Global Talent Directory

Comedians Directory

Browse comedian profiles, biographical summaries, country of origin, and official links.

1635 comedians

Guillaume Gallienne

A French actor, screenwriter, film director, and voice actor, Guillaume Gallienne was born in Neuilly-sur-Seine, a Paris suburb, on February 8, 1972. His parents are French businessman Jean-Claude Gallienne and Russian-Georgian aristocrat Melitta Rotvand. He attended La Salle Passy Buzenval from age 10 and experienced bullying during that time. He is a member of the Comédie-Française since 2005, having become a sociétaire in that year. Gallienne’s career began in 1992 with his film debut in Tableau d'honneur . He also had a segment called Les Bonus de Guillaume on Le Grand Journal between 2008 and 2010. His comedy style often incorporates autobiographical elements, as demonstrated in his stage show and subsequent film adaptation. Gallienne achieved significant recognition for his one-man show Boys and Guillaume, à table! , winning a Molière Award for Best Newcomer in 2010. He continued to earn accolades, receiving another Molière Award for Best Supporting Actor in 2011 for Un fil à la patte . The 2013 film Me, Myself and Mum , based on the stage show, garnered considerable attention, winning the Art Cinema Award and Prix SACD at the Cannes Film Festival. It received ten César Award nominations in 2014, securing five awards including Best Actor and Best Adaptation for Gallienne. Gallienne often works with Nicolas Le Riche, including their collaboration on the libretto for the 2011 production of Caligula by the Paris Opera Ballet. He is also known for his voice acting roles in films like Asterix & Obelix: God Save Britannia (2012) and The Little Prince (2010-2013).

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Laurent Lafitte

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.

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Lucien Hubert

Lucien Hubert, born under the name Lucien Martial Désiré Lajarthe on 25 September 1906 in Paris and died 2 5 February 1986 in Antibes, was a French actor. In addition to his career at the cinema, he also worked on the theatre scenes and participated in telefilms as well as at the cinema. to TV series.

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Lucien Jean-Baptiste

Lucien Jean-Baptiste is a French actor, writer, and director born on May 6, 1964, in Fort-de-France, Martinique. He moved to the Paris region with his mother at three years old, arriving in France on December 25, 1967. Lucien attended college and high school in Créteil and later earned a BTS degree in communication and advertising. Before pursuing acting, he spent approximately ten years working in event management, including a period at the Palais omnisports de Paris-Bercy. He also demonstrated athletic talent, becoming a French champion of Greco-Roman wrestling (FSGT) in 1984. Jean-Baptiste’s career encompasses both live action and voice acting. He studied acting at the Cours Florent and began appearing in short films and series in 1998, taking minor roles in Du bleu jusqu'en Amérique and Jeu de cons . He gained recognition for his recurring role as Franck Marchand, a psychologist, in the first season of Caméra Café . A significant aspect of his work involves providing French voiceovers for numerous American actors. He is a regular voice actor for Chris Rock, Martin Lawrence, and Ice Cube, and he has also voiced Terrence Howard, Will Smith, Kevin Hart, Jamie Foxx, Don Cheadle, Anthony Mackie, Omar Epps, and Orlando Jones. His voice acting extends to roles in Scrubs , where he voiced Donald Faison. Lucien Jean-Baptiste’s directorial efforts include the family comedy La Première Étoile (2009), which earned him both the Grand Prix and Audience Award at the Alpe-d'Huez Film Festival that year. Following this success, he founded Zamba Productions in 2010 and released its sequel, La Deuxième Étoile , in 2017. In 2016, he released Dieumerci! , inspired by a personal experience. He also directed Il a déjà tes yeux in 2017. His filmography includes appearances in the TV series Munch , and he starred in the lead role of Emmenez-moi in 2005.

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Maeva Méline

Maeva Méline, born in Paris on January 20, 1980, is a French singer and actress. Her early musical influences include pop and folk music, which shaped her artistic development. She pursued formal education, graduating from law school while concurrently studying piano, guitar, and singing. This diverse background demonstrates a dedication to both intellectual pursuits and artistic expression. Méline’s career began with performances in a jazz and funk band starting around 2008. She also gained recognition for her role as Nannerl in the musical Mozart, l'opéra rock in 2008, a performance that contributed to the show winning an NRJ Award. Her vocal talents are further showcased through her work in animated films; she provided vocals for the French versions of Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue (2010), Tangled (2010) as Rapunzel, and Tangled Ever After (2012), reprising her role as Rapunzel. Additionally, she voiced princess Merida in the French version of Brave (2012) and has served as Jane's voice double in the film Tarzan . She participated in the seventh season of Star Academy in 2007, and later joined Louis Bertignac’s team in the second season of The Voice, la plus belle voix in 2013. From September 2014, Méline toured with Mozart, l'opéra rock , initially accompanied by a symphony orchestra from Kiev, though the tour was postponed in spring 2014 due to events in Ukraine. In 2015, she launched the musical project Looking for Suzanne featuring her guitar and vocals, and released a music video cover of 'Les parfums de sa vie'. She continues to work as a voice actress, providing voices for animated series such as 'Raiponce, la série', 'Nella, Princess Knight', and '44 Cats', and for films like Gabby and the Magic House (2025). Her casting as Rapunzel is often considered perfect, with her voice described as sweet and cute, even drawing comparisons to Jasmine’s singing parts. She performed a concert at the municipal hall on October 20, 2017.

