of escapades surrounding three old high school pals coping with bachelorhood, marriage and a case of mistaken identity. He also starred in Sony Pictures Classics' "The Myth of Fingerprints" with Julianne Moore.
For television, Vartan appeared in the two-part TNT mini-series "The Mists of Avalon," a retelling of the legendary story of Camelot. He portrayed 'Sir Lancelot,' opposite Angelica Huston, Julianna Margulies and Joan Allen.
In his limited free time, Vartan feeds his obsession with sports, particularly ice hockey. "If it weren't for acting, I'd give anything to play a professional sport," he says, still holding onto his life-long dream. - Olivier Martinez comes from a working-class family, raised in the Paris suburbs. He left school at an early age, holding various pick-up jobs such as salesman for jeans. Friends urged him to try acting, and at age 23 he enrolled in the International Conservatory of Paris. After several television shows, he reached the international market with The Horseman on the Roof (1995), billed in his American promotional tour for that movie as "the French Brad Pitt".
- Actor
- Producer
- Director
Blue-eyed Vincent Cassel was born in Paris to a leading actor father, Jean-Pierre Cassel, and a journalist mother, Sabine Litique. Often labeled as a tough guy because of his roles, eclectic choices and talent have made of him a star of European cinema. First in La haine (1995), the young actor, actually coming from upper classes, succeeded to express the despair of a social class living in the suburbs of towns. This veracity in his play comes from the fact that he was in fact since years in connection with many hip-hop artists from the rising generation, (his own brother was leader of a legendary french rap group). Then the success of The Crimson Rivers (2000), where he plays a young French cop alongside Jean Reno, made of him "the man to count on." He never hid his taste for rap music, break dance, Capoeira, Brasil and his endless energy, but Vincent is also a family man, married to Monica Bellucci, his Italian co-star from The Apartment (1996) (aka The Apartment); and recently a father.- Actor
- Director
- Writer
Louis Garrel was born on 14 June 1983 in Paris, France. He is an actor and director, known for The Dreamers (2003), Little Women (2019) and The Innocent (2022). He has been married to Laetitia Casta since 10 June 2017. They have one child. He was previously married to Golshifteh Farahani.- Actor
- Soundtrack
Gaspard Ulliel's dream had always been to direct a movie, and after completing his studies at the lycée (French high school), he majored in cinema at the University of Saint-Denis, and began his acting career.
He was born in Paris, to Christine, a stylist and runway show producer, and Serge Ulliel, a fashion designer. One of his first professional performances came when he was twelve, in the TV film Une femme en blanc (1997). During the following years, Ulliel continued working on television and was cast in short films such as Alias (1999). He played a young shepherd who was injured by The Beast in Brotherhood of the Wolf (2001), and was then discovered by director Michel Blanc, who offered him a part in Summer Things (2002) which also starred veteran actress Charlotte Rampling. Ulliel then took summer stages at Les Cours Florent and was asked by director André Téchiné to star in Strayed (2003) as Emmanuelle Béart's over. His role as Manech opposite Audrey Tautou in A Very Long Engagement (2004) brought him to stardom. He was nominated thrice for Most Promising Male Newcomer at the César Awards (the equivalent of the Oscars in France) in 2003, 2004 and 2005; he won the last one. Ulliel's lead roles include The Last Day (2004), Jacquou le croquant (2007) and Hannibal Rising (2007), his first major English-language film.
He had a son with his former partner, model and singer Gaëlle Piétri, born in January 2016. They split up in 2020. Gaspard died on 19 January, 2022, in La Tronche, Isère, France, after a skiing accident.- Actor
- Director
- Writer
Jalil Lespert was born on 11 May 1976 in Paris, France. He is an actor and director, known for Infinity Pool (2023), Yves Saint Laurent (2014) and Human Resources (1999).- Actor
- Production Manager
- Soundtrack
Louis Jourdan was born Louis Robert Gendre in Marseille, France to Yvonne (née Jourdan) and hotel owner Henry Gendre. He was educated in France, Britain, and Turkey. He trained as an actor with René Simon at the École Dramatique. He debuted on screen in 1939, going on to play cultivated, polished, dashing lead roles in a number of French romantic comedies and dramas.
