Jalil Lespert (born 11 May 1976) is a French actor, screenwriter and director. He has been described as "one of the best actors of his generation."
Early life and education
Lespert was born in Paris to a
Pied-Noir father, actor Jean Lespert, and a
Kabyle people Algerian mother
who is an attorney and a
jurist. Lespert initially studied law to please his mother.
Career
Lespert made his film debut in 1995, in
Laurent Cantet's short film
Jeux de plage, alongside his father.
His first major role came in 1999, in
Jacques Maillot's film
Our Happy Lives. The following year, he appeared in another Cantet film,
Human Resources, which earned him a César Award for Most Promising Actor in 2001.
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Lespert's career took off and he appeared in several films, playing a wide range of characters, such as a sensual gardener in
Sade,
a body builder addict in
Vivre me tue,
a boxer in
Virgil,
a pretentious artist in
Alain Resnais's
Not on the Lips,
and a journalist in Robert Guédiguian's
The Last Mitterrand.
Lespert directed his first film in 2007, 24 mesures, featuring Benoît Magimel and Sami Bouajila.
In 2010, he appeared in the French television series Pigalle, la nuit.
Personal life
In 2009, Lespert married
Sonia Rolland, a former Miss France. The couple had one child (born 2010), and separated in 2018.
He also has two other children from a previous relationship.
Filmography
As actor
As director and writer
-
2007 - 24 Bars ( 24 mesures)
-
2011 - Headwinds ( Des vents contraires)
-
2014 - Yves Saint Laurent
-
2016 - Iris
-
2024 - Dakar Chronicles
Awards and accolades
-
César Award for Most Promising Actor (26th César Awards, for Human Resources)
-
Lumière Award for Most Promising Actor (6th Lumière Awards, for Human Resources)
-
(2001, Best Actor, for Human Resources)
External links
