Vincent Cassel
Encyclopedia
Vincent Cassel is a Cesar award
winning French actor probably best known to English-speaking audiences through his performances in the Ocean's Trilogy
of films and Darren Aronofsky's
Black Swan
.
(born Jean-Pierre Crochon). He is married to Italian actress Monica Bellucci
, with whom he has two daughters, Deva (born September 12, 2004) and Léonie (born 21 May 2010). His brother Mathias is a rapper with the group Assassin
under the name "Rockin' Squat
". His half-sister, Cécile Cassel
, is an actress. He has a passion for Capoeira
and displayed his talent in the movie Ocean's Twelve
. Besides his native French language, Cassel speaks English, Portuguese
, and Italian. He learned basic conversational Russian for his role in Eastern Promises.
's critically acclaimed film La Haine
where he played a troubled youth from the deprived outskirts of Paris. He has gone on to act in a variety of films such as the moody L'Appartement
(with Monica Bellucci before they married), the violent Dobermann
, the genre-bending Le Pacte des Loups (in English, Brotherhood of the Wolf
), and the highly controversial Irréversible
, where he appears fully nude.
Cassel has also done a number of English-language films, such as Ocean's Twelve
and Ocean's Thirteen
, Derailed, Birthday Girl
, The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc
, Elizabeth
, Eastern Promises, and Shrek
(as the voice of Monsieur Hood). In 2006, he appeared in Sheitan
, in which he played a shepherd who carries out satanic rituals. In 2008, he appeared in two movies about Jacques Mesrine
, who was France's "public enemy number one" in the seventies. Cassel received the 2009 Cesar award for best actor for his performance in "Mesrine," directed by Jean-Francois Richet
.
An early appearance on British television was as Nicole's boyfriend in the 1994 Renault Clio
advert which was used in the UK.
In October 2008, L'Oréal
signed Cassel to be the face of a new Yves Saint Laurent
men's fragrance. The new fragrance, La Nuit de l'Homme, was launched worldwide in March 2009.
In 2009, he made his debut as a singer on Zap Mama
's album ReCreation, singing alongside them on the singles "Paroles, Paroles" and "Non, Non, Non."
He played Thomas Leroy in Darren Aronofsky
's critically acclaimed Black Swan
(2010), alongside Natalie Portman
and Mila Kunis
.
César Award
The César Award is the national film award of France, first given out in 1975. The nominations are selected by the members of the Académie des arts et techniques du cinéma....
winning French actor probably best known to English-speaking audiences through his performances in the Ocean's Trilogy
Ocean's Trilogy
The Ocean's Trilogy is a series of three caper comedies directed by Steven Soderbergh and produced by Jerry Weintraub for Warner Bros., between 2001 and 2007. The first of the films, Ocean's Eleven was a remake of the 1960 film of the same name and was followed, due to an immense commercial...
of films and Darren Aronofsky's
Darren Aronofsky
Darren Aronofsky is an American film director, screenwriter and film producer. He attended Harvard University to study film theory and the American Film Institute to study both live-action and animation filmmaking...
Black Swan
Black Swan (film)
Black Swan is a 2010 American psychological thriller film directed by Darren Aronofsky and starring Natalie Portman, Vincent Cassel and Mila Kunis. Its plot revolves around a production of Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake ballet by a prestigious New York City company. The production requires a ballerina to...
.
Personal life
Cassel was born Vincent Crochon in Paris, France, to Sabine Litique, a journalist, and French actor Jean-Pierre CasselJean-Pierre Cassel
Jean-Pierre Cassel was a French actor.-Life and career:Cassel was born Jean-Pierre Crochon in Paris, the son of Louise-Marguerite , an opera singer, and Georges Crochon, a doctor. Cassel was discovered by Gene Kelly as he tap danced on stage, and later cast in the 1957 film The Happy Road...
