Famous People Born In Paris

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 1 
Kylian Mbappé
(French Football Forward - Considered One of the Best Players in the World)
Kylian Mbappé
227
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: December 20, 1998
Sun Sign: Sagittarius

Regarded as one of the best footballers of the current generation, Kylian Mbappé became only the second teenager to score a goal in the final game of a World Cup. Known for his explosive speed and dribbling skills, Mbappé made an impact at a young age. Very mature for his age, he also believes in giving back to society.

 2 
Emma Watson
(Actress and Activist Best Known for Her Role of 'Hermione Granger' in the 'Harry Potter' Film Series)
Emma Watson
354
Listed In: Activists
Birthdate: April 15, 1990
Sun Sign: Aries

English actress, model, and activist, Emma Watson first gained prominence as a child artiste in the Harry Potter film series. The daughter of lawyers, she was determined to go to college despite her busy acting career and graduated from Brown University. A staunch feminist, she is actively involved with organizations that work for the betterment of women.

 3 
Eva Green
(Actress and Model Known for Her Independent Films: ‘Cracks’, ‘Womb’, and ‘Perfect Sense’)
Eva Green
68
Listed In: Fashion
Birthdate: July 6, 1980
Sun Sign: Cancer

French actress, Eva Green, gained instant fame in 2003 with her first film The Dreamers, directed by the eminent Bernardo Bertolucci. Subsequently she went on to act in a number of notable films like Kingdom of Heaven, Casino Royale, Dark Shadows, Home for Peculiar Children, Franklyn, Cracks and Proxima. She has also acted in television series like Penny Dreadful and Luminaries.

 4 
N'Golo Kante
(French Professional Footballer Who Plays as a Defensive Midfielder)
N'Golo Kante
60
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: March 29, 1991
Sun Sign: Aries

N'Golo Kante is a French football player who currently plays for the France national team as well as Chelsea FC. Widely regarded as one of the best midfielders in the world, Kanté played a major role in helping his former team Leicester City win their first Premier League title. He also helped France win its second World Cup in 2018.

 5 
Marion Cotillard
(French Actress Best Known for Her Films: 'La Vie en Rose' and 'Two Days, One Night')
Marion Cotillard
43
Listed In: Activists
Birthdate: September 30, 1975
Sun Sign: Libra
Marion Cotillard delivered an Academy Award-winning performance as Edith Piaf in La Vie en Rose, becoming the first to win the award for a French-language film. She was appreciated for her iconic role of Joan of Arc on stage. She has promoted Lady Dior bags and Chanel No. 5 fragrance.
 6 
Voltaire
(French Historian and Philosopher Known for His Wit and His Pointed Social Critique)
Voltaire
25
Birthdate: November 21, 1694
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Died: May 30, 1778
18th-century historian, author, philosopher, and advocate of freedom of speech Voltaire was a leading figure of the French Age of Enlightenment. He often ran into trouble for his criticism of the French nobility and the Roman Catholic Church. He once went to Britain on voluntary exile, fearing imprisonment in France.
 7 
Claude Monet
(French Painter and Founder of 'Impressionism')
Claude Monet
34
Birthdate: November 14, 1840
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Died: December 5, 1926

Claude Monet was a French painter. The founder of French Impressionist painting, Monet's painting Impression, soleil levant gave rise to the term Impressionism. Often dubbed the driving force behind Impressionism, Monet mastered the art of painting the same scene several times so as to capture the changing of the light. Since his death, his paintings have sold for record prices.

