Benoît Poelvoorde
Encyclopedia
Benoît Poelvoorde is a Belgian actor
and comedian who often associates cynicism, humour and drama in his movies.
His mother was a grocer and his father a driver, who died when Poelvoorde was still young. He studied at the Jesuit boarding school of Godinne) and then left home at 17 to take classes at the Félicien Rops Technical Institute in Namur (Belgium) where he met Rémy Belvaux. He developed a passion for theater and became noted for his atypical interpretations. Not only he was destined to become a draughtsman, he also developed a second activity as a photographer. During his graphic design studies at the Ecole de la recherche graphique in Brussels, he also became friend with André Bonzel and, together with Rémy Belvaux, realized in 1988 Pas de C4 pour Daniel Daniel, his first movie
, a short student film (which he co-directed and co-wrote). It was a stylized trailer for a mock-spy film.
In 1992, Poelvoorde, Delvaux and Bonzel directed together their first long feature C'est arrivé près de chez vous (Man Bites Dog
internationally) originally a low-budget school graduation project (1992) and a kind of cynical "noir" movie, inspired from the famous Belgian series "Strip-Tease" which went on to become a critically acclaimed cult
movie.
Poelvoorde subsequently starred in two series on the French pay-channel Canal+ and several movies such as Les Randonneurs, Le Boulet and Podium, which made him famous in France
and Belgium. In 2001, he starred in Le Vélo de Ghislain Lambert, a funny and touching movie about one of his passions, bicycling. In 2002, he received the Jean Gabin Prize, which recognized the most hopeful young talents. Poelvoorde became member of the Cannes Film Festival
Jury in 2004, on Quentin Tarantino
's request, a big fan of Man Bites Dog, who presided over the Jury, that year.
In 2005 he ranked in 7th place in the Walloon
version of the Greatest Belgian
. In the Flemish
version
he came in at nr. 400 outside the official list of nominations.
In 2008, his performance in the movie Astérix aux Jeux olympiques won him critical acclaim by both film critics and the public at large. His recurrent character as a pretentious person and a sore loser that he masters to perfection has drawn comparisons between him and the beloved French comic Louis de Funès. Poelvoorde does not confine himself to goofy characters, he also played tortured roles. He has starred in 2009 as Etienne Balsan in Coco avant Chanel by Anne Fontain, with Audrey Tautou; as Jean-René in 2010 with Isabelle Carré in a charming comedy by Jean-Pierre Améris Émotifs anonymes about two extremely shy persons who fall in love, and also as August Maquet in L'autre Dumas by Safy Nebbou, alongside Gérard Depardieu and Dominique Blanc, a movie about the creative ghostwriter, Maquet, whose played a crucial role in the production of French writer Alexandre Dumas' Three Musketeers.
The actor mentioned in interviews, including in the Belgian newspaper Le Soir (February 6, 2010 "Oui, je suis bipolaire") that he suffered from bipolar disorder.
2010 : Romantics Anonymous by Jean-Pierre Améris
2010 : Nothing to Declare
by Dany Boon
2010 : Mammuth
2010 : Dumas
2009 : La guerre des miss
by Patrick Leconte 2009 : Coco avant Chanel
by Anne Fontaine
2008 : Asterix at the Olympic Games
by Thomas Langmann and Frédéric Forestier
2007 : Louise Michel by Gustave Kervern and Benoît Delépine
2007 : Les Deux mondes by Daniel Cohen
2007 : Cowboy by Benoît Mariage
2006 : Selon Charlie
by Nicole Garcia
2006 : Jean-Philippe
by Laurent Tuel
2006 : Du jour au lendemain by Philippe Le Guay
2005 : Entre ses mains
by Anne Fontaine
2005 : Akoibon by Édouard Baer
2004 : Podium
by Yann Moix
2004 : Narco by Tristan Aurouet and Gilles Lellouche
2004 : Cinéastes à tout prix by Frédéric Sojcher
2004 : Atomik Circus by Didier Poiraud and Thierry Poiraud
2004 : Aaltra
by Benoît Delépine
and Gustave Kervern
2002 : Rire et châtiment by Isabelle Doval
2002 : Le Boulet
by Alain Berbérian
2002 : La Vie politique des Belges by Jan Bucquoy
2001 : Le Vélo de Ghislain Lambert by Philippe Harel
2000 : Les Portes de la gloire by Christian Merret-Palmair
1998 : Les Convoyeurs attendent by Benoît Mariage
1997 : Les Randonneurs by Philippe Harel
1992 : C'est arrivé près de chez vous (Man Bites Dog) by Rémy Belvaux
and André Bonzel
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
and comedian who often associates cynicism, humour and drama in his movies.
