Mathieu Amalric

Mathieu Amalric is a French actor and director recognized for his work in both European cinema and international film productions. He has earned widespread attention for featured roles in high-profile Hollywood projects, as well as lead performances in acclaimed French dramas, receiving multiple César Awards and Lumière Awards throughout his career.

Amalric was born on 25 October 1965 in Neuilly-sur-Seine, near Paris. His father, Jacques Amalric, was a French foreign affairs editor for the publications Le Monde and Libération. His mother, Nicole Zand, was a literary critic for Le Monde who was born in Poland to Jewish parents before relocating to France around the start of World War II.

He achieved early professional recognition through his appearance in the film My Sex Life...or How I Got Into an Argument, a role that earned him his first César Award. This breakthrough established his presence in French film and launched a sustained career as an actor and filmmaker.

In 2007, Amalric portrayed journalist Jean-Dominique Bauby in The Diving Bell and the Butterfly. His performance as a man living with locked-in syndrome following a stroke brought him universal critical acclaim and the César Award for Best Actor. Shortly after, he gained worldwide visibility playing the main antagonist, Dominic Greene, in the 2008 James Bond feature Quantum of Solace opposite Daniel Craig, with whom he had earlier appeared in Steven Spielberg's Munich. His international filmography also includes roles in Wes Anderson's The Grand Budapest Hotel and The French Dispatch.

In addition to acting, Amalric has directed several projects. His 2010 movie On Tour debuted at the Cannes Film Festival, where he was awarded the Best Director honor. Later, his 2014 directorial project The Blue Room, which he also starred in, was included in the Un Certain Regard portion of the Cannes Film Festival.

Amalric has three sons, sharing two with French performer Jeanne Balibar and one with theater director Stéphanie Cléau. Between 2019 and 2024, he was romantically involved with Canadian conductor and soprano Barbara Hannigan. Outside of his work in cinema, he is a supporter of the Girondins de Bordeaux football club.