Mathieu Kassovitz
About
Biography
Filmography
Family & Companions
Biography
A Parisian-born actor, director, writer, and producer who has worked in both the Hollywood and French film worlds, Mathieu Kassovitz initially became known to American audiences for his turn as the poetically named Nino Quincampoix, the romantic interest in the whimsical Jean-Pierre Jeunet-directed French comedy "Amélie" in 2001. Prior to that, he had a fruitful collaboration with writer-director Jacques Audiard, who cast him as the lead in the mid-90s dramas "See How They Fall" and "A Self-Made Hero." Although Kassovitz got his start, and has his longest resume, as an actor, he's also put together an impressive directorial career. In 1995, his urban drama "La Haine" garnered great attention at the Cannes Film Festival, winning Kassovitz the Best Director award, and he followed it up with the controversial 1997 crime movie "Assassin(s)," in which he himself played the lead. He directed French stars Jean Reno and Vincent Cassel (whom he also collaborated with in "La Haine") in the thriller "The Crimson Rivers," and, in the U.S., he worked with such stars as Halle Berry and Robert Downey, Jr., in 2003's supernatural "Gothika," and Vin Diesel in 2008's apocalyptic "Babylon A.D.." As an actor, Kassovitz collaborated with Steven Spielberg in the lauded 2005 dramatic thriller "Munich," and with Steven Soderbergh in the 2012 action film "Haywire."
Filmography
Director (Feature Film)
Cast (Feature Film)
Writer (Feature Film)
Producer (Feature Film)
Editing (Feature Film)
Special Thanks (Feature Film)
Misc. Crew (Feature Film)
Life Events
1979
Feature film debut, "Au bout du bout du banc"; co-starring Jane Birkin and directed by his father, Peter Kassovitz
1989
Was the second assistant director to Paul Boujnah on "Moitie-Moitie"
1990
First short film, "Fierrot le Pou"
1991
Directed the short "Cauchemar blanc"
1993
Feature directorial debut "Metisse/Cafe au Lait"; also acted in the film
1995
Acted opposite Jean-Louis Trintignant in "Regarde les hommes tomber"
1995
Breakthrough feature as writer/director, the controversial French film "La Haine"
1997
Had a featured role in Luc Besson's "The Fifth Element"
1999
Appeared in "Jakob the Liar," directed by his father, Peter Kassovitz
2000
Directed "Les Rivières Pourpres," a police detective thriller starring Jean Reno and Vincent Cassel
2000
With Luc Besson and Jan Kounen, established 1B2K, a production company with offices in Paris and Los Angeles
2001
Co-starred with Nicole Kidman in "Birthday Girl"
2001
Cast in the role of Nino Quincampoix in Jean-Pierre Jeunet's critically-acclaimed French film "Amélie"
2002
Starred in the Costa-Gavras directed film "Eyewitness"
2003
Directed Halle Berry in the psychological thriller "Gothika"
2003
Played one of the lead roles in Costa-Gavras' "Amen"
2005
Portrayed a conflicted Belgian explosives expert in Steven Spielberg's controversial film "Munich"
2008
Directed the science fiction film "Babylon A.D.," based on the novel "Babylon Babies" by Maurice Georges Dantec
Videos
Movie Clip
Family
Companions
