Acting
Benoît Poelvoorde
FR, EN cinema · 99 credits
Born
22 September 1964 (age 62)
Birthplace
Namur, Belgium
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
Filmography
5H48, Place des Martyrs
as Rudy Simonaud
Fausse note
as Alexandre Miller
How to Make a Killing
as Major Roland Bodin
Lucky Star
as Jean Chevalin /Jacob
Beating Hearts
as La Brosse
The Art of Nothing
as Yves Machond
Savages
as Father (voice)
Ce soir, c'est Palmashow
as Self - Guest
A Wonderful Girl
as Paul
Normal
as William
Smoking Causes Coughing
as Lézardin
Adieu Paris
as Benoît
The Green Shutters
as Félix
The Colors of Fire
as Gustave Joubert
My Father's Stories
as André Choulans
Inexorable
as Marcel Bellmer
Do You Do You Saint-Tropez
as Claude Tranchant
A Town Called Panic: The Summer Holidays
as Steven (voice)
Adoration
as Hinkel
How I Became a Superhero
as Monté Carlo
Delete History
as Le livreur Alimazone
White as Snow
as Charles
Raoul Taburin
as Raoul Taburin
Father & Sons
as Joseph
Venice Calling
as Bernard Chamodot
Ce soir, c'est Palmashow
as Self - Guest
Panique au village : La Foire agricole
as Steven (voice)
Sink or Swim
as Marcus
Keep an Eye Out
as Commissioner Buron
Panique tous courts
as Steven (voice)
An Indian Tale
as Pierre
Saint Amour
as Bruno
The Jews
as Boris
A Town Called Panic: Back to School Panic!
as Steven (voice)
A Town Called Panic: Double Fun
as Steven (voice) (archive footage)
Family for Rent
as Paul-André
Zebra Stripes
as José
3 Hearts
as Marc Beaulieu
Tied
as Le banquier
A Place on Earth
as Antoine Dumas
The Big Bad Wolf
as Philippe
A Town Called Panic: Christmas Panic!
as Steven (voice)
The Big Night
as Benoît Bonzini, alias NOT
Twice Upon a Time
as Jean Esnart
My Worst Nightmare
as Patrick Demeuleu
The Other Dumas
as Auguste Maquet
Mammuth
as Le récupérateur de métal
Kill Me Please
as M. Demanet
En chantier, monsieur Tanner !
as Jean-César Astor
Romantics Anonymous
as Jean-René Van Den Hugde
Nothing to Declare
as Ruben Vandevoorde
Coco Before Chanel
as Étienne Balsan
A Town Called Panic
as Steven (voice)
Beauties at War
as Franck Chevrel
Park Benches
as Customer at the hook
Louise-Michel
as Guy l'ingénieur
Hikers in Saint-Tropez
as Éric Jacquemart
Cowboy
as Daniel Piron
Two Worlds
as Rémy Bassano
One Fine Day
as François Berthier
Jean-Philippe
as Bernard Frédéric, double of Claude François
Charlie Says
as Joss
Akoibon
as Jean-Mi
In His Hands
as Laurent Kessler
Narco
as Lenny Barr
Aaltra
as Motocross Fan
The Return of James Battle
as Allan Chiasse
Podium
as Bernard Frédéric
Laughter and Punishment
as Le prof de secourisme
Mr. Manatane's notebooks
as Mr. Manatane, Idea
Le Pied
as Le pied (voice)
Dead Weight
as Francis Reggio
Ghislain Lambert's Bicycle
as Ghislain Lambert, Writer
Doors of Glory
as Regis Demanet
Hikers
as Éric Jacquemart
Le Signaleur
1997
Le Signaleur
as L'organisateur
Just for Laughs
as L'innocent
L'Année des Guignols - Du cul, du cul, du cul !
as Multiples voix
Modèle déposé
as René Altrus, Writer, Director
Man Bites Dog
as Ben, Screenplay, Producer, Director
Méfiez-vous des corbeaux
1989
Beware of the Ravens
as The director
No C4 for Daniel Daniel
as Daniel Daniel, Director, Writer