Niels Arestrup, a French-Danish actor, was famous for playing shady and corrupt characters in theater and films since the 1960s. He passed away on December 1, 2024, at the age of 75.
Niels Arestrup Biography
Niels Arestrup was born on 8 February 1949, in Paris into a modest family. His father was Danish, and his mother was French. When he was ten, his family moved to Corbeil-Essonnes and later to public housing in Évry, Essonne.
As a child, Niels was shy and often skipped school. He failed his baccalaureate in 1968 and worked odd jobs while taking acting lessons with Tania Balachova, whom he had seen on TV.
His acting journey began in the theater but soon expanded to TV and film. In 1973, a chance meeting with Soviet singer Raisa Vasilyeva introduced him to filmmaker Samy Pavel, who cast him in Miss O’Gynie et les Hommes fleurs, marking his film debut.
Niels won two César Awards for Best Supporting Actor for his roles in De battre mon cœur s’est arrêté and Un prophète, both directed by Jacques Audiard. He was highly respected for his contributions to French cinema.
In 2012, Niels married actress and writer Isabelle Le Nouvel after ten years together. That same year, the couple welcomed twins, a boy and a girl.
Niels Arestrup passed away on December 1, 2024, at the age of 75, in Ville-d’Avray, France, after a long illness.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Name | Niels Arestrup |
| Birthdate | February 8, 1949 |
| Age at Death | 75 |
| Date of Death | December 1, 2024 |
| Place of Birth | Paris, France |
| Nationality | French-Danish |
| Known For | Playing shady and corrupt characters in theater and film |
| Career Start | 1960s |
| Training | Trained at drama academy founded by Tania Balachova |
| Notable Roles | – Stavisky… (1974) |
| – The Sorcerer’s Apprentice (1977) | |
| – Les loups entre eux (1987) | |
| – La Rumba (1988) | |
| – The Beat That My Heart Skipped (2005) | |
| – A Prophet (2009) | |
| – The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (2007) | |
| – War Horse (2011) | |
| Awards | – César Award for Best Supporting Actor (for De battre mon cœur s’est arrêté and Un prophète) |
| – Globes de Cristal Award for Best Actor in a Play (2017) | |
| – Molière Award for Best Actor (2019) | |
| Personal Life | Married actress Isabelle Le Nouvel in 2012; they had twins |
| Legacy | Known for his powerful performances in both film and theater |
Career And Award Highlight Of Niels Arestrup
After finishing high school, he trained at a drama academy run by Russian actress Tania Balachova. He started his acting career in theater and moved into film and TV in the early 1970s, taking on supporting roles in films like Stavisky…, about a con artist in 1930s France, and the political thriller The Sorcerer’s Apprentice.
By the late 1980s, Arestrup moved from smaller roles to more significant ones, including playing a mercenary in Les loups entre eux and a fascist-sympathizing police officer in La Rumba. After spending some years in TV movies and low-profile thrillers, he revived his career in 2005 with a standout performance in The Beat That My Heart Skipped, directed by Jacques Audiard. In the film, he played Robert Seyr, a tough career criminal and landlord who forces his son into criminal activities.
Arestrup continued to gain recognition for his roles, including portraying a Corsican crime boss in Audiard’s A Prophet, a former hostage in The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (2007), and a kind grandfather in War Horse (2011), directed by Steven Spielberg.
In 2017, Arestrup won the Globes de Cristal Award for Best Actor in a Play for his performance in Acting, and in 2019, he won the Molière Award for Best Actor for his role in Red. He had been nominated for these awards several times before, including in 2000, 2006, and 2012 for his work in various plays.
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