Guillaume Canet

Whether playing an artist trapped by a mad man or a tourist who discovers a mythical beach, French star Guillaume Canet always delivered performances brimming with conviction. He was born on April 10, 1973 in Hauts-de-Seine in Paris, France. The son of horse breeders, Canet wanted to become a show rider, but a bad fall derailed his dreams and he pursued acting instead. Canet gained accolades after starring in "Barracuda" (1997) as a naïve artist who is imprisoned by a cunning old man. He made inroads in France with memorable roles in "In All Innocence" (1998) and "I Follow in My Father's Footsteps" (1999), before gaining an international profile with a co-starring role in Danny Boyle's feature "The Beach" (2000), opposite Leonardo DiCaprio. An accomplished filmmaker, Canet wrote and directed several films, including Mon idole" (2002) and the commercial success "Little White Lies" (2010), a biting drama about a group of trendy Parisians who vacation together. One of the film's stars was Academy Award-winning French actress Marion Cotillard, who Canet dated for several years and had a child with in 2011. Canet earned rave reviews for his performances in "Love Me If You Dare" (2003) and the war drama "Joyeux Noel" (2005). In 2006, he released the hit thriller "Tell No One," which earned Canet a César award for Best Director. He continued to impress in films such as "Farewell" (2009) and "Last Night" (2010), starring in the latter as Keira Knightley's long-lost love interest.