French actor Niels Arestrup died on Sunday at his home in Ville-d'Avray.
His wife, Isabelle Le Nouvel, announced his death with emotion: “I am extremely sad to announce the death of my husband, the immense actor Niels Arestrup, after a courageous fight against illness. He passed away surrounded by the love of his family.”
An extraordinary journey for Niels Arestrup
Born on February 8, 1949 in Montreuil, the son of a Danish father and a Breton mother, Niels Arestrup came from a modest working-class background which in no way augured his future artistic career. “You can imagine that as the son of a worker in Bagnolet in the 1950s, the show, the theater, the cinema, it was something that did not enter into my thoughts at all”he confided to Le Figaro in 2021.
His meeting with the actress Tania Balachova was decisive.
Niels Arestrup, eternal supporting role
Niels Arestrup was one of those actors capable of transcending supporting roles, giving them a singular depth and humanity. Three times awarded the César for Best Actor in a Supporting Role – for “My heart stopped beating” (2006), “A prophet” (2010) et “Quai d’Orsay” (2014) – he particularly excelled in complex and nuanced characters.
“I have been influenced by villains for many years. They are more complex, more exciting roles, more difficult to defend”he explained.
He also starred in the series “Black Baron” alongside Kad Merad.
Niels Arestrup, a man of the theater above all
Despite his success in the cinema, Niels Arestrup remained deeply attached to the boards. “When I started in the profession, theater directors chose a play, then they asked themselves the question of distribution. Now, it's the opposite: we look for a star and, only after that, the play that could go with”, he lamented.
He was the father of twins born in 2012.
