Vincent Cassel
![]() |
Vincent Cassel | |
---|---|
![]() Cassel at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival | |
Born | Vincent Crochon 23 November 1966 |
Occupation(s) | Actor, Director |
Years active | 1994–present |
Spouse | Moni (1999–present) |
Website | http://www.vincentcassel.com |
Vincent Cassel (French pronunciation: [vɛ̃sɑ̃ kasɛl]; born 23 November 1966) 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.
Personal life
Cassel was born Vincent Crochon in Paris, France, to Sabine Litique, a journalist, and French actor Jean-Pierre Cassel (born Jean-Pierre Crochon).[1][2] He is married to Italian actress Monica Bellucci, with whom he has two daughters, Deva (born September 12, 2004)[3] and Léonie (born 21 May 2010).[4] His brother Mathias is a rapper with the group Assassin under the name "Rockin' Squat".[5] His half-sister, Cécile Cassel, is an actress.[6] He has a passion for Capoeira and displayed his talent in the movie Ocean's Twelve.[7] Besides his native French language, Cassel speaks English, Portuguese, and Italian. He learned basic conversational Russian for his role in Eastern Promises.[8]
Career
Cassel's breakthrough role was in Mathieu Kassovitz'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),[5] 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.[5] 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.[5]
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."
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b7/VincentCassel08TIFF.jpg/175px-VincentCassel08TIFF.jpg)
He played Thomas Leroy in Darren Aronofsky's critically acclaimed Black Swan (2010), alongside Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis.
Filmography
Year | Film | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1993 | Métisse | Max | |
1995 | La Haine | Vinz | Nominated – César Award for Best Actor Nominated – César Award for Most Promising Actor |
Jefferson in Paris | Camille Desmoulins | ||
1996 | L'élève | Julien | |
L'Appartement | Max | ||
1997 | Dobermann | Yann le Pentrec (Dobermann) | |
Come mi vuoi | Pasquale | ||
1998 | Elizabeth | Duc d'Anjou | |
1999 | The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc | Gilles de Rais | |
Guest House Paradiso | Gino Bolognese | ||
2000 | Crimson Rivers | Max Kerkerian | Nominated – European Film Awards Audience Award for Best Actor |
2001 | Brotherhood of the Wolf | Jean-François de Morangias | |
Shrek | Monsieur Hood | Voice only | |
Birthday Girl | Alexei | ||
Sur mes lèvres | Paul | Nominated – César Award for Best Actor | |
2002 | Ice Age | Diego | Voice only (French-language version) |
Irréversible | Marcus | Also Co-Producer | |
2003 | The Reckoning | Lord De Guise | |
2004 | Blueberry | Mike S. Blueberry | |
Agents Secrets | Brisseau | ||
Ocean's Twelve | François Toulour | ||
2005 | Derailed | LaRoche | |
2006 | Sheitan | Joseph | Also Producer |
2007 | Ocean's Thirteen | François Toulour | |
Eastern Promises | Kirill | ||
Sa Majesté Minor | Satyre | ||
2008 | Mesrine | Jacques Mesrine | César Award for Best Actor Lumiere Award for Best Actor Étoiles d’Or Award for Best Actor Tokyo International Film Festival Award for Best Actor Nominated – Chlotrudis Award for Best Actor |
2009 | Lascars | Tony Merguez | Voice only |
Adrift (À Deriva) | Matias | ||
2010 | Notre Jour Viendra | Patrick | Also Producer Alternate Tite: Our Day Will Come |
Black Swan | Thomas Leroy | Nominated – Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture | |
2011 | The Monk | Capucino Ambrosio | |
A Dangerous Method | Otto Gross | In production |
References
- ^ France-Presse, Agence (21 April 2007). "Jean-Pierre Cassel, 74, Actor Who Starred in '60s French Comedies, Dies". The New York Times.
- ^ Secher, Benjamin (28 July 2009). "Vincent Cassel interview for Mesrine". The Daily Telegraph. London.
- ^ Stephen M. Silverman (14 September 2004). "Passion Actress Bellucci Has Baby Girl". People. Retrieved 9 March 2011.
- ^ Peter Mikelbank (24 May 2010). "Monica Bellucci Welcomes Daughter Léonie". People. Retrieved 9 March 2011.
- ^ a b c d "Vincent Cassel". Oh No They Didn't!. 28 July 2009. Retrieved 9 March 2011.
- ^ Annabel Rivkin (20 April 2009). "French Fancy: Cécile Cassel". ES Magazine. Retrieved 9 March 2011.
- ^ Thelma Adams (13 December 2010). "Vincent Cassel: A Q&A With the Black Swan Star". Huffington Post. USA. Retrieved 9 March 2011.
- ^ http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001993/bio
External links
- Vincent Cassel's Films at subtitledonline.com
- VincentCassel.com (Official site)
- Vincent Cassel at IMDb
- CNN interview with Vincent Cassel