Benoît Poelvoorde, the offbeat actor

Benoît Poelvoorde is undoubtedly the most well-known Namur-born actor in the history of cinema. Aged 50, this talented Belgian has proven himself as an actor and comedian over the last twenty years and his career shows no signs of slowing down.

Benoît Poelvoorde is considered the prodigal son of Belgian cinema. At 17 he began to study applied arts at the Félicien Rops Technical Institute in Namur where he met Rémy Belvaux.

Poelvoorde was passionate about theatre and stood out with his unusual performances. In 1992, (with Rémy Belvaux and André Bonzel) he produced the feature film C'est arrivé près de chez vous, considered by critics as a cult film combining cynicism, humour and drama and inspiring the famous Belgian programme Strip-Tease. This feature film won him the André Cavens Award in the same year.

Poelvoorde embarked on a series of films from 1997 and was successful with a broad audience, most notably for his performances in The Hikers, Dead Weight and Podium. In 2002, Benoît Poelvoorde was presented with the prestigious Prix Jean Gabin which recognises the best up-and-coming actors. In 2004, he was a member of the jury for the Cannes festival, presided over by Quentin Tarantino, who said that he had been captivated by the film C'est arrivé près de chez vous.

In 2005, he was made Knight of the Order of Léopold.  In 2011, he received the audience award at the Magritte du Cinema while the best actor Magritte for A Place on Earth was presented to him in 2014.

Passionate about literature, in 2013, Benoît Poelvoorde created the Intime Festival at the Theatre of Namur. An initiative praised by both the authorities and the critics as well as by his very many fans which also marks his attachment to his native city and our country. Benoît Poelvoorde, a talented actor, puts Belgium in the spotlight.