Cassel, Vincent

(1966- )

   Actor, director, producer, and screen-writer. Vincent Cassel first appeared in cinema in Didier Kaminka's Les cigognes n'en font qu'à leur tête (1989), followed by a role in Philippe de Broca's Les Clés du paradis (1991). Vincent's father, Jean-Pierre Cassel, had also worked with de Broca early in his career. His pairing with director Mathieu Kassovitz in Métisse (1993), and especially in La Haine (1995), was pivotal to his career. His performance in La Haine earned him nominations for Césars for Most Promising Actor and Best Actor. He also starred in Kassovitz's Les rivières pourpres (2000), and acted alongside Kassovitz in Nicolas Boukhrief's Le plaisir et ses petits tracas (1997) and Jez Butterwirth's English-language Birthday Girl (2001).

   Cassel was again nominated for a César for Best Actor in Jacques Audiard's Sur mes lèvres (2001). He has acted in films by Jan Kounen, including Dobermann (1997) and Blueberry (2004). Cassel landed other significant acting roles in Christine Pascal's Adultère, mode d'emploi (1995), Gilles Mimouni's L'appartement (1996), Olivier Schatzky's L'Èleve (1996), Adrian Edmonson's English comedy, Guest House Paradiso (1999), Luc Besson's The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc (1999), Christophe Gans's Le pacte des loups (2001), Gaspard Noé's Irréversible (2002), and Frédéric Schoendoerffer's Agents secrets (2003). He also directed and wrote the script for the short Shabbat Night Fever (1997).

   Historical Dictionary of French Cinema by Dayna Oscherwitz & Mary Ellen Higgins