 8 
Napoleon III
(President of France from 1848 to 1852 and Emperor of the French from 1852 to 1870)
Napoleon III
39
Birthdate: April 20, 1808
Sun Sign: Taurus
Died: January 9, 1873
Napoleon III, nephew of Napoleon Bonaparte, was the first president of France, from 1848 to 1852, and the French emperor from 1852 to 1870. He rebuilt Paris and other French cities, apart from reforming the French banks, railways, and marines. He lost the Franco-Prussian War and eventually died in exile.
 9 
Edith Piaf
(French Singer and One of Country's Most Widely Known International Stars)
Edith Piaf
42
Listed In: Singers
Birthdate: December 19, 1915
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Died: October 11, 1963
France’s legendary singer and actor Édith Piaf, or the “Little Sparrow,” is best remembered for her iconic Grammy Hall of Fame-inducted song La Vie en Rose and the classic Non, je ne regrette rien. Raised by the prostitutes of her grandmother’s brothel, she began her life as a street singer.
 10 
Mélanie Laurent
(Known for Her Performance in ‘Now You See Me’ and ‘Inglourious Basterds’)
Mélanie Laurent
23
Birthdate: February 21, 1983
Sun Sign: Pisces

French actor Mélanie Laurent shot to fame with her Étoiles d'Or-winning role in Dikkenek and her César Award-winning performance in Don't Worry, I'm Fine. She made her Hollywood debut with Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds, and was also seen in Now You See Me. She has also released a music album.

 11 
David Guetta
(French DJ and Music Producer Known for His Singles ‘Gettin' Over You’ and ‘When Love Takes Over’)
David Guetta
23
Listed In: Musicians
Birthdate: November 7, 1967
Sun Sign: Scorpio

David Guetta is a French songwriter, record producer, and DJ. Over the years, Guetta has been one of the most popular DJs in the world; in 2011 and 2020, he was voted the best DJ in a poll conducted by DJ Magazine. Referred to as the grandfather of EDM, Guetta has several prestigious awards under his belt, including two Grammys.

 12 
Jean-Paul Sartre
(Novelist, Playwright, & Philosopher)
Jean-Paul Sartre
23
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: June 21, 1905
Sun Sign: Gemini
Died: April 15, 1980

Jean-Paul Sartre was a French philosopher, writer, literary critic, and political activist. One of the most important personalities in the philosophy of phenomenology and existentialism, Sartre played a crucial role in 20th-century French philosophy. His work continues to influence literary studies, post-colonial theory, sociology, and critical theory. He was honored with the 1964 Nobel Prize in Literature.

 13 
Sophie Marceau
(French Actress Known for Her Films: 'Braveheart', 'Anna Karenina' and 'The World Is Not Enough')
Sophie Marceau
30
Birthdate: November 17, 1966
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Sophie Marceau is best known for her César Award-winning performance in the French comedy La Boum 2. She has also appeared in English films such as Braveheart, Firelight, and The World Is Not Enough. She has written a novel, is a trained cellist, and has delivered an award-winning directorial debut.
 14 
Yo-Yo Ma
(American Grammy-Award Winning Cellist )
Yo-Yo Ma
22
Listed In: Musicians
Birthdate: October 7, 1955
Sun Sign: Libra
French-born Chinese cellist Yo-Yo Ma was a child prodigy and later won 18 Grammys for his works. The Juilliard and Harvard alumnus has experimented with various types of music, including Brazilian and Chinese music. Named to Time 100 in 2020, he is also a U.N. Messenger of Peace.
 15 
Simone de Beauvoir
(French Existentialist Philosopher, Writer, Social Theorist, and Feminist Activist)
Simone de Beauvoir
21
Birthdate: January 9, 1908
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Died: April 14, 1986
French author and existentialist philosopher Simone de Beauvoir is best remembered for her feminist treatise The Second Sex and her novels The Mandarins and She Came to Stay. Her literary contributions also include essays, biographies, and her autobiographical works. She won the Prix Goncourt and the Jerusalem Prize.
 16 
Marquis de Sade
(French Writer Whose Perverse Sexual Preferences and Erotic Writings gave Rise to the Term 'Sadism')
Marquis de Sade
15
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: June 2, 1740
Sun Sign: Gemini
Died: December 2, 1814
Marquis de Sade is remembered for his erotic books such as The 120 Days of Sodom. He was known for his peculiar way of deriving sexual pleasure by torturing his victims, now known as “sadism.” He was jailed for several years for sexual abuse against men, women, and children. 
 17 
Paul Gauguin
(French Post-Impressionist Artist)
Paul Gauguin
12
Birthdate: June 7, 1848
Sun Sign: Gemini
Died: May 8, 1903
French Post-Impressionist artist, sculptor, and writer Paul Gauguin was a major figure in the Symbolist movement. He had worked as a stockbroker and businessman before gaining fame as an artist. He influenced the French avant-garde and modern artists such as Pablo Picasso and also led the way for Primitivism.
 18 
Catherine Deneuve
(Actress and Singer)
Catherine Deneuve
13
Birthdate: October 22, 1943
Sun Sign: Libra

