Niels Arestrup, the acclaimed French-Danish actor, director, and writer, has passed away at his home near Paris at the age of 75.
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Isabelle Le Nouvel, actress, screenwriter, and author, announced the passing of her husband, Arestrup, on Sunday, per Deadline. She offered no details about the cause of death, only that he passed away after a “courageous fight against illness.”
Arestrup may not be widely recognized by mainstream Western audiences. However, he holds the record in France for the most César Awards for Best Supporting Actor. His prolific career includes collaborations with some of Europe’s most renowned directors, such as Alain Resnais, Chantal Akerman, Claude Lelouch, Marco Ferreri, Jacques Audiard, Julian Schnabel, Bertrand Tavernier, Volker Schlöndorff, and Albert Dupontel. He has also worked with prominent American filmmakers like Steven Spielberg and Angelina Jolie.
Niels Arestrup (1949-2024) pic.twitter.com/aeb7iGk2gJ
— PLANTU Officiel (@plantu) December 1, 2024
Arestrup was born in Paris to a French mother from Brittany and a Danish father. Raised in modest circumstances, he faced early challenges, including failing his high school exams. Afterward, he took on various odd jobs before gradually finding his way into television and theater, where his passion for drama began to flourish.
Some Highlights of Niels Arestrup’s Prolific Acting Career
In A Prophet, Niels Arestrup delivered a gripping performance as CĂ©sar Luciani, a merciless Corsican mob boss. He takes the young protagonist, Malik (Tahar Rahim), under his wing, drawing him into a life of crime in exchange for his protection.
A standout moment in Arestrup’s career was his role in Volker Schlöndorff’s Diplomacy. He portrayed General Dietrich von Choltitz, the German military governor of occupied Paris during World War II, opposite André Dussollier, who played Swedish consul-general Raoul Nordling. The film follows their tense efforts to prevent the city’s destruction.
In 2011, he appeared in Steven Spielberg’s War Horse. He also delivered memorable performances in Julian Schnabel’s critically acclaimed, Oscar-nominated films The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (2007) and At Eternity’s Gate (2018).
Rest in peace, Niels Arestrup 🙏🏻
— The Jolie Project (@thejolieproject) December 2, 2024
Niels on Angelina Jolie's 'By The Sea.'
"It’s very daring on her part, to have attempted this more experimental, even more marginal adventure in which she is undoubtedly saying something which has lingered in her head and lingered in her heart." pic.twitter.com/DebRYC1l05
In recent years, Arestrup has starred in several acclaimed French TV dramas, including Ziad Doueiri’s Baron Noir and Les Papillons Noirs.
He also had a distinguished career in theatre, with one of his most notable recent performances being in John Logan’s play Red, which explores the life of artist Mark Rothko. His portrayal earned him the prestigious Molière Award for Best Actor in 2019.
However, his career was sometimes overshadowed by allegations of violence. Per The Hollywood Reporter, French actress Isabelle Adjani alleged that Arestrup slapped her during rehearsals for the play Mademoiselle Julie in 1983.
Years later, during a 1996 stage production of Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, which Arestrup directed, actress Myriam Boyer accused him of nearly strangling her.
Following the incident, Arestrup dismissed Boyer from the production. She later won 800,000 francs in damages for wrongful termination, though Arestrup faced no formal charges for his actions.