Gilles Lellouche

One might never have named Gilles Lellouche among the best known actors in the scope of global cinema, but any fan would have agreed to call him one of the busiest. French performer, director, and writer Lellouche found his way into dozens of film and television roles in the late 1990s and beyond, winning especial recognition for his roles in "Ma vie en l'air" (2005), "Little White Lies" (2010), and "Point Blank" (2010).

Gilles Lellouche was born on July 5, 1972 in Caen, France. While he took to performance starting in his early 20s, acting in music videos, short films, and features like "Les soeurs Hamlet" (1995), his original aspirations also included a career behind the camera. Lellouche's earliest projects were shorts including "2 minutes 36 de bonheur" (1996) and "Pourkoi passkeu" (2002), which won Lellouche and co-director, -writer, and -producer Tristan Aurouet a Gras Savoye Award at the 2003 Cannes Film Festival.

It was around this time Lellouche began dating actress Mélanie Doutey, with whom he first worked on the film "L'adieu" (2003). Shortly after, Lellouche helmed his first feature film, the comedy "The Secret Adventures of Gustave Klopp" (2004), for which he partnered again with Aurouet. Following the release of the film, however, Lellouche focused his career almost exclusively on acting, winning early acclaim and attention for his roles in the likes of "Ma vie en l'air" (2005)-which landed him his first César Award nomination-the Luc Besson-produced "Tell No One" (2006).

In 2009, Lellouche and Doutey gave birth to a daughter Ava. Both parents would continue to act, with Lellouche starring in "Little White Lies" (2010) and "Point Blank" (2010); the latter landed him his second César Award nomination. He continued to land high-profile roles from there on out, including a lead part opposite Doutey and Academy Award-winning actor Jean Dujardin in director Cédric Jimenez's crime drama film "The Connection" (2015).