French actress Catherine Deneuve is considered one of the greatest European actresses. Beginning her career at the age of 12, she gained international prominence with her role in the movie The Umbrellas of Cherbourg. She is a 14-time César Award nominee and the recipient of a David di Donatello award. She is multilingual and speaks fluent French, Italian, and English.

 19 
DJ Snake
(French Record Producer, DJ and Songwriter Known for His Singles ‘Bird Machine’ and ‘Turn Down for What’)
DJ Snake
21
Listed In: Musicians
Birthdate: June 13, 1986
Sun Sign: Gemini

DJ Snake is a French record producer and DJ. He is best known for his English-Spanish song Taki Taki, which won several awards, including BMI Latin Awards. Over the years, Snake has won many prestigious awards, such as Billboard Music Awards and an MTV Video Music Award. In 2019, he was ranked 16th on DJ Magazine's Top 100 DJs list.

 20 
Juliette Binoche
(Actress Known for Her Films: 'The English Patient ', 'Chocolat' and 'Certified Copy')
Juliette Binoche
17
Birthdate: March 9, 1964
Sun Sign: Pisces
French actor Juliette Binoche began her career with stage productions. She soared to fame with her Academy Award-winning role of Hana in The English Patient and her Academy Award-nominated role of Vianne in Chocolat. She has also been a marked political activist and has supported the Cambodian charity Enfants d'Asie.
 21 
Vincent Cassel
(French Actor Known for His Role in the 'Ocean's' Trilogy and Titular Role in the Biopic 'Mesrine')
Vincent Cassel
9
Birthdate: November 23, 1966
Sun Sign: Sagittarius

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.

 22 
Pierre Curie
(Nobel Laureate in Physics)
Pierre Curie
14
Listed In: Scientists
Birthdate: May 15, 1859
Sun Sign: Taurus
Died: April 19, 1906

A pioneer in crystallography, radioactivity, piezoelectricity, and magnetism, Pierre Curie was a French physicist who won the Nobel Prize in Physics along with Henri Becquerel and Marie Curie. Despite being an atheist, Pierre Curie was fascinated by spiritualism as he believed that spiritual questions deal with physics. 

 23 
Antoine Lavoisier
(French Chemist Who Discovered the Role of Oxygen in Combustion)
Antoine Lavoisier
21
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: August 26, 1743
Sun Sign: Virgo
Died: May 8, 1794

Antoine Lavoisier was a French chemist and nobleman. He played a crucial role during the chemical revolution of the 18th-century. Widely regarded as the father of modern chemistry, Lavoisier had a major influence on the history of biology as well as the history of chemistry. He also helped build the metric system. 

 24 
Jean-Luc Godard
(Film Director and a Pioneer of the 1960s 'French New Wave' Film Movement)
Jean-Luc Godard
9
Birthdate: December 3, 1930
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Died: September 13, 2022

The Paris-born French-Swiss director and screenwriter had the reputation of adding new dimensions to filmmaking with his experimentation, a trend which came to be known as the French New Wave. The director of acclaimed films like Breathless, My Life to Live and Pierrot le Fou, Jean-Luc Godard was married to actress Anna Karina. He is regarded as an all-time great director.

