Famous French Actors

While he first came to prominence with his role in La Haine, French actor Vincent Cassel later got typecast in roles of short-tempered men. He has also won a César Award for his portrayal of Jacques Mesrine in the 2008 movie Mesrine. He is a trained martial artist, too.

Max von Sydow was a Swedish actor and director. In an illustrious career spanning seven decades, Max contributed immensely to American and European cinema, theatre, and television. He appeared in 11 of Ingmar Bergman's films, including The Seventh Seal, which houses the iconic scene where Max's character challenges the personification of Death to a game of chess.

Eric Cantona is a French actor, filmmaker, and former football player. During his playing career, Cantona was a key player for the popular football club Manchester United and is often credited with reviving the club's reputation as a footballing force. Nicknamed King Eric by Manchester United fans, Eric Cantona continues to enjoy an iconic status within the club.

French-American actor Hervé Villechaize is best remembered for playing the evil henchman in the James Bond film The Man with the Golden Gun. Born with dwarfism, he was bullied at school for his condition. After initially working as an artist, painter and photographer, he ventured into acting. He was popular and much loved by the audience.

Donald Pleasence was an English actor best remembered for his portrayal of Ernst Stavro Blofeld in the popular 1967 James Bond movie You Only Live Twice. His performance in the film was later parodied by Canadian actor Mike Myers in the Austin Powers film series. Donald Pleasence was also an important theatre actor; he received four Tony Award nominations.

Lucas Bravo is a French model and actor best known for his portrayal of Chef Gabriel in the popular comedy-drama series Emily in Paris. His performance in the Netflix series has earned him important roles in a couple of upcoming films, such as Ticket to Paradise and Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris.

Gérard Depardieu is a French actor who achieved international recognition after playing Jean Cadoret in the 1986 period drama film Jean de Florette. One of the most prominent and critically acclaimed actors, Depardieu has won two Cesar Awards from 17 nominations so far. He has also won other prestigious awards like Golden Globe Awards and London Critics Circle Film Awards.

Christopher Lambert shot to fame with his portrayal of Tarzan in the 1984 film Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes. He is also known as Connor MacLeod from the Highlander franchise and as Raiden from Mortal Kombat. He has also been part of several French films.

Alain Delon is a French actor, screenwriter, singer, filmmaker, and businessman. One of the most prominent actors and sex symbols in Europe during the 1960s and 1970s, Delon achieved critical acclaim for his performance in films like Rocco and His Brothers. In 1985, he was honored with the prestigious César Award for his portrayal of Robert Avranches in Our Story.

Omar Sy is a French actor who achieved international recognition for his portrayal of Bakary Bassari in the 2011 buddy comedy-drama film The Intouchables. For his performance in the movie, Omar Sy became the first Black actor to receive the prestigious César Award for Best Actor. He has also appeared in other popular films like Jurassic World and Inferno.

Born into a family of horse breeders, actor, director and screenwriter Guillaume Canet aspired to become a show jumper. However, a fall at the age of eighteen steered his destiny towards acting and very soon he was staring in films like Joyeux Noël and The Beach.  Eventually he also started directing; winning several awards for his 2006 production, Tell No One.  

Michael Vartan is a French-American actor best known for playing Michael Vaughn in the American action-thriller television series Alias. His performance in the series earned him nominations at Saturn Awards and Teen Choice Awards. He is also known for his film roles, such as Sam Coulson in Never Been Kissed for which he received an MTV Movie Award nomination.

French actor and musician Tchéky Karyo is best known as Julien Baptiste from the series The Missing and its spin-off, Baptiste. His performance in La Balance earned him a Cesar Award nomination. He has also appeared in character roles in films such as Kiss of the Dragon and The Patriot.

Tahar Rahim is a French actor best known for playing Malik El Djebena in A Prophet for which he received several awards, including the 2009 European Film Award for Best Actor and the 2010 César Award for Best Actor. Tahar Rahim also won nominations at the Golden Globe Awards and British Academy Film Awards for his performance in The Mauritanian.

Initially a professional illusionist and later a film director, Georges Méliès became interested in motion pictures after watching the first real film made by Lumière brothers. Realizing the potential of film-making as an art, he soon started experimenting, making technical and narrative developments. Among the 400 films he made were Christ Walking on Water, A Trip to the Moon etc

Regarded as France’s first rock star, Jean-Philippe Léo Smet, better known as Johnny Hallyday, had a phenomenal career, with 5 diamond, 40 golden, and 22 platinum albums. He was also always in the news for his flamboyant lifestyle, his many romances, his five marriages, and his love for cocaine and racing.  

French-American actor Charles Boyer appeared in more than 80 films in a career that spanned over half a century. He pursued a theatrical career as a young man and eventually moved into films. He achieved extreme popularity with his roles in romantic movies like The Garden of Allah and Love Affair in the 1930s. He received four Academy Award nominations.

Best known for his starring role in The Dreamers, French actor and filmmaker Louis Garrel in general portrays similar characters, appearing as somebody involved in love triangles or historical figures like Jacques de Bascher, Jean-Luc Godard and Alfred Dreyfus. Since 2006, he has also been making films, screenwriting and directing movies like Two Friends, A Faithful Man, The Crusade etc.

Samuel Benchetrit is a French writer, scenarist, actor, and director. Over the years, Benchetrit's achievements as a writer and actor have been overshadowed by his personal life and relationships with popular actresses like Marie Trintignant, Anna Mouglalis, and Vanessa Paradis.

Louis Malle was a French film director, screenwriter, and producer best known for his film Le Monde du silence, which won the Academy Award for Best Documentary in 1957. He was also the recipient of two Golden Lion awards, one of the only four directors to have achieved this feat. He was active in both French cinema and Hollywood.

Jean Renoir was a French film director, screenwriter, and producer. The son of the prominent painter Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Jean was one of the first filmmakers to be known as an auteur. He started working during the silent film era and made more than 40 silent films. In 1975, he received a Lifetime Achievement Academy Award.

David Belle is a French actor, stunt coordinator, and film choreographer. Belle is credited with founding and popularizing Parkour; he coined the term Parkour based on his training with his father Raymond Belle. As a stunt coordinator, Belle has worked in films like Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, Transporter 2, and Crimson Rivers II: Angels of the Apocalypse.

French actor Jean Marais was not only a long-time collaborator of director Jean Cocteau but was also his lover. After being rejected by the Paris Conservatory, he studied photography and later got only small roles, until Cocteau roped him in for lead roles in films such as Beauty and the Beast.

After working odd jobs as a bartender and a policeman, Pierre Woodman began his career as a fashion photographer. He then stepped into porn film direction and launched the longest-running porn series in the world, Casting X. Woodman is his pseudonym, which he earned for his love for climbing trees.