(born Jean-Pierre Crochon). He is married to Italian actress Monica Bellucci
Monica Bellucci
Monica Anna Maria Bellucci is an Italian actress and fashion model.-Early life:Bellucci was born in Città di Castello, Umbria, Italy as the only child of Luigi Bellucci, who was born in the British protectorate of Zanzibar, East Pakistan...
, with whom he has two daughters, Deva (born September 12, 2004) and Léonie (born 21 May 2010). His brother Mathias is a rapper with the group Assassin
Assassin (rap crew)
Assassin is a French hardcore rap group formed in the 18th Arrondissement of Paris. The group was formed in 1985 by Rockin' Squat and Solo. Later, Doctor L joined them, as well as DJ Clyde...
under the name "Rockin' Squat
Rockin' Squat
Mathias Crochon, better known as Rockin' Squat, is a French MC . He is the son of the actor Jean-Pierre Cassel and the brother of Vincent Cassel and Cécile Cassel. In the mid-80s, he created the famous rap group Assassin , becoming the first artist of this scene to mention politics and social...
". His half-sister, Cécile Cassel
Cécile Cassel
Cécile Cassel or Cécile Crochon is a French actress. She is the half-sister of Vincent Cassel and Mathias Cassel the leader of Rockin' Squat and the daughter of Jean-Pierre Cassel.-Filmography:...
, is an actress. He has a passion for Capoeira
Capoeira
Capoeira is a Brazilian art form that combines elements of martial arts, sports, and music. It was created in Brazil mainly by descendants of African slaves with Brazilian native influences, probably beginning in the 16th century...
and displayed his talent in the movie Ocean's Twelve
Ocean's Twelve
Ocean's Twelve is a 2004 American crime comedy film, the sequel to 2001's Ocean's Eleven. Like its predecessor, which was a remake of the 1960 film Ocean's 11, the film used a celebrity ensemble cast. It was released in the United States on December 10, 2004. A third film, Ocean's Thirteen, was...
. Besides his native French language, Cassel speaks English, Portuguese
Portuguese language
Portuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...
, and Italian. He learned basic conversational Russian for his role in Eastern Promises.
Career
Cassel's breakthrough role was in Mathieu KassovitzMathieu Kassovitz
Mathieu Kassovitz is a French director, screenwriter, producer and actor, best known for his Cannes-winning drama La Haine. Kassovitz is also the founder of MNP Entreprise, a film production company....
's critically acclaimed film La Haine
La Haine
La Haine is a 1995 French black-and-white film written, co-edited, and directed by Mathieu Kassovitz. It is commonly released under its French title in the English-speaking world, although its American VHS release was entitled Hate. It is about three teenage friends and their struggle to live in...
where he played a troubled youth from the deprived outskirts of Paris. He has gone on to act in a variety of films such as the moody L'Appartement
L'Appartement
L'Appartement is a 1996 French film directed by Gilles Mimouni and starring Vincent Cassel, Monica Bellucci and Romane Bohringer.-Plot:Max is a former bohemian and an amateur writer who gets a job in New York and leaves his girlfriend Lisa, who he was madly in love with, in mysterious circumstances...
(with Monica Bellucci before they married), the violent Dobermann
Dobermann (film)
Dobermann is a French film directed by Jan Kounen and starring Vincent Cassel.-Plot:The charismatic criminal Dobermann , who got his first gun when he was christened, leads a gang of brutal robbers with his beautiful, deaf girlfriend Nat the Gypsy . After a complex and brutal bank robbery, they...
, the genre-bending Le Pacte des Loups (in English, Brotherhood of the Wolf
Brotherhood of the Wolf
Brotherhood of the Wolf is a 2001 French film directed by Christophe Gans, starring Samuel Le Bihan and Mark Dacascos, and written by Gans and Stéphane Cabel...
), and the highly controversial Irréversible
Irréversible
Irréversible is a 2002 French drama film written and directed by Gaspar Noé, starring Monica Bellucci, Vincent Cassel and Albert Dupontel. The film employs a non-linear narrative and follows two men as they try to avenge a brutally raped girlfriend...