 25 
Charles Aznavour
(One of the Greatest Songwriters in the History of Music and an Icon of 20th-Century Pop Culture.)
Charles Aznavour
15
Listed In: Singers
Birthdate: May 22, 1924
Sun Sign: Gemini
Died: October 1, 2018

Charles Aznavour was a French-Armenian actor, singer, diplomat, and lyricist. One of France's most famous singers, Aznavour was called the Frank Sinatra of France. One of the best-selling musicians of his generation, Aznavour sold 200 million records. In 1998, CNN named him the Entertainer of the Century. In 2017, he was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

 26 
Emile Zola
(French Novelist & Playwright Known for His Works 'Les Rougon-Macquart' and 'Thérèse Raquin')
Emile Zola
6
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: April 2, 1840
Sun Sign: Aries
Died: September 29, 1902

Emile Zola was a French novelist, journalist, and playwright. He played a key role in the development of theatrical naturalism and was a well-known practitioner of the literary school of naturalism. He was also a political journalist and was influential in the political liberalization of France. He was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature twice.

 27 
Edgar Degas
(French Impressionist Artist Best Known for His Pastel Drawings and Oil Paintings)
Edgar Degas
9
Birthdate: July 19, 1834
Sun Sign: Cancer
Died: September 27, 1917

French Impressionist artist Edgar Degas is best remembered for his oil paintings and pastel drawings and for his signature use of dancers and bathing women as themes in his works such as Fin d'Arabesque and Woman in a Tub. He had also experimented with bronze sculptures and called himself a realist.

 28 
Irène Joliot-Curie
(French Physicist, Politician and Winner of the 1935 Nobel Prize in Chemistry)
Irène Joliot-Curie
8
Listed In: Scientists
Birthdate: September 12, 1897
Sun Sign: Virgo
Died: March 17, 1956

Marie Curie and Pierre Curie’s daughter, Irène Joliot-Curie, herself a brilliant scientist, won the 1935 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, along with her husband, Joliot-Curie, for discovering artificial radioactivity. She was also one of the first three female French government members. She tragically died of leukemia caused by exposure to radiation.

 29 
Dominique Wilkins
(Basketball Player)
Dominique Wilkins
9
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: January 12, 1960
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Height: 6'7" (201 cm)
 30 
Isabelle Huppert
(French Actress Best Known for Playing Cold and Disdainful Characters)
Isabelle Huppert
11
Birthdate: March 16, 1953
Sun Sign: Pisces

Isabelle Huppert is a French actress best known for playing cold and disdainful characters. Regarded as one of the finest actresses of her generation, Huppert has won several prestigious awards, such as a BAFTA Award, Golden Globe Award, and César Awards. In 2020, Isabelle Huppert was ranked second on The New York Times' greatest actors of the 21st century list.

 31 
Serge Gainsbourg
(One of the World's Most Influential Pop Musicians)
Serge Gainsbourg
12
Listed In: Singers
Birthdate: February 2, 1928
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Died: March 2, 1991
French musician, singer, and actor Serge Gainsbourg had experimented with a variety of music forms, such as jazz, pop, and reggae. Renowned for songs such as Bonnie and Clyde, he also included sexual overtones in his lyrics. He had also acted in and directed films and written a short novel.
 32 
Charles Baudelaire
(French Poet Known for His Handling of Rhyme & Rhythm and His Book 'Les Fleurs du mal')
Charles Baudelaire
4
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: April 9, 1821
Sun Sign: Aries
Died: August 31, 1867
French prose poet, essayist, and critic Charles Baudelaire was one of the first translators of the works of Edgar Allan Poe. Best known for his book of poems Les Fleurs du mal, he is believed to have coined the word modernity and was associated with the symbolist and decadent movements.
 33 
Édouard Manet
(French Modernist Painter Known for His Work ‘The Luncheon on the Grass’ and ‘Olympia’)
Édouard Manet
6
Birthdate: January 23, 1832
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Died: April 30, 1883

Édouard Manet was a French painter who played a key role in the transition to Impressionism from Realism in the 19th-century. Manet was one of the first artists from his generation to paint modern life. His early masterworks, such as Olympia, served as rallying points for young and aspiring impressionist painters. His works continue to influence painters around the world.

