Benoît Poelvoorde
Date of birth: 1964-09-22
Place of birth: Namur, Belgium
Known for: Acting
Also known as:
Biography
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
Movie Credits
Smoking Causes Coughing
2022-11-30
After a devastating battle against a diabolical turtle, a team of five avengers — known as the "Toba
Asterix at the Olympic Games
2008-01-25
Astérix and Obélix have to win the Olympic Games in order to help their friend Alafolix marry Prince
Man Bites Dog
1992-08-20
The activities of rampaging, indiscriminate serial killer Ben are recorded by a willingly complicit
Narco
2004-12-01
Gustave Klopp suffers from narcolepsy, he can fall asleep everwhere at anytime whithout warning. Liv
Cowboy
2007-12-05
Daniel Piron has the blues. His relationship is monotonous, his ideals have vanished, and even his j
Coco Before Chanel
2009-04-22
Several years after leaving the orphanage, to which her father never returned for her, Gabrielle Cha
Louise-Michel
2008-11-12
In this radical and endearing black comedy, a group of retrenched female factory workers decide to p
Adieu Paris
2022-01-26
An old Parisian bistro with eternal charm. Eight gentlemen at the table, eight great figures. They w
The Carriers Are Waiting
1999-05-19
Roger Closset is a man who obviously loves his family, though that doesn't always make them feel bet
Aaltra
2004-06-23
In this pitch black comedy the rivalry between two neighbors escalates into an all out war. Through
The Return of James Battle
2004-07-21
James Bataille is in love. He attempts to stage an elaborate motorcycle stunt to impress the girl, b
The Green Shutters
2022-08-24
The twilight of a sacred monster, Jules Maugin, an actor at the height of his glory. Beneath the fam
One Fine Day
2006-03-15
François Berthier’s life is a series of unfortunate events. One day, however, a miracle occurs for F
Jean-Philippe
2006-04-05
A bourgeois office drone whose raison d'être is the music of French rocker Johnny Hallyday awakens o
Ghislain Lambert's Bicycle
2001-09-14
In the 70s, there was Merckx and there were the others. Ghislain Lambert was one of the others. This
Hikers
1997-03-12
A quartet of Parisians embark upon a guided hike in Corsica and end up working through the sometimes
Hikers in Saint-Tropez
2008-04-09
Ten years after their disastrous walking holiday in Corsica, four friends – Cora, Nadine, Mathieu an
A Town Called Panic
2009-06-17
Cowboy and Indian's only wish was to come up with a brilliant idea for Mr Horse's birthday, but when
Ce soir, c'est Palmashow
2023-03-17
Beauties at War
2009-01-14
A ski resort town struggles to become the top tourism spot.
Podium
2004-02-11
Bernand Fréderic is a mediocre bank executive. He's married and has a son. He used to have another p
Two Worlds
2007-11-21
A French tradesman travels in time and liberates an oppressed tribe in another world.
The Other Dumas
2010-02-10
Alexandre Dumas, at the height of his career, takes Auguste Maquet, his chief literary collaborator
Akoibon
2005-04-13
A disparate group of people meet at a hotel on a gorgeous and isolated Mediterranean island. Meanwhi
In His Hands
2005-09-11
In Lille, Claire Gauthier is an ordinary married woman with a young daughter that works in an insura
Beating Hearts
2024-10-16
Local rebellious teenager Clotaire falls for his schoolmate Jackie, but gang violence leads him to a
Mammuth
2010-04-21
Serge Pilardosse has just turned 60. He has worked since the age of 16, never unemployed, never sick
Park Benches
2009-07-08
As she does every morning, Lucie takes advantage of her journey to work to lose herself for a while
Kill Me Please
2010-11-03
Doctor Kruger dreams to insert “the suicide in modernity”. He offers to his patients the service of
Doors of Glory
2001-06-13
A young man joins a team of experimented door-to-door salesmen, who teach him how to sell an expensi
Dead Weight
2002-04-10
After winning the lottery, a convict must chase down the warden who has his winning ticket.
Laughter and Punishment
2003-01-28
French director Isabelle Doval directs her husband, popular comedic actor José Garcia, in the comedy
En chantier, monsieur Tanner !
2010-03-15
Paul Tanner has just inherited a mansion on a vast property. Going there, he noticed that the buildi
Charlie Says
2006-07-27
The seemingly separate lives of a group of men intersect entwining the fates of each of them over th
The Political Life of the Belgians
2002-05-08
We follow the build-up and training of two opposite Belgian political parties. We see their leaders
Romantics Anonymous
2010-12-22
What happens when a man and a woman share a common passion? They fall in love. And this is what happ
The Big Night
2012-06-06
An ageing punk-with-a-dog and his brother the conformist decide to get their revenge on a shopping m
Nothing to Declare
2010-12-20
During the elimination of the Belgian/French border in the 90s, a Belgian customs officer is forced
Panique tous courts
2017-03-01
Cowboy and Indian are leaving on a luxury cruise, but they've got caught up. They have totally forgo
My Worst Nightmare
2011-11-09
Agathe runs an art gallery. Her husband François is a publisher. Together they have one son, and in
Mama's Lover
1987-01-01
A man discovers his new love interest has a child. When they fist meet it's unclear who is embarrase
Modèle déposé
1995-09-06
Tied
2013-01-07
A banker strikes up a sadomasochistic relationship with a mistress.