, where he appears fully nude.
Cassel has also done a number of English-language films, such as Ocean's Twelve
Ocean's Twelve
Ocean's Twelve is a 2004 American crime comedy film, the sequel to 2001's Ocean's Eleven. Like its predecessor, which was a remake of the 1960 film Ocean's 11, the film used a celebrity ensemble cast. It was released in the United States on December 10, 2004. A third film, Ocean's Thirteen, was...
and Ocean's Thirteen
Ocean's Thirteen
Ocean's Thirteen is a 2007 crime comedy film directed by Steven Soderbergh and starring an ensemble cast. It is the third and final film in the Soderbergh series following the 2004 sequel Ocean's Twelve and the 2001 film Ocean's Eleven, which itself was a remake of the 1960 Rat Pack film Ocean's 11...
, Derailed, Birthday Girl
Birthday Girl
Birthday Girl is a 2001 British-American drama and crime film directed by Jez Butterworth. The plot focuses on English bank clerk John Buckingham who orders a Russian mail-order bride, Nadia. It becomes clear upon her arrival that Nadia cannot speak English, and early into her stay, two mysterious...
, The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc
The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc
The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc is a French/American historical drama film directed by Luc Besson. The screenplay was written by Besson and Andrew Birkin, and the original music score was composed by Éric Serra....
, Elizabeth
Elizabeth (film)
Elizabeth is a 1998 biographical film written by Michael Hirst, directed by Shekhar Kapur, and starring Cate Blanchett in the title role of Queen Elizabeth I of England, alongside Geoffrey Rush, Christopher Eccleston, Joseph Fiennes, Sir John Gielgud, Fanny Ardant and Richard Attenborough...
, Eastern Promises, and Shrek
Shrek
Shrek is a 2001 American computer-animated fantasy comedy film directed by Andrew Adamson and Vicky Jenson, featuring the voices of Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, and John Lithgow. Loosely based on William Steig's 1990 fairy tale picture book Shrek!...
(as the voice of Monsieur Hood). In 2006, he appeared in Sheitan
Sheitan
Sheitan is a 2006 French horror film. It was directed by Kim Chapiron, and written by Kim and Christian Chapiron. It stars and was co-produced by Vincent Cassel...
, in which he played a shepherd who carries out satanic rituals. In 2008, he appeared in two movies about Jacques Mesrine
Jacques Mesrine
Jacques Mesrine was the most famous criminal in modern French history. He was responsible for numerous bank robberies, burglaries, and kidnappings in France and Canada. Mesrine repeatedly escaped from prison and made international headlines during a final period as a fugitive when his exploits...
, who was France's "public enemy number one" in the seventies. Cassel received the 2009 Cesar award for best actor for his performance in "Mesrine," directed by Jean-Francois Richet
Jean-François Richet
Jean-Francois Richet is a French screenwriter, director, and producer, born on July 2, 1966 in Paris. He grew up in Meaux, a suburb east of Paris.-Selected filmography:* État des lieux - named at the César Awards 1996 in the Best Debut category....
.
An early appearance on British television was as Nicole's boyfriend in the 1994 Renault Clio
Renault Clio
The Renault Clio is a supermini car produced by the French automobile manufacturer Renault. Originally launched in 1990, it is currently in its third generation...
advert which was used in the UK.
In October 2008, L'Oréal
L'Oréal
The L'Oréal Group is the world's largest cosmetics and beauty company. With its registered office in Paris and head office in the Paris suburb of Clichy, Hauts-de-Seine, France, it has developed activities in the field of cosmetics...
signed Cassel to be the face of a new Yves Saint Laurent
Yves Saint Laurent (brand)
Yves Saint Laurent or YSL is a luxury fashion house founded by Yves Saint Laurent and his partner, Pierre Bergé. Today, its chief designer is Stefano Pilati. Yves Saint Laurent, founder of the brand, died in 2008.-History:...
men's fragrance. The new fragrance, La Nuit de l'Homme, was launched worldwide in March 2009.
