Magimel, Benoît

Benoît Magimel (French pronunciation: [bənwa maʒimɛl]; born 11 May 1974) is a French actor. He was 14 when he appeared in his first film, and has starred in a variety of roles in French cinema. At age 16, Magimel left school to pursue acting as a career. In 2001, he won the Best Actor award at the Cannes Film Festival for his role in Michael Haneke's The Piano Teacher. He also starred in Claude Chabrol's La Demoiselle d'honneur. He won two consecutive César Awards for Best Actor for starring as an acting teacher diagnosed with late-stage cancer in Peaceful (2021) and the High Commissioner of French Polynesia De Roller in Pacifiction (2022). Magimel was named Chevalier of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in 2006 and was promoted to the rank of Officier in 2013.