Laurent Lafitte, born Laurent Fabien Fernand Lafitte on August 22, 1973, in Paris, is an actor and director with a diverse career spanning stage and screen. Growing up in the 15th and 16th arrondissements of Paris, he attended the private Saint-Jean-de-Passy elementary school. Early exposure to televised boulevard comedies sparked his interest in theatre. At a young age, he appeared in the TV film L’Enfant et le président after responding to an advertisement. He later dropped out of high school to study at the Cours Florent, where he connected with future collaborators Gilles Lellouche and Guillaume Canet. His education continued with studies at the Conservatoire national supérieur d'art dramatique de Paris at age 22, and included dance and singing training at the Guildford School of Acting in England, where he performed in Davina's Landed . Lafitte gained wider recognition in 1993 as Juan in the sitcom Classe mannequin . He further developed his comedic talents with a one-man show, Laurent Lafitte, comme son nom l'indique , co-written with Cyrille Thouvenin. This production proved successful, running for 100 performances and earning him the Raimu Award. His filmography includes appearances in popular films such as Les Petits Mouchoirs (2010). In 2011, he presented the 25th Nuit des Molières. From 2012 to 2024, Lafitte served as a pensionnaire (member) of the prestigious Comédie-Française. He has received significant recognition for his acting abilities, including an International Emmy Award nomination in 2023 for his portrayal of Bernard Tapie in the Netflix mini-series Class Act . His dedication to the arts is further reflected in the honors he has received: he was made a Knight of the Ordre national du Mérite in 2022 and a Knight of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in 2013.