Guillaume Canet (; born 10 April 1973) is a French actor, film director and

screenwriter A screenplay writer (also called screenwriter, scriptwriter, scribe or scenarist) is a writer who practices the craft of screenwriting, writing screenplays on which mass media, such as films, television programs and video games, are based. ...

, and show jumper. Canet began his career in theatre and television before moving to film. He starred in several films like '' Joyeux Noël'', '' Love Me If You Dare'' and '' The Beach''. In 2006, he turned to writing and directing with '' Tell No One'' and won a

César Award for Best Director This is the list of winners and nominees of the César Award for Best Director (French: ''César du meilleur réalisateur''). History Superlatives Winners and nominees 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s 2020s Multiple wins and nomination ...

Early life and career

Guillaume Canet was born in

Boulogne-Billancourt Boulogne-Billancourt (; often colloquially called simply Boulogne, until 1924 Boulogne-sur-Seine, ) is a wealthy and prestigious commune in the Parisian area, located from its centre. It is a subprefecture of the Hauts-de-Seine department and t ...

on 10 April 1973 to a family of horse breeders. Canet intended to become a show jumper and was a member of the junior French National Equestrian Team. However, after a fall from his horse at age 18 he turned to acting and enrolled in the

Cours Florent The Cours Florent is a private French drama school in Paris established in 1967 by François Florent. The school is located on three nearby sites in the 19th arrondissement of Paris, France: rue Archereau, rue Mathis, and Avenue Jean-Jaurès; ...

drama school. In 1994, he appeared in the Théâtre Hébertot production of '' La Ville dont le prince est un enfant'' with

Christophe Malavoy Christophe Malavoy (born 21 March 1952 in Reutlingen Reutlingen (; Swabian: ''Reitlenga'') is a city in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is the capital of the eponymous district of Reutlingen. As of June 2018, it has a population of 115,818. ...

. After working in various television shows and commercials, Canet made his film debut in the short film ''Fils unique''. In 1997, he appeared in the thriller film ''Barracuda'' for which he won a prix d'interprétation (best actor award) at the Festival Saint-Jean-de-Luz in 1999. The same year he was nominated for a César Award for his role as Vincent Mazet in the comedy film ''En plein cœur''. He then traveled abroad to film

Danny Boyle Daniel Francis Boyle (born 20 October 1956) is an English director and producer. He is known for his work on films including '' Shallow Grave'', '' Trainspotting'' and its sequel '' T2 Trainspotting'', '' The Beach'', ''28 Days Later'', '' S ...

's '' The Beach''. After completing ''The Beach'', Canet starred opposite

Sophie Marceau Sophie Marceau (; born Sophie Danièle Sylvie Maupu, 17 November 1966) is a French actress. As a teenager, she achieved popularity with her debut films ''La Boum'' (1980) and '' La Boum 2'' (1982), receiving a César Award for Most Promising A ...

in ''La fidélité'' and in Jerry Schatzberg's '' The Day the Ponies Come Back''. In 2002, Canet starred with

Gérard Depardieu Gérard Xavier Marcel Depardieu, CQ (, , ; born 27 December 1948) is a French actor, filmmaker, businessman and vineyard owner since 1989 who is one of the most prolific thespians in film history having completed over 250 films since 1967 al ...

in the science fiction film '' Vidocq''. He also directed and wrote his first feature film the same year, '' Mon Idole'', which also starred his wife Diane Kruger. In 2003, he appeared opposite Marion Cotillard in Yann Samuell's '' Love Me If You Dare'' which became a

sleeper hit In the entertainment industry, a sleeper hit is a film, television series, music release, video game, or some other entertainment product that was initially unsuccessful on release but became a success later on. A sleeper hit may have little prom ...

. Canet next appeared in the international production '' Joyeux Noël'' which tells the story of the World War I Christmas cease fire. The film—which also featured Kruger—was nominated for an

Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film The Academy Award for Best International Feature Film (known as Best Foreign Language Film prior to 2020) is one of the Academy Awards handed out annually by the U.S.-based Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It is given to a ...