 34 
Luc Besson
(Film Director, Screenwriter, and Producer Known for Making Highly Visual Thriller and Action Films)
Luc Besson
4
Birthdate: March 18, 1959
Sun Sign: Pisces

Luc Besson is a French film director, producer, and screenwriter. He started working in the film industry as an assistant to famous directors and learned the nuances of direction. He then moved on to direct films and launched his own production company. He is considered a key figure in the Cinéma du look movement. 

 35 
Charles Perrault
(Iconic French Author Who Laid the Foundations for a New Literary Genre, the 'Fairy Tale')
Charles Perrault
5
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: January 12, 1628
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Died: May 16, 1703

Most people have grown up reading fairy tales such as Little Red Riding Hood and Puss in Boots. However, they aren’t probably aware that these folk tales were first collated and presented under the genre fairy tales, as Tales of Mother Goose, by 17th-century French author Charles Perrault.

 36 
Camille Saint-Saëns
(One of the Greatest Organists and Composers of the Romantic Era)
Camille Saint-Saëns
8
Listed In: Musicians
Birthdate: October 9, 1835
Sun Sign: Libra
Died: December 16, 1921
French composer and multi-instrumentalist Charles-Camille Saint-Saëns was an icon of the Romantic era, known for masterpieces such as the First Cello Concerto and the opera Samson and Delilah. He was initially a church organist and then became a freelance composer and pianist. He also taught music in Paris.
 37 
Georges Seurat
(French Post-Impressionist Artist Who Devised the Painting Techniques Known as 'Chromoluminarism' and 'Pointillism')
Georges Seurat
6
Birthdate: December 2, 1859
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Died: March 29, 1891

A significant figure of the Post-Impressionist era, Georges Seurat depicted structured art, far removed from the free-flowing Impressionist art. Best known for techniques such as pointillism, he created masterpieces such as Bathers at Asnières. He died before his last exhibition ended, and eerily displayed an unfinished painting, Cirque.

 38 
Moliere
(French Playwright and One of the Greatest Writers of French Comedy)
Moliere
7
Birthdate: January 15, 1622
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Died: February 17, 1673

Moliere was a French poet, playwright, and actor. Considered one of the greatest French-language writers of all time, Moliere's plays are often performed at the Comédie-Française and have been translated into several languages. Moliere had a huge impact on the French language and is widely regarded as the creator of modern French comedy.

 39 
François Truffaut
(One of the Founders of the 'French New Wave' Art Movement & An Icon of the French Film Industry)
François Truffaut
9
Birthdate: February 6, 1932
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Died: October 21, 1984

François Truffaut was a French film director, producer, screenwriter, and actor. He is credited to be one of the founders of the French New Wave. Beginning his career in the mid-1950s, he was active in the entertainment industry for close to three decades. His film The 400 Blows is considered a defining film of the French New Wave movement. 

 40 
Christian Louboutin
(French Fashion Designer)
Christian Louboutin
3
Listed In: Business People
Birthdate: January 7, 1963
Sun Sign: Capricorn

When French-Egyptian fashion designer Christian Louboutin entered the fashion scene in Paris, he designed women’s shoes but eventually also launched a men’s collection, too. He is known for his signature stilettoes with red soles. He later also ventured into leather goods and bags. He is openly homosexual.