His mother was a grocer and his father a driver, who died when Poelvoorde was still young. He studied at the Jesuit boarding school of Godinne) and then left home at 17 to take classes at the Félicien Rops Technical Institute in Namur (Belgium) where he met Rémy Belvaux. He developed a passion for theater and became noted for his atypical interpretations. Not only he was destined to become a draughtsman, he also developed a second activity as a photographer. During his graphic design studies at the Ecole de la recherche graphique in Brussels, he also became friend with André Bonzel and, together with Rémy Belvaux, realized in 1988 Pas de C4 pour Daniel Daniel, his first movie
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
, a short student film (which he co-directed and co-wrote). It was a stylized trailer for a mock-spy film.
In 1992, Poelvoorde, Delvaux and Bonzel directed together their first long feature C'est arrivé près de chez vous (Man Bites Dog
Man Bites Dog (film)
Man Bites Dog is a darkly comedic crime Belgian mockumentary starring Benoît Poelvoorde. In the film, a crew of filmmakers follow a serial killer, recording his crimes for a documentary they are producing...
internationally) originally a low-budget school graduation project (1992) and a kind of cynical "noir" movie, inspired from the famous Belgian series "Strip-Tease" which went on to become a critically acclaimed cult
Cult
The word cult in current popular usage usually refers to a group whose beliefs or practices are considered abnormal or bizarre. The word originally denoted a system of ritual practices...
movie.
Poelvoorde subsequently starred in two series on the French pay-channel Canal+ and several movies such as Les Randonneurs, Le Boulet and Podium, which made him famous in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and Belgium. In 2001, he starred in Le Vélo de Ghislain Lambert, a funny and touching movie about one of his passions, bicycling. In 2002, he received the Jean Gabin Prize, which recognized the most hopeful young talents. Poelvoorde became member of the Cannes Film Festival
Cannes Film Festival
The Cannes International Film Festival , is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films of all genres including documentaries from around the world. Founded in 1946, it is among the world's most prestigious and publicized film festivals...
Jury in 2004, on Quentin Tarantino
Quentin Tarantino
Quentin Jerome Tarantino is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, cinematographer and actor. In the early 1990s, he began his career as an independent filmmaker with films employing nonlinear storylines and the aestheticization of violence...
's request, a big fan of Man Bites Dog, who presided over the Jury, that year.
In 2005 he ranked in 7th place in the Walloon
Belgian French
Belgian French is the variety of French spoken mainly in the French Community of Belgium, alongside related minority regional languages such as Walloon, Picard, Champenois and Gaumais. The French spoken in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Burundi, which were formerly Belgian...
version of the Greatest Belgian
Le plus grand Belge
Le plus grand Belge , was a television show on the Belgian French-speaking public channel RTBF. In the program the audience could vote for the greatest Belgian by using the website, sending an SMS or using the telephone...
. In the Flemish
Flanders
Flanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...
version
De Grootste Belg
De Grootste Belg was a 2005 vote conducted by Belgian public TV broadcaster Canvas, public radio broadcaster Radio 1, and newspaper De Standaard, to determine who is the Greatest Belgian of all time...
he came in at nr. 400 outside the official list of nominations.
In 2008, his performance in the movie Astérix aux Jeux olympiques won him critical acclaim by both film critics and the public at large. His recurrent character as a pretentious person and a sore loser that he masters to perfection has drawn comparisons between him and the beloved French comic Louis de Funès. Poelvoorde does not confine himself to goofy characters, he also played tortured roles. He has starred in 2009 as Etienne Balsan in Coco avant Chanel by Anne Fontain, with Audrey Tautou; as Jean-René in 2010 with Isabelle Carré in a charming comedy by Jean-Pierre Améris Émotifs anonymes about two extremely shy persons who fall in love, and also as August Maquet in L'autre Dumas by Safy Nebbou, alongside Gérard Depardieu and Dominique Blanc, a movie about the creative ghostwriter, Maquet, whose played a crucial role in the production of French writer Alexandre Dumas' Three Musketeers.
The actor mentioned in interviews, including in the Belgian newspaper Le Soir (February 6, 2010 "Oui, je suis bipolaire") that he suffered from bipolar disorder.
Filmography
- 2011 :
Jean-Pierre Améris
Jean-Pierre Améris is a French film director and screenwriter. He has directed eleven films since 1993. His film Poids léger was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival.-Filmography:...
Nothing to Declare (film)
Nothing to Declare is a 2010 French comedy film, written and directed by Dany Boon.-Plot:On 1 January 1993, two customs officers, one Belgian and the other French, learn of the future closure of their small customs post situated between Corquain in France and Koorkin in Belgium.Both a hereditary...
by Dany Boon
Dany Boon
Dany Boon is a French comedian who has acted both on the stage and the screen. He takes his stage name from the television show Daniel Boone.-Life and career:...
Mammuth
Mammuth is a 2010 French drama film directed by Benoît Delépine and Gustave de Kervern. It was nominated for the Golden Bear at the 60th Berlin International Film Festival.-Plot:...