. Canet released his second feature film in 2006, ''Tell No One'', an adaptation of

Harlan Coben Harlan Coben is an American writer of mystery novels and thrillers. The plots of his novels often involve the resurfacing of unresolved or misinterpreted events in the past, murders, or fatal accidents and have multiple twists. Among his novels ...

's novel of the same name. ''Tell No One'' was the ninth top grossing French film of 2006 and went on to win four César awards, including a

for Canet. His film '' Blood Ties'' was selected to be screened Out of Competition at the

2013 Cannes Film Festival The 66th Cannes Film Festival took place in Cannes, France, from 15 to 26 May 2013. Steven Spielberg was the head of the jury for the main competition. New Zealand film director Jane Campion was the head of the jury for the Cinéfondation and ...

Personal life

In 1999, he started a relationship with German-born model and actress

Diane Kruger Diane Kruger ( Heidkrüger; ; born 15 July 1976) is a German and American actress. Early in her career, Kruger gained worldwide recognition and received the Trophée Chopard from the Cannes Film Festival. Kruger became known for her roles in ...

. They were married on 1 September 2001. In January 2006, Canet and Kruger filed for divorce. Kruger later said that the marriage was not successful because their careers had kept them occupied in different parts of the world. After his divorce, Canet started a relationship with model

Carla Bruni Carla Bruni-Sarkozy

that was widely reported by the French media, and later he was in a relationship with actress

Élodie Navarre Élodie Navarre (born 21 January 1979) is a French actress. Biography Navarre was discovered at 16 when she was spotted on the Paris metro by a casting director and, a year later, appeared in the television film '' Clara et le Juge''. She studi ...

. Canet has been in a relationship with actress Marion Cotillard since October 2007. The two had known each other since 1997, and years later starred together in the 2003 film '' Love Me If You Dare''. They later co-starred in the 2009 film '' The Last Flight''. The couple has attracted considerable attention from the French media, but for a long time they did not discuss their relationship and did not appear together on a red carpet event until the

Cannes Film Festival The Cannes Festival (; french: link=no, Festival de Cannes), until 2003 called the International Film Festival (') and known in English as the Cannes Film Festival, is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films ...

in 2009. The couple has a son together, Marcel, born on 19 May 2011. The couple are not married. Though since 2010 Cotillard has been spotted wearing a diamond solitaire on her left hand – a present from Canet – they are not engaged either. In 2014, Cotillard denied being married to Canet, instead referring to him as "my boyfriend" in interviews. The couple welcomed their second child, a girl named Louise in 2017. In July 2012, paparazzo Jean-Claude Elfassi accused Canet of violence during an altercation as Canet and Cotillard arrived home from the hospital maternity ward with their newborn son in May 2011. According to the photographer, Canet left his house with an iron bar and threatened him before police stepped in. Elfassi's son filmed the actor with his cell phone and while Canet made sure the footage was erased from the web, photos were published on French magazine Entrevue. Elfassi and his son attempted to sue the actor for "violence" and "theft" and their case was not only dismissed, but Elfassi faces charges for "false accusation" and could spend nine months in jail. Canet is an accomplished show jumper and between 2012 and 2017 participated in 623 competitions, winning 33 of them and taking nearly €67,000 in prize money. He was notably placed in competitions at international shows in

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. Si ...

La Baule La Baule-Escoublac (; br, Ar Baol-Skoubleg, ), commonly referred to as La Baule, is a commune in the Loire-Atlantique department, Pays de la Loire, western France. A century-old seaside resort in southern Brittany with villas, casino, luxury h ...

and Chantilly Jumping.

Filmography

As actor

* 1995 : ''Fils unique'', directed by Philippe Landoulsi (short-film) * 1997 : ''Barracuda'', directed by Philippe Haïm, prix d'interprétation au Festival de Saint-Jean-de-Luz * 1998 : ''Sentimental Education'', directed by C. S. Leigh * 1998 : ''Ceux qui m'aiment prendront le train'', directed by

Patrice Chéreau Patrice Chéreau (; 2 November 1944 – 7 October 2013) was a French opera and theatre director, filmmaker, actor and producer. In France he is best known for his work for the theatre, internationally for his films '' La Reine Margot'' and ...