 41 
Charles VII of France
(Former King of France (1422 - 1461))
Charles VII of France
4
Birthdate: February 22, 1403
Sun Sign: Pisces
Died: July 22, 1461
Charles VII, or the Victorious, reigned as the king of France from 1422 to 1461, as a result of the Armagnac-Burgundian Civil War. The heroics of Joan of Arc who helped defeat the English at Patay, led to the coronation of Charles, who was initially disinherited by his father.
 42 
Sarah Bernhardt
(One of the Most Popular French Actresses of the Late 19th and Early 20th Century)
Sarah Bernhardt
4
Birthdate: October 23, 1844
Sun Sign: Libra
Died: March 26, 1923

Sarah Bernhardt was a French actress known for playing important roles in popular French plays of the early-20th century.  Her decision to play Hamlet inspired Theresa Rebeck's play Bernhardt/Hamlet, in which Janet McTeer portrayed Sarah Bernhardt. In 1960, Bernhardt became the earliest born person to be honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

 43 
Jeanne Moreau
(Actress)
Jeanne Moreau
7
Birthdate: January 23, 1928
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Died: July 31, 2017
Height: 5'3" (160 cm)
 44 
George Sand
(One of the Most Popular Writers in Europe in Her Lifetime)
George Sand
9
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: July 1, 1804
Sun Sign: Cancer
Died: June 8, 1876
Nineteenth-century French author Amantine Lucile Aurore Dupin, better known as George Sand, became a leading figure of the Romantic era of Europe. She is best remembered for works such as La Petite Fadette and had numerous affairs, the most notable of them being the one with composer Frédéric Chopin.
 45 
Liliane Bettencourt
(Principal Shareholder of ‘L'Oréal’ and the Richest Woman of the World at the Time of Her Death)
Liliane Bettencourt
3
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: October 21, 1922
Sun Sign: Libra
Died: September 20, 2017
Former L'Oréal heiress Liliane Bettencourt was the world’s richest woman at the time of her death. She had apparently gifted celebrity photographer François-Marie Banier cash and gifts worth a billion euros, leading her daughter to file a case against Banier later. Bettencourt was also involved in medical and cultural philanthropy.
 46 
Lily-Rose Depp
(Actress, Model and Daughter of the American Actor, Johnny Depp, and French Actress Vanessa Paradis)
Lily-Rose Depp
129
Listed In: Fashion
Birthdate: May 7, 1999
Sun Sign: Taurus

Lily-Rose Depp is the daughter of famous American actor Johnny Depp and popular French singer and model Vanessa Paradis. Lily-Rose followed in her parents' footsteps to become active in the entertainment industry. Despite suffering from anorexia in the past, Lily-Rose Depp has managed to establish herself as an actress in Hollywood.

 47 
Isabelle Adjani
(French Actress and Singer Who is the Only Person in History to Win Five César Awards)
Isabelle Adjani
13
Birthdate: June 27, 1955
Sun Sign: Cancer

Isabelle Adjani is a French singer and actress. A critically acclaimed performer, Adjani is the only person to receive five César Awards. In 1988, Isabelle Adjani became the first French actress to earn two nominations at the Academy Awards for foreign-language films. She has also received other prestigious awards like the Silver Bear for Best Actress.

 48 
Jean Dujardin
(French Comedian and Actor)
Jean Dujardin
3
Birthdate: June 19, 1972
Sun Sign: Gemini
Height: 6'0" (183 cm)
 49 
Brigitte Bardot
(French Actress and Singer Known for Her Films: ‘And God Created Woman’ and ‘Viva Maria!’)
Brigitte Bardot
36
Listed In: Activists
Birthdate: September 28, 1934
Sun Sign: Libra

Brigitte Bardot is a French former singer and actress. One of the most popular sex symbols of the 1950s and 1960s, Bardot remains a major pop culture icon despite quitting the entertainment industry in 1973. Bardot is credited with popularizing the bikini. She also popularized the town of Armação dos Búzios and the city of St. Tropez in Brazil.

 50 
Georges Bizet
(French Composer Best Known for His Opera ‘Carmen’)
Georges Bizet
6
Listed In: Musicians
Birthdate: October 25, 1838
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Died: June 3, 1875

Georges Bizet was a French composer whose career was cut short by his untimely demise at the age of 36. Since his death in 1875, Bizet's final work Carmen has become one of the most frequently performed works in the opera repertoire. Although he couldn’t achieve success during his lifetime, Bizet's death is considered a loss to French musical theatre.