French actor Gaspard Ulliel, who is set to appear in Marvel’s forthcoming TV series Moon Knight, has died aged 37.
His family told news agency AFP he died on Wednesday following a skiing accident in the Alps.
Ulliel, one of France’s best-known actors, has appeared in It’s Only the End of the World and Saint Laurent, the biopic of the French fashion designer.
The actor was skiing in the Savoie region on Tuesday when he collided with another person.
He suffered severe brain trauma and was airlifted to a hospital in Grenoble, where he died the next day.
The other skier was not hospitalised and an investigation is now under way.
The news of his death came just a day after the trailer for Moon Knight, which he stars in as Midnight Man, was released online.
Le cinéma français perd un grand talent, plein de charme et d’énergie. pic.twitter.com/GMAAaI5UJW
— Bruno Le Maire (@BrunoLeMaire) January 19, 2022
“French cinema is losing a huge talent, full of charm and energy,” tweeted French finance minister Bruno Le Maire.
Writer and critic Caspar Salmon also paid tribute, describing Ulliel as “an actor of considerable magnetism, talent and beauty, who had already carved out an impressive and varied career”.
As well as being a movie star, Ulliel also appeared as a model. As the face of the Bleu de Chanel fragrance, he was directed by Martin Scorsese for a 2010 television advertisement.
Born just outside of Paris in 1984, Ulliel appeared on screen from from the age of 11 but garnered international acclaim for his performance as a young Hannibal in 2007’s Hannibal Rising.
He won the best actor Cesar – the French equivalent of an Oscar – in 2017 for his performance opposite Marion Cotillard and Lea Seydoux in It’s Only the End of the World.
In 2005, he won most promising actor for his performance in the World War One drama A Very Long Engagement, which starred Audrey Tautou.
Saint Laurent, one of two 2014 biopics about the French designer Yves Saint Laurent, was named as one of the films in competition for the top prize at the Cannes Film Festival.
Ulliel was praised for his performance but lost out at the subsequent Cesars to Pierre Niney – star of the rival film, Yves Saint Laurent.
“Broken heart,” tweeted Niney on hearing the news of his fellow actor’s death. “Gaspard was benevolence and kindness. Beauty and talent.”
In other news – Drama at Idols SA: Unathi Nkayi fired; Somizi rehired
TV personality Unathi Nkayi will not be returning to SA Idols season 18 due to her Kaya 959 scandal. The singing competition will return next Sunday (23 January).
Sources close to the production allegedly revealed that Unathi’s exit will coincide with the dramatic return of Somizi Mhlongo who was let go in season 17. Idols SA and M-Net recently met to discuss the fate of the show, which has been heavily affected by Unathi and Somizi’s scandals. learn more