After his father, the manager of the Cannes Grand Hôtel, was arrested by the Gestapo during World War II, Louis and his two brothers (Pierre Jourdan and Robert Gendre, both of whom became film directors) joined the French underground; his film career came to a halt when he refused to act in Nazi propaganda films.
In 1948, David O. Selznick invited him to Hollywood to appear in The Paradine Case (1947); he remained in the USA and went on to star in a number of Hollywood films. After 1953, he appeared in international productions and, in 1958, appeared in Gigi (1958), his best-known film by American audiences. He also made numerous appearances on American television.
Jourdan died at his home in Beverly Hills, California in 2015, at age 93.- Actor
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
- Director
Jean-Pierre Léaud is not everybody's cup of tea for sure, but will remain an important name in film history. As an actor he can be adored or hated for exactly the same reasons: he is one of those rare players that directors let improvise his dialogue, which gets on certain viewers' nerves while it fascinates others. The same is true for his very personal staccato diction and elocution and his many mannerisms, the most obvious one being his way to run his hand through his long hair. But there is no denying Léaud is not just another actor, whether you love him or are allergic to him. The son of actress Jacqueline Pierreux and scriptwriter/assistant director Pierre Léaud, Jean-Pierre started acting very early. Indeed, he was only thirteen when he first appeared on a screen, playing a small role in a swashbuckling film directed by veteran Georges Lampin "la Tour, prends garde!" (1957). And he was still only fourteen when he answered an ad placed in a newspaper by François Truffaut, who was seeking a young actor able to play Antoine Doinel, a troubled adolescent, in his first feature film "The 400 blows". Jean-Pierre was tested among a hundred other candidates and proved so amazingly spontaneous and so gifted for improvisation that not only was he hired but he would go on to play the role in four subsequent Truffaut semi-autobiographies concluding with "Love on the run" (1978), a unique experience indeed. Thanks to Truffaut he was introduced to the other stars of the French New Wave, mainly Jean-Luc Godard for whom he would appear in eight films and one TV film, and gradually became their icon. Not too sure about his acting talents, he planned to become a director (which he actually did only once) and worked as an assistant to Truffaut and Godard. But his success both as Truffaut's alter ego and as the leftist movie makers' spokesman encouraged him to go on playing rather than directing. "Masculin Féminin" (1966) by Godard even earned him an Award for Best Actor at the Berlin Film Festival. An ardent leftist militant himself, he worked with equally committed directors, including abroad. He was in Italian Pasolini's "Porcile" (1968), in Polish Skolimovski's "Dialog 20-40-60" (also '68) Brazilian Carlos Diegues' Os herdeiros (1970) and Glauber Rocha's Der Leone have sept cabeças (1971). Bertolucci also hired him for "Last tango in Paris" starring Marlon Brando (who so petrified Léaud that he could not play his scenes alongside him), but this one was filmed in Paris. This busy period ended after an excellent role in a classic art movie in the French style: Jean Eustache's "La maman et la putain". In the late seventies and throughout the eighties Léaud worked irregularly, mainly on television, occasionally giving a crazy performance in a mainstream film, as was the case in Josiane's Balasko crime comedy "Les keufs", for which he got a César nomination. But he made an exciting comeback in the nineties when several "new New Wave" directors hired Léaud to pay homage to their elders. Among them French movie makers such as Olivier Assayas, Danièle Dubroux , Serge Le Péron or Bertrand Bonello and foreigners like Finnish Aki Käurismäki and Taiwanese Tsai Ming-Liang. A second youth for eternally young, rebellious, ill-at-ease, annoyingly romantic,touchingly annoying Jean-Pierre Léaud, whose round face staring at the camera in the last shot of "The 400 blows" will never be forgotten.- Grégory Fitoussi was born on 13 August 1976 in Paris, France. He is an actor, known for G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra (2009), Hostile (2017) and World War Z (2013).
