Guillaume Canet is a French actor, director, screenwriter, and former show-jumping equestrian, born on April 10, 1973, in Boulogne-Billancourt, France. Raised in a family of horse breeders, Canet initially pursued a career in equestrian sports and was part of the French national show-jumping team. However, after a serious fall at age 18, he shifted his focus to acting and enrolled in the Cours Florent drama school in Paris.
He began his acting career on stage and in television before gaining recognition in French cinema in the late 1990s. His breakthrough came with films like En plein cœur (1998) and The Beach (2000), where he starred alongside Leonardo DiCaprio. Throughout the 2000s, Canet became one of France’s most sought-after actors, known for his charm and versatility across drama, thriller, and romantic genres.
Canet made his directorial debut in 2002 with Mon Idole, but it was his 2006 film Tell No One (Ne le dis à personne) that brought him international acclaim. The film won four César Awards and solidified his reputation as a skilled director and screenwriter. He followed up with other notable works such as Little White Lies (Les Petits Mouchoirs, 2010), which became a major box office hit in France.
In his personal life, Guillaume Canet is known for his long-term relationship with Oscar-winning actress Marion Cotillard, with whom he has two children. The couple has frequently collaborated on screen, notably in Love Me If You Dare (2003) and Rock’n Roll (2017), a satirical comedy in which they play exaggerated versions of themselves.
With a career spanning over two decades, Guillaume Canet has established himself as a major figure in contemporary French cinema, respected for both his acting talent and his directorial voice. His work often blends emotional depth with sharp social observation, making him a storyteller of both style and substance.
