Gilles Laurent

Though better known now as a writer in his native France, Gilles Laurent made his living as a performer from 1972 to 1989. He debuted as a lad in the TV movie "Mauprat," playing the son of star Jacques Weber. Though acting was not to be his ultimate calling, Laurent was nevertheless quick to steal the spotlight. He landed his first lead role in "Le Mystére Frontenac," a 1975 mounting of François Mauriac's novel, after which Laurent headlined both the small screen flick "Ciné-roman" and the 1979 mini-series "Les Yeux Bleus." He also found prominence as a dubbing artist, most notably voicing Brian Austin Green's character in the French version of "Beverly Hills 90210" and the titular cartoon elephant in "Babar." In 1989, he lent his voice to the award-winning children's animation "Il Était Une Fois... la Vie," but by this time he had already shifted his attention to building a career as a screenwriter. By 1996, with two features already under his belt, Laurent penned "Bernie," a comedic collaboration with director/star Albert Dupontel that received a nomination for Best First Work at the César Awards. The pair reteamed two years later for "Le Créateur," an off-kilter comedy about a homicidal playwright.