- Actor
- Writer
- Director
Charles Berling was born on the 30th of April 1958, in Saint-Mandé in Val de Marne, France. His father was a doctor in Toulon and his mother was an English teacher. At the age of 15, he began theater at school with his brother. His interest in acting grew thanks to his love in literature for authors such as Baudelaire and Céline. Later, he studied acting in Insas in Brussels, Belgium. This was when he decided to have a long career in acting. At this point, he began playing in several plays, such as "L'école des femmes" by Molière or "Le Parc" by Botho Strauss. Soon afterward, Jean-Louis Martinelli, director of the national theater of Strasbourg, hired him. Charles spent several years with him. There, he played numerous plays as well, one of which is "Roberto Zucco" by Bernard-Marie Koltès. In what concerns movies, his career began only later in the nineties. It began with small roles, like Desire (1992) or Just Friends (1993). However, the year where his career really took off was in 1996, with his movie Ridicule (1996), in which he plays a nobleman trying to survive in the royal court of Louis XVI. As time passed by, his success grew, and people began to recognize his true talent. In 1998, he was nominated with a César for Best Actor for his performance in Boredom (1998). A couple of years later, in 2000, his movie Stardom (2000) was presented in the Festival of Cannes.- Actor
- Producer
- Director
Mathieu Simonet was born on 1 May 1975 in Neuilly-sur-Seine, Hauts-de-Seine, France. He is an actor and producer, known for Days of Glory (2006), La bande du drugstore (2002) and Le Temps d'Anna (2016).- Actor
- Writer
- Director
Pierre Deladonchamps was born on 1 June 1978 in Nancy, Meurthe-et-Moselle, France. He is an actor and writer, known for Stranger by the Lake (2013), Rascal (2020) and Sorry Angel (2018).- Vincent Lacoste was born on 3 July 1993 in Paris, France. He is an actor, known for Sorry Angel (2018), Les beaux gosses (2009) and Along Came Love (2023).
- Actor
- Director
- Writer
Niels Schneider was born on 18 January 1987 in Meudon, Hauts-de-Seine, France. He is an actor and director, known for Heartbeats (2010), Le rite (2022) and I Killed My Mother (2009).- Actor
- Soundtrack
Jean-Baptiste Maunier was born on 22 December 1990 in Brignoles, Var, France. He is an actor, known for The Chorus (2004), Le grand Meaulnes (2006) and Merlin (2012).- Actor
- Writer
- Director
Pierre Niney was born in Boulogne-Billancourt (France), on March 13, 1989. He began his acting career at the age of eleven and joined the Comédie-Française troupe on October 16, 2010, when he was only twenty-one, which made him the youngest resident of the troupe. After several appearances in TV films and short films, he obtained several roles in cinema: 'LOL' (2008), 'L'armée du crime' (2009), 'Les Émotifs anonymes' (2010). He was chosen to play Yves Saint-Laurent in the eponymous film directed by Jalil Lespert. For this role Niney won the prize Patrick Dewaere, then the César for best actor (he actually became the youngest actor to win this prize). He left the Comédie Française on January 15, 2015. In the same year, he starred in the thriller 'Un homme idéal'. Also in 2016, Niney took the lead role in 'Frantz', directed by François Ozon, and played Philippe Cousteau in 'L'Odyssée', a biopic based o the life of French Commander Jacques Cousteau.- Actor
- Producer
Stanley Weber was born on 13 July 1986 in Paris, France. He is an actor and producer, known for Outlander (2014), Borgia (2011) and Pilgrimage (2017).- Actor
- Writer
César Domboy was born on 10 March 1990 in France. He is an actor and writer, known for The Walk (2015), The Princess of Montpensier (2010) and Outlander (2014).- Actor
- Writer
- Director
Pierre Deladonchamps was born on 1 June 1978 in Nancy, Meurthe-et-Moselle, France. He is an actor and writer, known for Stranger by the Lake (2013), Rascal (2020) and Sorry Angel (2018).- Actor
- Director
- Writer
Niels Schneider was born on 18 January 1987 in Meudon, Hauts-de-Seine, France. He is an actor and director, known for Heartbeats (2010), Le rite (2022) and I Killed My Mother (2009).- Stunts
- Actor
- Director
Jean-Charles Rousseau is known for No Time to Die (2021), Mission: Impossible - Fallout (2018) and Jason Bourne (2016).- Actor
- Producer
- Director
Becker attended the Conservatory of dramatic art in France, the court Florent (Olga Hörstig Prize) and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art of London.