In 2009, he made his debut as a singer on Zap Mama
Zap Mama
Zap Mama is a Belgian musical group founded and led by Marie Daulne. Daulne says her mission is to be a bridge between the European and the African and bring the two cultures together with her music...
's album ReCreation, singing alongside them on the singles "Paroles, Paroles" and "Non, Non, Non."
He played Thomas Leroy in Darren Aronofsky
Darren Aronofsky
Darren Aronofsky is an American film director, screenwriter and film producer. He attended Harvard University to study film theory and the American Film Institute to study both live-action and animation filmmaking...
's critically acclaimed Black Swan
Black Swan (film)
Black Swan is a 2010 American psychological thriller film directed by Darren Aronofsky and starring Natalie Portman, Vincent Cassel and Mila Kunis. Its plot revolves around a production of Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake ballet by a prestigious New York City company. The production requires a ballerina to...
(2010), alongside Natalie Portman
Natalie Portman
Natalie Hershlag , better known by her stage name Natalie Portman, is an actress with dual American and Israeli citizenship. Her first role was as an orphan taken in by a hitman in the 1994 French action film Léon, but major success came when she was cast as Padmé Amidala in the Star Wars prequel...
and Mila Kunis
Mila Kunis
Milena "Mila" Kunis is an American actress. Her work includes the role of Jackie Burkhart on the TV series That '70s Show and the voice of Meg Griffin on the animated series Family Guy...
.
Filmography
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Métisse | Max | |
| 1995 | La Haine La Haine La Haine is a 1995 French black-and-white film written, co-edited, and directed by Mathieu Kassovitz. It is commonly released under its French title in the English-speaking world, although its American VHS release was entitled Hate. It is about three teenage friends and their struggle to live in... |
Vinz | Nominated – César Award for Best Actor César Award for Best Actor This is the list of winners and nominees of the César Award for Best Actor .-1970s:-1980s:-1990s:-2000s:-2010s:... Nominated – César Award for Most Promising Actor César Award for Most Promising Actor This is the list of winners and nominees of the César Award for Most Promising Actor .-1980s:-1990s:*1991: Gérald Thomassin: Le petit criminel*1992: Manuel Blanc: J'embrasse pas... |
| Jefferson in Paris Jefferson in Paris Jefferson in Paris is a 1995 Franco-American historical drama film directed by James Ivory . The screenplay by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala is a semi-fictional account of Thomas Jefferson's tenure as the Ambassador of the United States to France prior to his Presidency, and his alleged relationships with... |
Camille Desmoulins Camille Desmoulins Lucie Simplice Camille Benoît Desmoulins was a journalist and politician who played an important role in the French Revolution. He was a childhood friend of Maximilien Robespierre and a close friend and political ally of Georges Danton, who were influential figures in the French Revolution.-Early... |
||
| 1996 | L'élève | Julien | |
| Max | |||
| 1997 | Dobermann Dobermann (film) Dobermann is a French film directed by Jan Kounen and starring Vincent Cassel.-Plot:The charismatic criminal Dobermann , who got his first gun when he was christened, leads a gang of brutal robbers with his beautiful, deaf girlfriend Nat the Gypsy . After a complex and brutal bank robbery, they... |
Yann le Pentrec (Dobermann) | |
| Come mi vuoi | Pasquale | ||
| 1998 | Elizabeth Elizabeth (film) Elizabeth is a 1998 biographical film written by Michael Hirst, directed by Shekhar Kapur, and starring Cate Blanchett in the title role of Queen Elizabeth I of England, alongside Geoffrey Rush, Christopher Eccleston, Joseph Fiennes, Sir John Gielgud, Fanny Ardant and Richard Attenborough... |
