Mathieu Kassovitz

Born: 3 August 1967
Where: Paris, France

The acclaimed actor, writer and director first attracted attention for the award-winning movie La Haine.

Ther film, which looked at life in France's grim housing projects, starred Vincent Cassel and won Kassovitz the best director award at Cannes.

The son of a film director and a film editor, he was inspired by Steven Spielberg - and defended him against an attack from veteran French director Jean-Luc Godard.

"What he said was so philistine and yet it's typical of the insularity and pseudo-intellectualism of French cinema culture," said Kassovitz.

He wrote, directed and starred in his 1993 feature debut Cafe Au Lait and won a best actor award at the Paris Film Festival for Assassin(s), co-starring Michel Serrault.

The Crimson Rivers, starring Jean Reno and Cassell, was an international success with box office takings of more than $50m.

In 2003, he directed his first Hollywood feature, the supernatural thriller Gothika, starring Halle Berry and Penelope Cruz.

As an actor, he won the 1995 Cesar Award (The French equivalent of an Oscar) for Most Promising Young Actor for his part in Regarde Les Homes Tomber.

He went on to star in La Haine, played a mugger in Luc Besson's The Fifth Element and also appeared in his father Peter Kassovitz's Jakob The Liar with Robin Williams.

Kassovitz also starred in Jez Butterworth's Birthday Girl with Nicole Kidman and Jean-Pierre Jeunet's international hit Amelie.

Kassovitz is also recognisable as the face of Lancôme's perfume 'Miracle Homme'.

Upcoming projects include the sci-fi thriller Babylon Babies starring frequent collaborator Vincent Cassell.