Benoît Magimel

Benoît Magimel (; born 11 May 1974) is a French actor. He was 14 when he appeared in his first film, and has starred in a variety of roles in French cinema. At age 16, Magimel left school to pursue acting as a career. In 2001, he won the Best Actor award at the Cannes Film Festival for his role in Michael Haneke's The Piano Teacher. He also starred in Claude Chabrol's La Demoiselle d'honneur.

He won two consecutive César Awards for Best Actor for starring as an acting teacher diagnosed with late-stage cancer in Peaceful (2021) and the High Commissioner of French Polynesia De Roller in Pacifiction (2022).

Magimel was named Chevalier of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in 2006 and was promoted to the rank of Officier in 2013.

Early life Benoît Magimel was born in Paris on 11 May 1974. His mother was a nurse and his father worked in a bank. Through his maternal grandfather he is of Hungarian Jewish descent. He has a brother, Arnaud, and a sister, Bénédicte.

In 1988, he landed his first film role in Étienne Chatiliez's comedy Life Is a Long Quiet River, in which he played Maurice "Momo" Groseille. At sixteen, while in première (the second year of lycée), Magimel left school without a diploma to pursue acting as a career.

He spent the decade accumulating roles, on television and in cinema, growing up in front of the camera, often under the direction of respected filmmakers.

In 1995, Magimel appeared as boyfriend Rémi in Benoît Jacquot's New Wave-style drama A Single Girl, which stars Virginie Ledoyen as a hotel waitress who discovers she is pregnant. That same year, Magimel made a brief appearance in Mathieu Kassovitz's black-and-white banlieue drama La Haine, which went on to become a cult film.

In 1996, Magimel took on a supporting role in André Téchiné's psychodrama Thieves, starring Catherine Deneuve, Daniel Auteuil and Laurence Côte. His performance garnered him a nomination for the César Award for Most Promising Actor in 1997.

He then achieved leading roles, often depicting rough and violent characters. In 1998, he shared the screen with Romain Duris and Zoé Félix for Olivier Dahan's crime drama Déjà mort. He also starred in the mining drama Une minute de silence, directed by Florent-Emilio Siri, who would become one of Magimel's most frequent collaborators.

In 1999, he shared the screen with Juliette Binoche in the romantic drama Children of the Century. Under the direction of Diane Kurys, he portrayed Alfred de Musset.

In 2000, he appeared in Xavier Beauvois's drama To Matthieu, in which he portrayed the lover of Claire, played by Nathalie Baye. Magimel surprised audiences with his performance as Louis XIV in the costume drama The King Is Dancing, directed by Gérard Corbiau.

The following decade allowed him to secure roles in more popular films.

Rise to prominence (2000s) In 2001, he played a young protégé to a masochistic piano teacher who attempts to engage him in a sadomasochistic relationship, played by Isabelle Huppert, in the acclaimed drama The Piano Teacher, directed by Michael Haneke. He won the Best Actor award at the 2001 Cannes Film Festival for his performance. Then in 2002, he reunited with Florent-Emilio Siri for the action thriller The Nest.

In 2003, he shared the screen with Laetitia Casta for the drama Errance. He also accepted a supporting role under Jacques Villeret and André Dussollier in Jean Becker's drama Strange Gardens. He then portrayed a son alongside Nathalie Baye in Claude Chabrol's family drama The Flower of Evil.

He continued this momentum in 2004 with Olivier Dahan's police thriller Crimson Rivers II: Angels of the Apocalypse, in which he appeared opposite Jean Reno. He then appeared alongside Laura Smet in Claude Chabrol's psychological thriller The Bridesmaid.

He continued in 2005 with the thriller Trouble, starring Natacha Régnier. He then shared the screen with Clovis Cornillac for the blockbuster Sky Fighters. Around the same time, Magimel was also approached by Barbet Schroeder to portray French criminal Jacques Mesrine after Vincent Cassel withdrew from the role. Magimel refused the role because he felt his physique would be unsuitable to portray Mesrine. The project was later revived by Jean-François Richet, with Cassel returning, which produced the widely acclaimed Mesrine.

On 2 January 2006, Magimel was named Chevalier of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by Minister of Culture Renaud Donnedieu de Vabres. He played an office employee in Lionel Bailliu's Fair Play, a psychological thriller about moral harassment in the workplace.

Magimel had four film releases in 2007. In January, he led the Parisian organized crime thriller Paris Lockdown, directed by Frédéric Schoendoerffer; in August, he co-starred with Ludivine Sagnier for A Girl Cut in Two, by Claude Chabrol; in October, he reunited with Florent-Emilio Siri for the Algerian War drama Intimate Enemies; and in December, he plays in the multi-narrative drama 24 Mesures, by Jalil Lespert.

In 2008, the novelist Michel Houellebecq directed Magimel in a film adaptation of one of his bestsellers, The Possibility of an Island. Magimel also traveled to Japan to star in Barbet Schroeder's mystery thriller Inju: The Beast in the Shadow, based on the novel by Edogawa Ranpo.