L'Autre Dumas
L'Autre Dumas is a 2010 French film directed by Safy Nebbou, released in 2010, about 19th Century French author Alexandre Dumas.The Council of Black Associations of France criticized the decision to cast the fair-skinned Gérard Depardieu to play the part of Dumas, who "was the grandson of a...
La guerre des miss
Beauties at War is a 2008 French film. Originally titled La guerre des miss in French, the film aired in France on 9 January 2009, directed by Patrice Leconte.-Plot:...
by Patrick Leconte
Coco avant Chanel
Coco Before Chanel is a 2009 French film directed by Anne Fontaine, about the early life of the famed French fashion designer Coco Chanel....
by Anne Fontaine
Astérix at the Olympic Games (film)
Asterix at the Olympic Games is a French film, adapted from René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo's Astérix comic series. It was filmed essentially in Spain in the course of the year 2006. Its €78 million budget makes it one of the most expensive European movies ever...
by Thomas Langmann and Frédéric Forestier
Frédéric Forestier
- Director :* 1993 : Paranoïa * 1997 : État d'urgence* 2002 : Le Boulet - More than 3 million ticket sales in France.* 2005 : Les Parrains - More than 600,000 ticket sales in France....
Benoît Delépine
Benoît Delépine is a French comedian and film director. He is known for his satirical activities on TV channel Canal+....
Benoît Mariage
Benoît Mariage is a Belgian film director.-External links:...
Selon Charlie
Charlie Says is a 2006 French drama film. It was entered into the 2006 Cannes Film Festival.- Cast :*Jean-Pierre Bacri as Jean-Louis Bertagnat*Vincent Lindon as Serge*Benoit Magimel as Pierre*Benoit Poelvoorde as Joss*Patrick Pineau as Mathieu...
by Nicole Garcia
Nicole Garcia
Nicole Garcia is a French actress, film director and writer. Her film Selon Charlie was entered into the 2006 Cannes Film Festival.-Actress:*1968: Des garçons et des filles directed by Étienne Périer...
Jean-Philippe
Jean-Philippe may refer to:*Jean-Philippe *Jean-Philippe...
by Laurent Tuel
Laurent Tuel
Laurent Tuel is a French film actor, director and writer. In 2007 he was nominated for César Awards for his Jean-Philippe film....
Entre ses mains
Entre ses mains is a 2005 French-Belgian drama film directed by Anne Fontaine. The screenplay was written by Fontaine and Julien Boivent, and was based on the novel "Les Kangourous" by Dominique Barbéris....
by Anne Fontaine
Édouard Baer
Édouard Baer is a French actor.- Filmography :*Un monde à nous *Seuls two *Passe-passe *Crosse *La fille coupée en deux...
Podium (film)
Podium is a 2004 French comedy/fantasy film directed by Yann Moix starring Belgian actor Benoît Poelvoorde, Jean-Paul Rouve and Julie Depardieu.*Tagline: "Name: Bernard Frédéric. Job: Claude François."-Plot:...
by Yann Moix
Gilles Lellouche
Gilles Lellouche is a French actor. He started his career as a director before changing to acting. Lellouche has appeared in more than thirty films since 1995. He was nominated twice for a César Award...
Aaltra
Aaltra is a 2004 French drama film, directed and written by Gustave de Kervern and Benoît Delépine. The film was nominated for 3 awards and won 4 awards, mostly going to Benoît Delépine.-Cast:*Benoît Delépine ... The Employee...
by Benoît Delépine
Benoît Delépine
Benoît Delépine is a French comedian and film director. He is known for his satirical activities on TV channel Canal+....
and Gustave Kervern
Le Boulet
Le Boulet is a French film directed by Alain Berbérian and Frédéric Forestier, released in 2002. It is known internationally as Dead Weight.-Plot:...
by Alain Berbérian
Alain Berbérian
Alain Berbérian is a French film director and writer of Armenian descent.-Filmography:Director:* 1989 : ABCD Nuls , with Les Nuls* 1990 : Histoire de la télévision , with Les Nuls...
Jan Bucquoy
Jan Bucquoy is an anarchist and author-filmmaker born in Harelbeke, Belgium who started as a theatre practitioner and who worked as a cartoon-scriptwriter.-Career:...
Philippe Harel
Philippe Harel is a French film director, actor and screenwriter born in 1956.-Selected filmography:* La femme défendue * Extension du domaine de la lutte -External links:...
Benoît Mariage
Benoît Mariage is a Belgian film director.-External links:...
Philippe Harel
Philippe Harel is a French film director, actor and screenwriter born in 1956.-Selected filmography:* La femme défendue * Extension du domaine de la lutte -External links:...
Rémy Belvaux
Rémy Nicolas Lucien Belvaux was a Belgian actor, director, producer and screenwriter...
and André Bonzel
Short films
- 1997 : Le Signaleur
- 1988 : Pas de C4 pour Daniel Daniel by Rémy BelvauxRémy BelvauxRémy Nicolas Lucien Belvaux was a Belgian actor, director, producer and screenwriter...
and André Bonzel