Stéphane Rousseau

Nicknamed the "Brad Pitt of comedy" in his native Canada, Stéphane Rousseau proved that he could also dig deep to portray dramatic roles, as he did in the critically acclaimed film "The Barbarian Invasions" (2003). Born on Sept. 17, 1966 in Québec, Canada, Rousseau was only 13 years old when he began appearing as a stand-up comic in clubs and cabarets while accompanied by his mentor, legendary comedian Romeo Pérusse. Trained in improvisation, Rousseau won numerous awards for his comedy shows, including the Double Platinum Ticket for selling more than 100,000 tickets for one show. Rousseau made his big screen debut in the comedy "Les dangereux" (2002), which flopped at the box office. His second film appearance was more successful; he co-starred in the 2003 drama "The Barbarian Invasions," Denys Arcand's sequel to "The Decline of the American Empire" (1986). In "Barbarian," Rousseau played the estranged son of a dying man (Rémy Girard) who does everything in his power, including resorting to bribery, to reduce his father's suffering. He also made inroads on television with recurring roles on the satires "Le coeur a ses raisons" (TVA, 2005-07) and "La petite vie" (Société Radio-Canada,1993-99). Rousseau continued to make audiences laugh in feature comedies such as "Modern Love" (2008), starring as one-half of a couple who stay together in spite of having nothing in common, and "Fatal" (2010), a parody of the music industry.