Yvan Attal

Director & actor · born 4 January 1965 · Tel-Aviv, Israel

Yvan Attal is an acclaimed French-Israeli actor, director, and screenwriter who has built a distinguished decades-long career in European and international cinema. Born in Tel Aviv, Israel, to Algerian-Jewish parents, Attal moved to France with his family while he was a child, growing up in the suburbs of Paris. He launched his acting career in the late 1980s and achieved instant recognition with his feature film debut in Eric Rochant’s acclaimed thriller Un monde sans pitié (A World Without Pity, 1989), a breakout performance that earned him the prestigious César Award for Most Promising Actor.

Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, Attal established himself as a versatile leading man in French cinema through standout roles in films like Amor Cello, The Little Thief, and Alissa. He also successfully expanded into Hollywood and international productions, appearing in notable English-language films such as Steven Spielberg's Munich (2005), Sofia Coppola's Marie Antoinette (2006), and the action thriller The Interpreter (2005) alongside Nicole Kidman. In addition to his acting achievements, Attal has proven himself as a talented filmmaker, directing and starring in critically praised projects such as the romantic comedy My Wife Is an Actress (2001)—co-starring his long-time partner, actress Charlotte Gainsbourg—as well as Happily Ever After (2004), Yvan Attal's Do Not Disturb (2014), and the gripping courtroom drama The Accusation (Les Choses humaines, 2021).

Where to start: Munich (2005).