* 1998 : ''En plein cœur'', directed by

Pierre Jolivet Pierre Jolivet (; born 9 October 1952) is a French director, actor, screenwriter, and producer. His film '' Zim and Co.'' was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2005 Cannes Film Festival and his film '' The Night Watchman'' won the ...

, adapted from the novel by Georges Simenon, ''En cas de malheur'' * 1999 : ''Trait d'union'', directed by Bruno García (short-film) * 1999 : ''Je règle mon pas sur le pas de mon père'', directed by Rémi Waterhouse * 2000 : ''J'peux pas dormir...'', directed by Guillaume Canet (

short-film A short film is any motion picture that is short enough in running time not to be considered a feature film. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences defines a short film as "an original motion picture that has a running time of 40 minutes ...

) * 2000 : '' The Beach'' (''La Plage''), directed by

* 2000 : ''

Fidelity Fidelity is the quality of faithfulness or loyalty. Its original meaning regarded duty in a broader sense than the related concept of ''fealty''. Both derive from the Latin word ''fidēlis'', meaning "faithful or loyal". In the City of London fin ...

'' (''La Fidélité''), directed by

Andrzej Żuławski Andrzej Żuławski (; 22 November 1940 – 17 February 2016) was a Polish film director and writer. Żuławski often went against mainstream commercialism in his films, and enjoyed success mostly with European art-house audiences. In the late 1 ...

* 2000 : '' The Day the Ponies Come Back'', directed by Jerry Schatzberg * 2001 : ', directed by

Antoine de Caunes Antoine de Caunes (born 1 December 1953) is a French television presenter, actor, writer and film director. He is the son of two prominent French personalities, television journalist-reporter Georges de Caunes and television announcer Jacqueline ...

* 2001 : '' Vidocq'', directed by Pitof * 2002 : ''Le Frère du guerrier'', directed by

* 2002 : ''Mille millièmes'', directed by Rémi Waterhouse * 2002 : '' Mon Idole'', directed by Guillaume Canet * 2003 : '' Love Me If You Dare'' (''Jeux d'enfants''), directed by Yann Samuell * 2003 : ''Les Clefs de bagnole'', directed by Laurent Baffie (only a cameo, as himself) * 2004 : '' Narco'', directed by Tristan Aurouet and Gilles Lellouche * 2005 : '' Joyeux Noël'', directed by Christian Carion * 2005 : ''

Hell In religion and folklore, hell is a location in the afterlife in which evil souls are subjected to punitive suffering, most often through torture, as eternal punishment after death. Religions with a linear divine history often depict hell ...

'' (''L'Enfer''), directed by

Danis Tanovic Danis may refer to: * ''Danis'' (butterfly), a genus of butterfly in the family Lycaenidae * Danis Goulet (born 1977), Canadian Cree-Métis film director and screenwriter * Yann Danis (born 1981), Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender * Gy ...

* 2005 : ''Un ticket pour l'espace'', directed by Éric Lartigau * 2006 : '' Tell No One'' (''Ne le dis à personne''), directed by Guillaume Canet * 2006 : ''

Cars A car or automobile is a motor vehicle with wheels. Most definitions of ''cars'' say that they run primarily on roads, Car seat, seat one to eight people, have four wheels, and mainly transport private transport#Personal transport, people in ...

'' (French voice of Flash McQueen) * 2007 : '' Ensemble, c'est tout'', directed by

Claude Berri Claude Berri (; 1 July 1934 – 12 January 2009) was a French film director, writer, producer, actor and distributor. Early life Born Claude Beri Langmann in Paris, Berri was the son of Jewish immigrant parents. His mother, Beila (née Bercu), w ...

* 2007 : ''Darling'', directed by Christine Carrière * 2007 : '' La clef'', directed by Guillaume Nicloux * 2008 : ''

Rivals A rivalry is the state of two people or groups engaging in a lasting competitive relationship. Rivalry is the "against each other" spirit between two competing sides. The relationship itself may also be called "a rivalry", and each participant ...