Established actor (2010s) In 2010, he co-starred in the crime thriller Sans laisser de traces with François-Xavier Demaison and played the title lawyer in Cédric Anger's thriller L'Avocat. The year also marked his return to the comedy genre with two new films. He was cast in Guillaume Canet's hit comedy-drama film Little White Lies. He also shared the screen with Édouard Baer in Marc Esposito's Mon pote. The same year, he provided the voice for the Ken doll in the French dub of the Pixar animation film Toy Story 3.

In 2011, he starred under Diane Kruger in Afghanistan war adventure film Forces spéciales. He then reunited with Jalil Lespert for the intimate drama Headwinds, appearing opposite Isabelle Carré. Finally, he lends his voice to the video game Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3.

In 2012, audiences saw him collaborating once again with Florent-Emilio Siri for the biopic My Way, in which he portrayed the entertainment producer Paul Lederman. His performance was hailed and garnered him a nomination for the César Award for Best Supporting Actor in 2013.

In 2013, Diane Kurys cast him opposite Mélanie Thierry in the drama For a Woman. On 9 July 2013, Magimel was promoted to the rank of Officier of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by Minister of Culture Aurélie Filippetti.

In 2015, he co-starred with Kad Merad and Charles Berling in the buddy comedy On voulait tout casser. The same year, he starred in Emmanuelle Bercot's coming-of-age drama Standing Tall. His performance as a counselor to a troubled teen was hailed and won him the César Award for Best Supporting Actor in 2016.

In 2016, Magimel was again directed by Emmanuelle Bercot in her medical drama 150 Milligrams, starring Sidse Babett Knudsen. He was also again directed by Frédéric Schoendoerffer in the action thriller Le Convoi. Magimel returned to television for the political drama series Marseille, developed by Florent-Emilio Siri for Netflix. He appeared alongside Gérard Depardieu and Géraldine Pailhas.

In 2017, he played a supporting role in the drama Memoir of War, carried by Mélanie Thierry. He then played the protagonist of the crime thriller Carbon, which marked his first collaboration with director Olivier Marchal.

Then in 2019, he became attached to Nous finirons ensemble, the sequel to the hit comedy-drama Little White Lies, again directed by Guillaume Canet. The series Marseille was not renewed for a third season, following poor reviews.

Continued acclaim (2020s) In 2022, he received the César Award for Best Actor and Lumière Award for Best Actor for Peaceful (2021), directed by Emmanuelle Bercot, in which he starred opposite Catherine Deneuve in portraying an acting teacher diagnosed with late-stage cancer.

In 2022, he starred as the enigmatic High Commissioner of French Polynesia De Roller in Pacifiction, directed by Catalan auteur filmmaker Albert Serra. Set in Tahiti, the film explores De Roller's work and social engagements amid the surrounding political and colonial tensions of the island territory. The film is distinct for its lush widescreen panoramic shots of the Polynesian landscape and for its hypnotic atmosphere. With a nearly three-hour runtime, Pacifiction is a thriller that juxtaposes its "aesthetic sublime" with a "sense of paranoia and dread as its narrative is consistently thwarted in favour of modulated moods and atmospheres". The film premiered in competition at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival, and was awarded the Louis Delluc Prize. Magimel received widespread acclaim for his performance, for which he received both the César and Lumière awards for Best Actor. In doing so, Magimel became the first actor in the history of both the Lumière and César Awards to win Best Actor two years in a row.

In 2023, Magimel starred in three films presented at the 76th Cannes Film Festival: Stéphanie Di Giusto's Rosalie, a historical drama set in 1870s Brittany and starring Nadia Tereszkiewicz as a bearded lady; The King of Algiers, a comedy set in Algeria and starring Reda Kateb; and Tran Anh Hung's The Taste of Things, a historical drama starring that depicts a romance between a cook, played by Juliette Binoche, and the gourmet she works for.

In June 2024, Apple TV+ announced the six-part thriller series À l'ombre des forêts starring Magimel and Mélanie Laurent, created and directed by Cédric Anger.

Personal life

In 1998, Magimel began a relationship with Juliette Binoche, whom he met during the filming of Children of the Century. They have a daughter, Hana, who was born in 1999. They separated in 2003. In 2004, Magimel began a relationship with actress Nikita Lespinasse, whom he had met during the filming of Crimson Rivers II: Angels of the Apocalypse. Their daughter, Djinina, was born in 2011. Magimel and Lespinasse separated in 2014. The couple were married on 10 November 2018, during a ceremony held at the town hall of the 16th arrondissement of Paris.

Legal issues On 11 March 2016, he was taken into police custody after hitting a 62-year-old woman in Paris, on the boulevard Exelmans while driving a rental car without a licence. He was charged with hit and run, unintentional injury, and driving despite cancellation of a driving licence. He was subject to drug testing, which revealed traces of cocaine in his system. The pedestrian, who suffered injuries to her legs, was hospitalised. In June 2017, he was sentenced on appeal to a fine of 5,000 for having hit the pedestrian and a 1,200 fine for driving under the influence of drugs.

