Vincent Lindon

Biography: life and films

Vincent Lindon is a French film actor, film director and screenwriter. He was born in Boulogne-Billancourt, France on 15 July 1959. Son of the wealthy industrialist Laurent Lindon, Vincent Lindon began his career in cinema as an assistant costume designer on Alain Resnais's Mon oncle d'Amérique (1980). Having worked for a time as a journalist, he made up his mind to become an actor. Director Paul Boujenah gave him his first film role in Le Faucon (1983), which led him to be cast in supporting roles in some of the most emblematic films of the 1980s, including Bertrand Blier's Notre histoire, Jean-Jacques Beineix's 37°2 le matin (1986) and Claude Sautet's Quelques jours avec moi (1988). His first leading role was opposite Sophie Marceau in Claude Pinoteau's L'Étudiante (1988), a performance which won him the Prix Jean Gabin in 1989. Coline Serreau's La Crise (1992) earned him his first César nomination and by the end of the 1990s Lindon had become one of the most sought-after actors in France, perfectly suited for playing the Mr Average role in a wide variety of situations, both comic and dramatic. In 2000 he had his second César nomination, for his part in Pierre Jolivet's popular social comedy Ma petite entreprise. Three further Best Actor César nominations followed - for Ceux qui restent (2007), Welcome (2009) and Quelques heures de printemps (2012) - but so far the award has eluded him. In a busy career, Lindon has worked with some of the finest auteur filmmakers in France, from Claire Denis and Benoît Jacquot to Pascal Thomas and Philippe Lioret, and he remains one of French cinema's most popular and engaging actors.

Filmography