Benoît Poelvoorde

Benoît Poelvoorde

Born 1964-09-22 (age 61) Namur, Belgium
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Biography

Benoît Poelvoorde is a Belgian actor, comedian, and filmmaker, born on September 22, 1964, in Namur, Belgium. He first gained recognition with the cult film C'est arrivé près de chez vous (1992), a darkly comedic mockumentary where he played a serial killer with unsettling charm. This film launched his career and established his unique blend of humor and intensity.

Throughout the late 1990s and 2000s, Poelvoorde became a staple of Franco-Belgian cinema, starring in comedies like Les Randonneurs (1997), Le Vélo de Ghislain Lambert (2001), and Podium (2004), where he portrayed an obsessive Claude François impersonator—a role that earned him a César nomination. His versatility allowed him to transition into more dramatic roles, such as Entre ses mains (2005) and Coco avant Chanel (2009), where he starred alongside Audrey Tautou.

In recent years, Poelvoorde has continued to balance absurdist comedy (Au poste !, Fumer fait tousser) with auteur-driven projects (Le Tout Nouveau Testament, Saint-Amour). His ability to oscillate between slapstick humor and introspective performances makes him one of the most distinctive actors in European cinema

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Known For

Asterix at the Olympic Games
How to Make a Killing
How to Make a Killing

2025

as Major Roland Bodin

Beating Hearts
Beating Hearts

2024

as La Brosse

Coco Before Chanel
Coco Before Chanel

2009

as Étienne Balsan

Dead Weight
Dead Weight

2002

as Francis Reggio

Narco
Narco

2004

as Lenny Barr

Venice Calling
Venice Calling

2019

as Bernard Chamodot

Man Bites Dog
Man Bites Dog

1992

as Ben

Sink or Swim
Sink or Swim

2018

as Marcus

How I Became a Superhero
How I Became a Superhero

2020

as Monté Carlo

Savages
Savages

2024

as Father (voice)

Do You Do You Saint-Tropez
Do You Do You Saint-Tropez

2021

as Claude Tranchant

Hikers in Saint-Tropez
Hikers in Saint-Tropez

2008

as Éric Jacquemart

Nothing to Declare
Nothing to Declare

2010

as Ruben Vandevoorde

White as Snow
White as Snow

2019

as Charles

The Colors of Fire
The Colors of Fire

2022

as Gustave Joubert

Saint Amour
Saint Amour

2016

as Bruno

The Brand New Testament
Tied
Tied

2013

as Le banquier

The Jews
The Jews

2016

as Boris