He was part of the promotion of Young Talents Cannes in 2010. That same year, he made his debut on screen in a variety of roles. He played a young politician in L'Assaut, directed by Julien Leclercq, an alcoholic hitchhiker in La Proie, directed by Eric Valette, a student in Marie-Castille Mention Schaar's Ma Première Fois and a young businessman in La Croisière, by Pascale Pouzadoux.
In 2010, he made his debut in Hollywood, playing Louis Grimaldi, Prince of Monaco, in the CW drama Gossip Girl. Initially, he signed on for two episodes in the fourth season. Later, his role was extended for another eighteen episodes.
In 2011, he played Xavier in the American film Damsels in Distress, directed by Whit Stillman (Oscar nominated for his film Metropolitan). The film closed the 68th Venice Film Festival and was selected at the Toronto Film Festival.
In 2012, Becker starred as Antoine Lavoisier in the American docufiction Mystery of the Matter, directed by Mr. Meyer. In 2013, Hugo played Isaac Dreyfuss, a football star involved in a terrorist affair, for two episodes of a BBC3 series.
In 2014, he played the role of Romain in the 6 episodes of the miniseries Chefs alongside Clovis Cornillac, for which he received the Adami Prize for the best promising actor at the Luchon festival.
In 2015, he played the lead role in the 12 episodes French series entitled Au service de la France, written by Jean-François Halin, for the role of André Merlaux, a young recruit of the French secret service, in the year 1960.
In 2016, he began playing the role of Cyril Balsan in the political drama series Baron Noir alongside Niels Arestrup, Kad Merad and Anna Mouglalis. In the same year, he starred in a main role alongside Yon González and Lluís Homar in the Spanish crime drama series Bajo sospecha. He played the role of a police officer infiltrated to find a missing person in a hospital in Madrid. He also played the role of Guillaume in the comedy Un jour mon prince!, by Flavia Coste.
In 2018, he starred in Xavier Durringer's Paradise Beach alongside Sami Bouajila, Kool Shen, Seth Gueko and Tewfik Jallab. In the same year, he starred in Jusqu'ici tout va bien, by Mohamed Hamidi, alongside Gilles Lellouche, Malik Bentalha and Sabrina Ouazani.
In 2019, he starred as Paul Vanhove in the Netflix science fiction series Osmosis. He is set to play a role as Paul WR in Le dernier voyage de l'énigmatique Paul W.R. by Romain Quirot and as Max in the film Döner directed by Jean-Luc Herbulot.
Hugo Becker is fluent in English and Spanish.
Since 2014, he is one of the producers at Nouvelle Donne Productions.- Actor
- Soundtrack
Gaspard Ulliel's dream had always been to direct a movie, and after completing his studies at the lycée (French high school), he majored in cinema at the University of Saint-Denis, and began his acting career.
He was born in Paris, to Christine, a stylist and runway show producer, and Serge Ulliel, a fashion designer. One of his first professional performances came when he was twelve, in the TV film Une femme en blanc (1997). During the following years, Ulliel continued working on television and was cast in short films such as Alias (1999). He played a young shepherd who was injured by The Beast in Brotherhood of the Wolf (2001), and was then discovered by director Michel Blanc, who offered him a part in Summer Things (2002) which also starred veteran actress Charlotte Rampling. Ulliel then took summer stages at Les Cours Florent and was asked by director André Téchiné to star in Strayed (2003) as Emmanuelle Béart's over. His role as Manech opposite Audrey Tautou in A Very Long Engagement (2004) brought him to stardom. He was nominated thrice for Most Promising Male Newcomer at the César Awards (the equivalent of the Oscars in France) in 2003, 2004 and 2005; he won the last one. Ulliel's lead roles include The Last Day (2004), Jacquou le croquant (2007) and Hannibal Rising (2007), his first major English-language film.
