Cassel in 2011
(1966-11-23) 23 November 1966 (age 45)
Paris, France
(1999–present)
Sabine Litique
Vincent Cassel[1] (born 23 November 1966) is a Cesar Award-winning French actor probably best known to English-speaking audiences through his film performances in Ocean's Twelve and Ocean's Thirteen, as well as Darren Aronofsky's Black Swan.
Contents
Personal life
Cassel was born Vincent Crochon in Paris, France, to Sabine Litique , and French actor Jean-Pierre Cassel (born Jean-Pierre Crochon).[2][3] He is married to Italian actress Monica Bellucci, with whom he has two daughters, Deva (born 12 September 2004)[4] and Léonie (born 21 May 2010).[5] His brother Mathias is a rapper with the group Assassin under the name "Rockin' Squat".[6] His half-sister, Cécile Cassel, is an actress.[7] He has a passion for Capoeira and displayed his talent in the movie Ocean's Twelve.[8] Besides his native French, Cassel speaks English, Brazilian Portuguese, Italian and basic conversational Russian which he learned for his role in Eastern Promises.[9]
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),[6] 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 (with Monica Bellucci after they married).
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), and in the Portuguese-language, Brazilian film Adrift (À Deriva). 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.[6] 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.[6]
 |
Cassel at the 2008 Toronto International Film Festival |
In October 2008, Cassel was signed 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.
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 | |
| 2001 | Brotherhood of the Wolf | Jean-François de Morangias | |
| Shrek | Monsieur Hood | Voice only | |
| Birthday Girl | Alexei | ||
| Sur mes lèvres | Paul | ||
| 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 Nominated - BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role | |
| 2011 | The Monk | Capucino Ambrosio | |
| A Dangerous Method | Otto Gross |
References
- ^ French pronunciation: [vɛ̃sɑ̃ kasɛl].
- ^ France-Presse, Agence (21 April 2007). "Jean-Pierre Cassel, 74, Actor Who Starred in '60s French Comedies, Dies". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/21/obituaries/21cassel.html?ex=1334808000&en=b1a1144bb955c2e9&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss.
- ^ Secher, Benjamin (28 July 2009). "Vincent Cassel interview for Mesrine". The Daily Telegraph (London). http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/starsandstories/5900002/Vincent-Cassel-interview-for-Mesrine.html.
- ^ Stephen M. Silverman (14 September 2004). "Passion Actress Bellucci Has Baby Girl". People. http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,696499,00.html. Retrieved 9 March 2011.
- ^ Peter Mikelbank (24 May 2010). "Monica Bellucci Welcomes Daughter Léonie". People. http://celebritybabies.people.com/2010/05/24/monica-bellucci-welcomes-daughter-leonie/. Retrieved 9 March 2011.
- ^ a b c d "Vincent Cassel". Oh No They Didn't!. 28 July 2009. http://community.livejournal.com/ohnotheydidnt/37682127.html. Retrieved 9 March 2011.
- ^ Annabel Rivkin (20 April 2009). "French Fancy: Cécile Cassel". ES Magazine. http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/es-magazine-fashion/article-23676825-french-fancy-cecile-cassel.do. Retrieved 9 March 2011.
- ^ Thelma Adams (13 December 2010). "Vincent Cassel: A Q&A With the Black Swan Star". Huffington Post. USA. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/thelma-adams/vincent-cassel-a-qa-with-_b_795864.html. Retrieved 9 March 2011.
- ^ Elizabeth Day (February 4, 2012). "Vincent Cassel: 'You can't escape from what you are'". The Guardian. http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2012/feb/03/vincent-cassel-ballet. Retrieved February 6, 2012.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Vincent Cassel - Vincent Cassel's Films at subtitledonline.com
- VincentCassel.com (Official site)
- Vincent Cassel at the Internet Movie Database
- CNN interview with Vincent Cassel
1976 Philippe Noiret · 1977 Michel Galabru · 1978 Jean Rochefort · 1979 Michel Serrault · 1980 Claude Brasseur · 1981 Gérard Depardieu · 1982 Michel Serrault · 1983 Philippe Léotard · 1984 Coluche · 1985 Alain Delon · 1986 Christophe Lambert · 1987 Daniel Auteuil · 1988 Richard Bohringer · 1989 Jean-Paul Belmondo · 1990 Philippe Noiret · 1991 Gérard Depardieu · 1992 Jacques Dutronc · 1993 Claude Rich · 1994 Pierre Arditi · 1995 Gérard Lanvin · 1996 Michel Serrault · 1997 Philippe Torreton · 1998 André Dussollier · 1999 Jacques Villeret · 2000 Daniel Auteuil · 2001 Sergi López · 2002 Michel Bouquet · 2003 Adrien Brody · 2004 Omar Sharif · 2005 Mathieu Amalric · 2006 Michel Bouquet · 2007 François Cluzet · 2008 Mathieu Amalric · 2009 Vincent Cassel · 2010 Tahar Rahim · 2011 Éric Elmosnino · 2012 Omar Sy