'', directed by Jacques Maillot * 2008 : ''Voyage d'affaires'', directed by

Sean Ellis Sean Ellis (born 1970) is a British film director, writer, producer and fashion photographer. He is best known for his films '' Cashback'' (2004), '' The Broken'' (2008), ''Metro Manila'' (2013), in the Tagalog language, and '' Anthropoid'' (201 ...

* 2009 : ''Espion(s)'', directed by Nicolas Saada * 2009 : ''

L'affaire Farewell ''Farewell'' (french: L'affaire Farewell; literally ''The Farewell Affair'') is a 2009 French espionage thriller film directed by Christian Carion, starring Guillaume Canet and Emir Kusturica. The film is loosely based on the actions of the high- ...

'', directed by Christian Carion * 2009 : '' The Last Flight'', directed by

Karim Dridi Karim Dridi (born 9 January 1961 in tunis) is a French Tunisian film director and screenwriter. He has directed ten films since 1987. His 1994 film ''Pigalle'' was entered into the main competition at the 51st edition of the Venice Film Fest ...

* 2010 : '' Last Night'', directed by Massy Tadjedin * 2011 : ''

Une vie meilleure ''Une vie meilleure'', also known by its English release title ''A Better Life'', is a 2011 French film directed by Cédric Kahn and starring Guillaume Canet, Leïla Bekhti and introducing Slimane Khettabi. Plot Yann (Guillaume Canet) and Nadia ...

'', directed by Cédric Kahn * 2011 : ''

La nouvelle guerre des boutons ''War of the Buttons'' (french: La nouvelle guerre des boutons) is a 2011 French film directed by Christophe Barratier. Plot The story takes place in March 1944 in a small French village. The young people from the neighbouring villages of Longeve ...

'', L'instituteur * 2012 : '' The Players'', Thibault * 2013 : '' Jappeloup'' as Pierre Durand, Jr. * 2013 : ''

Turning Tide ''Turning Tide'' (original title: ''En solitaire'') is a 2013 French drama film directed by Christophe Offenstein. Plot Yann Kermadec has short notice to replace the main skipper in the Vendée Globe. After a few days of racing, Yann is first b ...

'' as Frank Drevil * 2014 : ''

In the Name of My Daughter ''In the Name of My Daughter'' (french: L'Homme qu'on aimait trop; also known as ''French Riviera'') is a 2014 French drama film directed by André Téchiné and starring Catherine Deneuve, Guillaume Canet and Adèle Haenel. The script was based o ...

'' as Maurice Agnelet * 2014 : '' Next Time I'll Aim for the Heart'' as Franck * 2015 : '' The Program'' as Michele Ferrari * 2015 : '' Minions'' as Herb Overkill * 2016 : '' Arctic Heart'' as Quignard * 2016 : ''

Cézanne and I ''Cézanne and I'' (original title: ''Cézanne et moi'') is a 2016 French biographical drama film based on the friendship between 19th century novelist Émile Zola and painter Paul Cézanne. The film was written and directed by Danièle Thompso ...

'' as

Émile Zola Émile Édouard Charles Antoine Zola (, also , ; 2 April 184029 September 1902) was a French novelist, journalist, playwright, the best-known practitioner of the literary school of naturalism, and an important contributor to the development of ...

* 2016 : '' The Siege of Jadotville'' as Rene Faulques * 2017 : '' Mon garçon'' as Julien * 2017 : '' Rock'n Roll'' as Guillaume Canet * 2018 : '' Sink or Swim'' * 2018 : ''

Non-Fiction Nonfiction, or non-fiction, is any document or media content that attempts, in good faith, to provide information (and sometimes opinions) grounded only in facts and real life, rather than in imagination. Nonfiction is often associated with b ...

'' * 2019 : '' La Belle Époque'' * 2019 : '' In the Name of the Land'' * 2021 : ''Lui''

As director

Frequent casting

References

External links

Official site
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Canet, Guillaume 1973 births Living people Best Director César Award winners People from Boulogne-Billancourt French male film actors French male television actors French film directors 20th-century French male actors 21st-century French male actors Cours Florent alumni French-language film directors English-language film directors French male screenwriters 20th-century French screenwriters 21st-century French screenwriters French film producers