He had a son with his former partner, model and singer Gaëlle Piétri, born in January 2016. They split up in 2020. Gaspard died on 19 January, 2022, in La Tronche, Isère, France, after a skiing accident.- Actor
- Writer
Benjamin Voisin was born on 24 December 1996 in Paris, France. He is an actor and writer, known for Summer of 85 (2020), Lost Illusions (2021) and Freestyle (2022).- Lucas Nicolas Bravo, is a French actor and model. He is known for starring in the Netflix romantic comedy series Emily in Paris as chef Gabriel, Emily's downstairs neighbor and love interest. Bravo was born on 26 March 1988 in Nice, Alpes-Maritimes; the son of the retired French footballer Daniel Bravo and singer Eva Bravo. He attended the Lycée Pasteur in Neuilly-Sur-Seine.
- Ibrahim Koma was born on 5 November 1987 in Paris, France. He is an actor, known for As Far as I Can Walk (2021), Wùlu (2016) and Sink or Swim (2018).
- Raphael Acloque is known for Allied (2016), Mission: Impossible - Fallout (2018) and The 355 (2022).
- Actor
- Director
- Writer
Arnaud Valois studied acting at Cours Florent. He was discovered in 2006 in Charlie Says by Nicole Garcia where he played one of the lead roles alongside Jean-Pierre Bacri, Vincent Lindon and Benoit Magimel. Arnaud went on to play in A French Gigolo by Josiane Balasko and Girl on the Train by André Téchiné. After a few years break from acting, Arnaud Valois came back to the silver screen in 2017 with BPM by Robin Campillo in which he plays Nathan alongside Nahuel Perez Biscayart and Adèle Haenel. A role for which Arnaud won Best Actor newcomer at the Lumières Awards 2018 and was nominated for Best Actor newcomer at the César 2018. The following year is released the movie Sweetheart by Lisa Azuelos (Grand Jury Prize at the Alpes d'Huez Festival). 2019 also marks the beginning of his career on the international scene with the release of the film Paradise Hills by Alice Waddington (alongside Emma Roberts and Milla Jovovich - official selection Sundance). In 2020, Arnaud is starring in the fantasy mini-series Moloch by Arnaud Malherbe for the Arte channel (with Marine Vacth and Olivier Gourmet), and in two films Cannes 2020 labeled : My Best Part by and with Nicolas Maury (also with Nathalie Baye and Laure Calamy - French release : October 28th 2020) & Spring Blossom by Suzanne Lindon (with Frédéric Pierrot, Florence Viala and Dominique Besnehard - French release : June 16th 2021 - US release : Mai 21st 2021 - UK release : Mai 21st 2021 ). That same year, Arnaud was also on stage at the Philharmonie de Paris with the musical Le Vilain Petit Canard (The Ugly Duckling), set to music by French pop star Etienne Daho and directed by Sandra Gaudin. At the beginning of 2021, he directed his first short film, The New Me (Le Nouveau Moi), co-written with Suzanne Lindon and produced by Les Films du Kiosque for the French platform OCS. In December 2021, Si Demain by Fabienne Godet (with Julie Moulier and Lucie Debay) is released in theaters, and Arnaud performed on the stage of L'Arsenic (Lausanne, Switzerland) in Jean Genet's play, Le Balcon, adapted and directed by Sandra Gaudin. This autumn 2022, Arnaud will be in Sophie Levy's first feature film, Medusa (with Anamaria Vartolomei and Roxane Mesquida) - French release date is Oct 26th.