Jalil Lespert (born 11 May 1976) is a French actor, screenwriter and director. He has been described as "one of the best actors of his generation."

Early life and education

Lespert was born in Paris to a ''pied-noir'' father, actor Jean Lespert, and a Kabyle Algerian mother, who is an attorney and a

jurist A jurist is a person with expert knowledge of law; someone who analyzes and comments on law. This person is usually a specialist legal scholar, mostly (but not always) with a formal education in law (a law degree) and often a Lawyer, legal prac ...

, Lespert initially studied law to please his mother.

Career

Lespert made his film debut in 1995, in

Laurent Cantet Laurent Cantet (; 11 April 1961 – 25 April 2024) was a French director, cinematographer and screenwriter. His film ''Entre les murs'' ('' The Class'') won the top prize at the Cannes Film Festival in 2008. Biography Laurent Cantet was born in ...

's short film ''Jeux de plage'', alongside his father. His first major role came in 1999, in

Jacques Maillot Jacques Maillot (born 12 April 1962) is a French film director and screenwriter. He has directed nine films since 1993. His film '' Nos vies heureuses'' was entered into the 1999 Cannes Film Festival. Filmography * '' Des fleurs coupées'' (199 ...

's film ''

Our Happy Lives ''Our Happy Lives'' () is a 1999 French drama film directed by Jacques Maillot. It was entered into the 1999 Cannes Film Festival. Cast * Marie Payen - Julie * Cécile Richard - Cécile * Camille Japy - Emilie * Sami Bouajila - Ali * Eric Bon ...

''. The following year, he appeared in another Cantet film, ''

Human Resources Human resources (HR) is the set of people who make up the workforce of an organization, business sector, industry, or economy. A narrower concept is human capital, the knowledge and skills which the individuals command. Similar terms include ' ...

'', which earned him a

César Award for Most Promising Actor Cesar or César may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''César'' (film), a 1936 French romantic drama * ''César'' (play), a play by Marcel Pagnolt Places * Cesar, Portugal * Cesar Department, Colombia * Cesar River, in Colombia * Cesar ...

in 2001. Lespert's career took off and he appeared in several films, playing a wide range of characters, such as a sensual gardener in ''

Sade Sade may refer to: People * Marquis de Sade (1740–1814), French aristocrat, writer, and libertine; namesake of the word ''sadism'' * Sade (singer) (born 1959, Helen Folasade Adu), British Nigerian musician and lead singer of the eponymous band * ...

'', a body builder addict in '' Vivre me tue'', a boxer in ''

Virgil Publius Vergilius Maro (; 15 October 70 BC21 September 19 BC), usually called Virgil or Vergil ( ) in English, was an ancient Rome, ancient Roman poet of the Augustan literature (ancient Rome), Augustan period. He composed three of the most fa ...

'', a pretentious artist in

Alain Resnais Alain Resnais (; 3 June 19221 March 2014) was a French film director and screenwriter whose career extended over more than six decades. After training as a film editor in the mid-1940s, he went on to direct short films including '' Night and Fog ...

's ''

Not on the Lips ''Not on the Lips'' () is a 2003 French musical film directed by Alain Resnais. It is an adaptation of the operetta ''Pas sur la bouche'', written by André Barde and Maurice Yvain, which was first produced in Paris in 1925. Plot ''Act 1.'' Gilb ...

'', and a journalist in

Robert Guédiguian Robert Jules Guédiguian (; born 3 December 1953) is a French film director, screenwriter, producer and actor. Most of his films star Ariane Ascaride and Jean-Pierre Darroussin. Life and career Guédiguian is the son of a German mother and an Arm ...

's '' The Last Mitterrand.'' Lespert directed his first film in 2007, '' 24 mesures'', featuring

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 A ...

and

Sami Bouajila Sami Bouajila (born 26 May 1966) is a Tunisian-French actor who has won two César Awards. Bouajila has worked and acted in two Oscar nominated films ('' Days of Glory'' and '' Outside the Law''), both directed by director Rachid Bouchareb. Earl ...

. His second feature as director, ''

Headwinds ''Headwinds'' () is a 2011 French drama film directed by Jalil Lespert. Cast *Benoît Magimel as Paul Anderen *Isabelle Carré as Josée Combe *Antoine Duléry as Alex Anderen *Ramzy Bedia as Le déménageur *Bouli Lanners as Monsieur Bréhel * a ...

'' in 2011, featured Magimel alongside

Audrey Tautou Audrey Justine Tautou (; born 9 August 1976) is a French actress. She made her acting debut at age 18 on television, and her feature film debut in '' Venus Beauty Institute'' (1999), for which she received critical acclaim and won the César Awa ...

and

Isabelle Carré Isabelle Carré (born 28 May 1971) is a French actress. She has appeared in more than 70 films since 1989. She won a César Award for Best Actress for her role in '' Se souvenir des belles choses'' (2001), and has been nominated a further six ti ...

. In 2010, he appeared in the French television series '' Pigalle, la nuit''.

Personal life

In 2009, Lespert married Sonia Rolland, a former Miss France. The couple had one child (born 2010), and separated in 2018. He also has two other children from a previous relationship.

Filmography

As actor

As director and writer

* 2007 - '' 24 Bars'' (''24 mesures'') * 2011 - ''

'' (''Des vents contraires'') * 2014 - '' Yves Saint Laurent'' * 2016 - ''

Iris Iris most often refers to: *Iris (anatomy), part of the eye * Iris (color), an ambiguous color term *Iris (mythology), a Greek goddess * ''Iris'' (plant), a genus of flowering plants * Iris (given name), a feminine given name, and a list of peopl ...

'' * 2024 - ''Dakar Chronicles''

Awards and accolades

(

26th César Awards The 26th César Awards ceremony, presented by the Académie des Arts et Techniques du Cinéma, honoured the best 2000 in film, films of 2000 in France and took place on 24 February 2001 at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées in Paris. The ceremony ...

, for ''Human Resources'') *

Lumière Award for Most Promising Actor Lumière is French for 'light'. Lumiere, Lumière or Lumieres may refer to: Buildings * Lumière, a building used by the Bibliothèque publique d'information in Paris, France * Lumiere (skyscraper), a cancelled skyscraper development in Leeds, ...

(

6th Lumière Awards The 6th Lumière Awards ceremony, presented by the Académie des Lumières, was held on 24 January 2001. The ceremony was hosted by Frédéric Lopez. ''The Taste of Others'' won three awards including Best Film, Best Director and Best Screenplay. ...

, for ''Human Resources'') * (2001, Best Actor, for ''Human Resources)''

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Lespert, Jalil French male stage actors French male screenwriters French screenwriters French film directors Living people 1976 births Male actors from Paris French people of Algerian descent Most Promising Actor César Award winners Most Promising Actor Lumières Award winners French male television actors