VINCENT PEREZ

Date of Birth: June 10, 1962

Born in Lausanne, Switzerland to a German and Spaniard, Perez' father wanted him to study business. But drawn to the acting world through his entertaining nature, and with the encouragement of his mother, he left Switzerland and moved to France when he was eighteen. There he studied the art of acting at the prestigious Paris Conservatoire and completed his training at L'Ecole des Amandiers. During his studies, he landed roles in Gardien de Nuit (1986) and La Maison De Jade (1988).

In 1990, he gained worldwide recognition when he co-starred with Gérard Depardieu in the phenomenally successful Cyrano de Bergerac. Two years later he received the Prix Jean Gabin award and made his directorial debut with the film L'Exchange. He went on to star in the 1993 Oscar winner Indochine (1992), set amid the turbulence between the French and the Vietnamese in 1930, and gave him one of his best roles to date; Fanfan (1993) and the 1994 Cannes prize-winning La Reine Margot.

In 1996 Perez made his American film debut playing the lead character, Ashe Corven in The Crow sequel, City of Angels. Although the film wasn't the best starting point for Perez to showcase his talent to the American public, he continued his efforts, releasing Talk of Angels, a small-scale period romance set in 1920's Spain, two years later.

Still finding himself in the shadows of the American public eye, Perez focused much of his time on creating more films on the other side of the pond. Strong performances in Le Bossu (1997) and Ceux Qui M'aiment Prendront le Train (1998), kept his name alive in the French cinemas.

For the start of the new millennium, Perez returned to the American market, completing a number of films including I Dreamed of Africa (2000) opposite Kim Basinger, The Bride of the Wind (2001) and The Queen of the Damned (2002) alongside the late singer, Aaliyah.

Married to model/actress Karine Sylla since 1998, the two care for Sylla's daughter, Roxanne, by actor Gerald Depardieu, and their own child, a daughter named Iman. During his bachelor days, he romanced actress Jacqueline Bisset and model Carla Bruni.

Filmography:

Queen of the Damned (2002)
The Husband I Bought (2001)
Bride of the Wind (2001)
Les Morsures de l'aube (2000)
I Dreamed of Africa (2000)
Le Libertin (2000)
Épouse-moi (2000)
Le Temps retrouvé (1999)
Talk of Angels (1998)
The Treat (1998)
Ceux qui m'aiment prendront le train (1998)
Le Bossu (1997)
Swept from the Sea (1997)
The Crow: City of Angels (1996)
Liniya zhizni (1996)
Faire un film pour moi c'est vivre (1995)
Al di là delle nuvole (1995)
La Reine Margot (1994)
Fanfan (1993)
Indochine (1992)
La Neige et le feu (1991)
Il Viaggio di Capitan Fracassa (1991)
Cyrano de Bergerac (1990)
La Maison de jade (1988)
Hôtel de France (1987)
Gardien de la nuit (1986)