Duc d'Anjou Henry III of France Henry III was King of France from 1574 to 1589. As Henry of Valois, he was the first elected monarch of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth with the dual titles of King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1573 to 1575.-Childhood:Henry was born at the Royal Château de Fontainebleau,... |
|
| 1999 | The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc is a French/American historical drama film directed by Luc Besson. The screenplay was written by Besson and Andrew Birkin, and the original music score was composed by Éric Serra.... |
Gilles de Rais Gilles de Rais Gilles de Montmorency-Laval , Baron de Rais, was a Breton knight, a leader in the French army and a companion-in-arms of Joan of Arc. He is best known as a prolific serial killer of children... |
|
| Guest House Paradiso Guest House Paradiso Guest House Paradiso is a 1999 British slapstick comedy film written by and starring comic duo Rik Mayall and Ade Edmondson, and directed by Edmondson his directorial debut. The film is semi-officially based on their comedy television series Bottom... |
Gino Bolognese | ||
| 2000 | Crimson Rivers | Max Kerkerian | Nominated – European Film Awards Audience Award for Best Actor |
| 2001 | Brotherhood of the Wolf Brotherhood of the Wolf Brotherhood of the Wolf is a 2001 French film directed by Christophe Gans, starring Samuel Le Bihan and Mark Dacascos, and written by Gans and Stéphane Cabel... |
Jean-François de Morangias | |
| Shrek Shrek Shrek is a 2001 American computer-animated fantasy comedy film directed by Andrew Adamson and Vicky Jenson, featuring the voices of Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, and John Lithgow. Loosely based on William Steig's 1990 fairy tale picture book Shrek!... |
Monsieur Hood | Voice only | |
| Birthday Girl Birthday Girl Birthday Girl is a 2001 British-American drama and crime film directed by Jez Butterworth. The plot focuses on English bank clerk John Buckingham who orders a Russian mail-order bride, Nadia. It becomes clear upon her arrival that Nadia cannot speak English, and early into her stay, two mysterious... |
Alexei | ||
| Sur mes lèvres Sur mes lèvres Sur mes lèvres is a 2001 French film by Jacques Audiard, co-written with Tonino Benacquista. The film stars Vincent Cassel as Paul, an ex-con on parole, and Emmanuelle Devos as Carla, a nearly deaf secretary whose colleagues treat her disrespectfully, causing her to suffer... |
Paul | Nominated – César Award for Best Actor César Award for Best Actor This is the list of winners and nominees of the César Award for Best Actor .-1970s:-1980s:-1990s:-2000s:-2010s:... |
|
| 2002 | Ice Age Ice Age (film) Ice Age is a 2002 American computer-animated film created by Blue Sky Studios and released by 20th Century Fox. It was directed by Carlos Saldanha and Chris Wedge from a story by Michael J. Wilson. The story follows three Paleolithical mammals attempting to return a lost human baby to its parents... |
Diego | Voice only (French-language version) |
| Irréversible Irréversible Irréversible is a 2002 French drama film written and directed by Gaspar Noé, starring Monica Bellucci, Vincent Cassel and Albert Dupontel. The film employs a non-linear narrative and follows two men as they try to avenge a brutally raped girlfriend... |
Marcus | Also Co-Producer | |
| 2003 | The Reckoning | Lord De Guise | |
| 2004 | Blueberry Blueberry (film) Blueberry is a 2004 French film directed by Jan Kounen. It is an adaptation of the Franco-Belgian comic book series Blueberry, illustrated by Jean Giraud and scripted by Jean-Michel Charlier. The film starred Vincent Cassel as the title character along with Michael Madsen and Juliette Lewis... |
Mike S. Blueberry | |
| Agents Secrets | Brisseau | ||