On 18 September 2017, Magimel was again arrested in Paris in his car and in the company of another man while driving against traffic in a one-way street. Pouches of white powder containing heroin were found in his possession although he tested negative on a saliva test. He was sentenced to a three-month suspended prison sentence for possession of narcotics.

Filmography

Film Year Title Role Notes 1988 Life Is a Long Quiet River Momo Groseille 1989 Papa est parti, maman aussi Jérôme 1992 Toutes peines confondues Thomas Les Années campagne Jules Le cahier volé Maurice 1995 La Haine Benoît A Single Girl Rémi 1996 Thieves Jimmy Fontana 1998 Déjà mort David Une minute de silence Marek 1999 Children of the Century Alfred de Musset 2000 Elle et lui au 14ème étage Firmin The King Is Dancing Louis XIV To Matthieu Matthieu Debris 2001 Lisa Sam The Piano Teacher Walter Klemmer 2002 The Nest Santino 2003 The Flower of Evil François Vasseur Strange Gardens Emile Bailleul Errance Jacques 2004 Crimson Rivers II: Angels of the Apocalypse Capitaine Reda The Bridesmaid Philippe Tardieu 2005 Trouble Matyas / Thomas Sky Fighters Capitaine Antoine "Walk'n" Marchelli 2006 Charlie Says Pierre Fair Play Jean-Claude 2007 Paris Lockdown Franck A Girl Cut in Two Paul André Claude Gaudens 24 Mesures Didier Intimate Enemies Lieutenant Terrien 2008 2 Alone in Paris Le commissaire La Possibilité d'une île Daniel Inju: The Beast in the Shadow Alex Fayard 2010 Sans laisser de traces Étienne Meunier L'Avocat Léo Demarsan Little White Lies Vincent Ribaud Mon pote Bruno Duchêne 2011 Forces spéciales Tic-Tac Headwinds Paul Anderen 2012 My Way Paul Lederman 2013 For a Woman Michel 2014 The Connection Le Fou 2015 Standing Tall Yann On voulait tout casser Gérôme Cafard Jean Mordant (Voice) 2016 Le Convoi Alex 150 Milligrams Antoine Le Bihan 2017 Money Vincent Memoir of War Pierre Rabier Carbon Antoine Roca 2019 Nous finirons ensemble Vincent An Easy Girl Philippe Lola Philippe 2020 Lovers Léo Redler 2021Dune Dreams Simon Peaceful Benjamin Boltanski 2022 Incredible but True Gérard Paris Memories Thomas Pacifiction De Roller Jack Mimoun et les Secrets de Val Verde Jonas Anatoli Le Marchand de sable Yvan 2023 Rosalie Abel Deluc The King of Algiers Roger The Taste of Things Dodin Bouffant 2024 Ni chaînes ni maîtres Eugène Larcenet Saint-Ex Le directeur de l'Aéropostale (voice) 2026 Mi Amor Vincent The Birthday Party Franck De Gaulle: Résistance Marie-Pierre Kœnig Post-production Post-production

Television YearTitleRole Notes 1989 Pause café pause tendresse Gérard Nyzeures Episode: "Les verres cassés" 1990 Les Enfants de Lascaux Georges TV movie 1991 Faux frère TV movie Les Ritals Francois TV movie Le Lyonnais Robert Rodrigue Episode: "Régis l'éventreur" 1993 L'Instit Félix Episode: "Les chiens et les loups" Le Voyant Young man Episode: "Pleine lune" 1994 Jalna Eden Miniseries; 8 episodes La Colline aux mille enfants René TV movie Tous les garçons et les filles de leur âge... Pierre TV movie: "L'Incruste" 1996 Long cours Jeff TV movie 1999 Bonne Nuit Serge TV movie 2008 Résolution 819 Jacques Calvez TV movie 2016–2018 Marseille Lucas Barrès Main role; 16 episodes 2026 The Hunt Franck Miniseries; 6 episodes

Dubbing 2005: Hostage – Mars Krupcheck (Ben Foster) 2007: Alpha Dog – Jake Mazursky (Ben Foster) 2010: Toy Story 3 – Ken 2011: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 – Yuri

Honours and distinctions 2006: Chevalier of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres 2013: Officier of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres

Awards and nominations Award Date of ceremony Category Recipient(s) Result Les acteurs à l'Écran de Saint-Denis 30 March 1997 Prix Michel Simon Thieves Cabourg Film Festival 14 June 2015 Swann d'Or for Best Actor Standing Tall Cannes Film Festival 20 May 2001 Best Actor The Piano Teacher César Awards 8 February 1997 Most Promising Actor Thieves 22 February 2013 Best Supporting Actor My Way 26 February 2016 Standing Tall 25 February 2022Best Actor Peaceful 24 February 2023 Pacifiction Lumière Awards 13 January 2008 Best Actor A Girl Cut in Two 17 January 2022 Peaceful 16 January 2023 Pacifiction