Benoît Poelvoorde
Known For
Acting
Birthday
September 22, 1964 (61 years old)
Place of Birth
Namur, Belgium
Benoît Poelvoorde
Biography
Benoît Poelvoorde is a Belgian actor, comedian, and filmmaker, born on September 22, 1964, in Namur, Belgium. He first gained recognition with the cult film C'est arrivé près de chez vous (1992), a darkly comedic mockumentary where he played a serial killer with unsettling charm. This film launched his career and established his unique blend of humor and intensity. Throughout the late 1990s and 2000s, Poelvoorde became a staple of Franco-Belgian cinema, starring in comedies like Les Randonneurs (1997), Le Vélo de Ghislain Lambert (2001), and Podium (2004), where he portrayed an obsessive Claude François impersonator—a role that earned him a César nomination. His versatility allowed him to transition into more dramatic roles, such as Entre ses mains (2005) and Coco avant Chanel (2009), where he starred alongside Audrey Tautou. In recent years, Poelvoorde has continued to balance absurdist comedy (Au poste !, Fumer fait tousser) with auteur-driven projects (Le Tout Nouveau Testament, Saint-Amour). His ability to oscillate between slapstick humor and introspective performances makes him one of the most distinctive actors in European cinema
Known For

Asterix at the Olympic Games
2008

The Brand New Testament
2015

Sink or Swim
2018

Nothing to Declare
2010

Coco Before Chanel
2009

Man Bites Dog
1992

Beating Hearts
2024

Keep an Eye Out
2018

Romantics Anonymous
2010

How I Became a Superhero
2020

Podium
2004

Family for Rent
2015

Dead Weight
2002

Smoking Causes Coughing
2022

Jean-Philippe
2006