| Ocean's Twelve Ocean's Twelve Ocean's Twelve is a 2004 American crime comedy film, the sequel to 2001's Ocean's Eleven. Like its predecessor, which was a remake of the 1960 film Ocean's 11, the film used a celebrity ensemble cast. It was released in the United States on December 10, 2004. A third film, Ocean's Thirteen, was... |
François Toulour | ||
| 2005 | Derailed | LaRoche | |
| 2006 | Sheitan Sheitan Sheitan is a 2006 French horror film. It was directed by Kim Chapiron, and written by Kim and Christian Chapiron. It stars and was co-produced by Vincent Cassel... |
Joseph | Also Producer |
| 2007 | Ocean's Thirteen Ocean's Thirteen Ocean's Thirteen is a 2007 crime comedy film directed by Steven Soderbergh and starring an ensemble cast. It is the third and final film in the Soderbergh series following the 2004 sequel Ocean's Twelve and the 2001 film Ocean's Eleven, which itself was a remake of the 1960 Rat Pack film Ocean's 11... |
François Toulour | |
| Eastern Promises Eastern Promises (film) Eastern Promises is a 2007 thriller film directed by David Cronenberg, from a screenplay written by Steven Knight. The film tells of a British midwife's interactions with the Russian Mafia in London and stars Viggo Mortensen, Naomi Watts and Vincent Cassel. Principal photography began November... |
Kirill | ||
| Sa Majesté Minor | Satyre | ||
| 2008 | Mesrine | Jacques Mesrine Jacques Mesrine Jacques Mesrine was the most famous criminal in modern French history. He was responsible for numerous bank robberies, burglaries, and kidnappings in France and Canada. Mesrine repeatedly escaped from prison and made international headlines during a final period as a fugitive when his exploits... |
César Award for Best Actor César Award for Best Actor This is the list of winners and nominees of the César Award for Best Actor .-1970s:-1980s:-1990s:-2000s:-2010s:... Lumiere Award for Best Actor Étoiles d’Or Award for Best Actor Tokyo International Film Festival Tokyo International Film Festival Tokyo International Film Festival is a film festival established in 1985. The event was held biannually from 1985 to 1991 and annually thereafter... Award for Best Actor Nominated – Chlotrudis Award for Best Actor Chlotrudis Award for Best Actor The Chlotrudis Award for Best Actor is an award given by the Chlotrudis Society for Independent Film to the actor or actors whose winning performance is voted by participating members. The Chlotrudis Awards is an annual ceremony where the best of the previous year's independent and international... |
| 2009 | Lascars | Tony Merguez | Voice only |
| Adrift (À Deriva) Adrift (2009 film) Adrift is a 2009 Brazilian drama film directed by Heitor Dhalia. The film stars Camilla Belle and Vincent Cassel. It competed in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival.- Cast :* Camilla Belle as Ângela* Vincent Cassel as Matias... |
Matias | ||
| 2010 | Notre Jour Viendra | Patrick | Also Producer Alternate Tite: Our Day Will Come |
| Black Swan Black Swan (film) Black Swan is a 2010 American psychological thriller film directed by Darren Aronofsky and starring Natalie Portman, Vincent Cassel and Mila Kunis. Its plot revolves around a production of Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake ballet by a prestigious New York City company. The production requires a ballerina to... |
Thomas Leroy | Nominated – Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture | |
| 2011 | The Monk The Monk (2011 film) The Monk is a 2011 French-Spanish thriller directed by Dominik Moll. It is an adaptation of Matthew Lewis' gothic novel of the same name. It chronicles the story of a Capucin Ambrosio , a well-respected monk in Spain and his downfall... |
Capucino Ambrosio | |
| A Dangerous Method A Dangerous Method A Dangerous Method is a 2011 historical film directed by David Cronenberg and starring Viggo Mortensen, Michael Fassbender, Keira Knightley and Vincent Cassel... |
Otto Gross | ||
External links
- Vincent Cassel's Films at subtitledonline.com
- VincentCassel.com (Official site)
- CNN interview with Vincent Cassel