A Wonderful Girl
2023-07-26
Mimi is 29 years old and still dreaming about a job she could get. She meets Paul, a sidelined lawye
Twice Upon a Time
2012-06-13
Mathias, aboard a ship with his wife, sees a boy with a striking resemblance to himself and is calle
Normal
2023-04-05
14-year-old Lucie is a resourceful teenager who takes care of her loving yet unreliable father, Will
A Place On Earth
2013-08-28
Antoine is a joyful but disenchanted photographer. His only true friend, Mateo, is 7 years old and t
The Art of Being Happy
2024-10-30
Jean-Yves Machond, a globally unknown and generally unhappy painter, decides one day to change his l
The Big Bad Wolf
2013-06-27
Once upon a time in 2012, three brothers lived happily. One day their mom fell into a coma. So Henri
Zebra Stripes
2014-02-05
José is a football agent who goes to Ivory Coast to spot young talents in football. He is a braggart
The Price of Fame
2015-01-07
A criminal duo learns of Charlie Chaplin's death and decides to steal his coffin to hold for a ranso
Le Palmier
3 Hearts
2014-09-09
A twist of fate leaves a hapless accountant romantically torn between two sisters.
Mad in Belgium
2022-06-29
A cinematographic “cadavre exquis”, whose entrails reveal the odd nature of a (un)certain Belgian ci
No C4 for Daniel Daniel
1987-01-01
A mock trailer for a spy film about a secret agent called Daniel Daniel.
Beware of the Ravens
1989-01-01
Michel has an appointment at the administrative city.
The Brand New Testament
2015-09-02
God lives in Brussels. On Earth though, God is a coward, morally pathetic and odious to his family.
How to Make a Killing
2025-01-01
Michel and Cathy, wed for longer than they can remember, lead a quiet but monotonous life in the mou
Family for Rent
2015-08-19
Forty-year-old Paul-André is a timid, rather introverted man. Rich but alone, he is deeply bored and
Lucky Star
2025-11-12
In 1940, in France, Jean Chevalin lives with his family in great poverty after deserting the army. C
Saint Amour
2016-03-02
Every year, Bruno makes a tour of all the wine stands, without setting foot outside the Show’s premi
Savages
2024-10-16
In Borneo, near the tropical forest, Kéria rescues a baby orangutang in the palm oil plantation wher
The Jews
2016-06-01
Four separate stories deal with stereotypical ideas about Jews: their alleged influence on politics,
A Town Called Panic: Christmas Panic!
2013-12-22
The year’s end celebrations are coming. Christmas : the tree, the dinner, the presents. Indian and C
Mr. Manatane's notebooks
2003-10-14
Poetry lovers, defenders of good taste, dear hunters... you are here at home! Find Benoit Poelvorde
An Indian Tale
2017-08-30
The life of two men changed unexpectedly when Ajith, an Indian sailor who was robbed and lost everyt
Le Signaleur
1997-05-01
Two boys arrive at the hospice in a small village looking for someone who could act as a signalman f
Sink or Swim
2018-10-24
40-year-old Bertrand has been suffering from depression for the last two years and is barely able to
Adoration
2020-01-22
Paul lives with his mother in the private clinic of doctor Loisel, deeply hidden in the woods. Paul
Les Shadoks et la maladie mystérieuse
2016-01-06
For the Shadoks, panic strikes. A mysterious disease infects these curious creatures. Everyone talks
Keep an Eye Out
2018-07-04
Louis just found the corpse of a man in front of his apartment building. Taken in for custody by Cap
White as Snow
2019-04-10
Claire is a beautiful young woman who works at her late father’s hotel, that is now managed by her e
Raoul Taburin
2019-04-10
If anyone knows anything about bikes, it’s Raoul Taburin, official bicycle dealer of Saint Céron, a
Father & Sons
2019-02-13
Joseph and his two sons, Joachim and Ivan, form a close-knit family but fail to see that each one is
A Town Called Panic: Back to School Panic!
2016-02-27
Indian and Cowboy are about to set off on a magnificent cruise on a luxury liner, but they have made
Venice Calling
2019-05-29
Emile is fifteen. He lives in Montargis, between a sweet-crazy father and a mother who has always dy
Ce soir, c'est Palmashow
2019-02-15
How I Became a Superhero
2020-11-19
Paris 2020. While superheroes have assimilated into the Parisian society, they discover a new drug t
Delete History
2020-08-26
In a provincial suburb, three neighbours come to terms with the consequences of the new world of soc
Panique au village : La Foire agricole
2019-07-06
Indian and Cowboy finally pass their exams. Horse buys them tickets for the County Fair. But at the
L'Année des Guignols - Du cul, du cul, du cul !
1996-02-29
My Father's Stories
2021-07-28
Lyon, 1960s. Emile is twelve years old. His father is a hero. He says he is a judo champ, a parachut
A Town Called Panic: Double Fun
2016-09-24
With disarming wit and hilarious visuals, A Town Called Panic: Double Fun revels in the simple setup
Just for Laughs
1997-01-01
Michel and Juliette have just broken up over Michel's affair with the much younger Romance. Alice an
Inexorable
2022-03-31
Desperately seeking inspiration for the follow-up novel to his bestseller "Inexorable", Marcel Bellm
L'Année des Guignols - Les Voleurs de patates
1996-06-30
Do You Do You Saint-Tropez
2021-07-14
Every summer, the Billionaire Tranchant and his wife Eliane host the glamorous world of celebrities
The Colors of Fire
2022-11-09
February 1927. The funeral of Marcel Péricourt, the most powerful banker in Paris. His daughter Made
The Summer Holidays
2021-07-21
School is out, and Indian and Cowboy are bored. Watching an old pirate film gets them out of their f
Le Pied
2003-01-01
This is the terrifying story of a desperate foot. A reluctant accomplice of a man who has fallen int
A Day in the Life of French Cinema
2002-05-20
Documentary showing one day of work of over 90 actors and filmmakers from French cinema on the same
Démodé
I Love Peru
2025-07-09
In the relentless pursuit of success, a quirky actor leaves behind his closest allies. Alone facing
Fausse note
2026-03-25