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Malik Bentalha

Malik Bentalha is a French humorist and actor, born on March 1, 1989, in Bagnols-sur-Cèze. He has Algerian Chaoui heritage from Khenchela and Moroccan heritage from Meknès; his father is Algerian and his mother is Moroccan. From 2007 to 2008, he received formal instruction at the Cours Florent while growing up in Laudun-l'Ardoise, Gard. His early career involved performing sketches in Parisian café-théâtres like the Théâtre du Point-Virgule. Bentalha’s professional journey gained momentum in 2010 when Jamel Debbouze noticed him and invited him to join the Jamel Comedy Club. He subsequently opened for Debbouze's 'Tout sur Jamel' tour from 2010 to 2012, and also opened for Gad Elmaleh at the Palais des Sports in 2010. He participated in France 2’s ‘Le meilleur de Paris fait sa comédie’ that same year. From 2011, he featured in a recurring segment called 'Télé Délire' on the radio program 'Le Grand Direct', initially with Mathieu Madénian and later with Benjamin Josse. Alex Lutz directed his debut one-man performance, 'Malik Bentalha se la raconte,' which debuted in 2010. Bentalha’s career has expanded beyond stand-up comedy to include film and television. A DVD of 'Malik Bentalha se la raconte' was released in December 2014, and W9 broadcast a live session of the show in January 2015, followed by a TV report called 'Malik se raconte'. He starred in the film 'Pattaya' (2015) and later appeared in ‘Taxi 5’ (2018) and ‘Le Doudou’ (2018). He has also performed at the 'Marrakech du rire' show in June 2013 and regularly appears on Cyril Hanouna’s radio program ‘Les pieds dans le plat’ since 2014, as well as on ‘Vendredi tout est permis’ since February 2013. He joined Les Enfoirés in 2019. He directed the film 'Jack Mimoun et les Secrets de Val Verde' in 2022 and released a parody of 'L'Heure des pros' in November 2023. His one-man shows continue, with ‘Nouveau monde’ currently running (2024-). He serves as a godfather for Theodora Children's Charity.

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Manu Payet

Manu Payet, professionally known as Manu Payet, is a French comedian, actor, filmmaker, and radio host. Born Emmanuel Xavier Payet on December 22, 1975, in Saint-Denis de La Réunion, he is also known by his birth name, Emmanuel Payet, and his pronunciation is [emanɥɛl many pajɛt]. He began his career as an antenna manager for NRJ Réunion in 2000. Payet's early work involved radio hosting roles for NRJ. From 2000 to 2008, he worked as an animator for NRJ Paris and hosted various time slots, including midday to 4 PM (2000-2001) and the evening show 'My NRJ' (2001). He also co-hosted 'Le Match NRJ' in 2002 and was part of the humor team for 'Le 6/9,' releasing albums 'RN 6-9' (2002) and 'C'est commerçant' (2004) with that team. His television appearances included parody shows for Comédie! channel in 2003, and he hosted 'Le Soiring' on TPS Star in 2005. He collaborated with M6 to present 'Manu et Bruno sont dans la télé' in 2006. Payet’s career expanded into film voice acting, notably voicing Lone Gunslinger Vulture in Ice Age: The Meltdown (2006) and Po in the French versions of the Kung Fu Panda franchise beginning in 2008. He has appeared in numerous films including Hello Goodbye (2008), Kaamelott (2009), Coco (2009) with Gad Elmaleh, RTT (2009), and Tout Ce Qui Brille (2010). He co-directed and starred in the romantic comedy Situation amoureuse : C'est compliqué in 2014. He has performed his one-man shows, beginning with 'Manu Payet' at the Splendid theater in 2007, which toured France for three years and played at the Bataclan (April 2008) and Olympia (December 2008). He then presented 'Emmanuel' in 2017. He is returning to the stage with a new show, incorporating stories from his life, including his childhood on La Réunion, and discussing passions like radio, prehistory, music, and Nutella.

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France

Max Boublil

Max Boublil, born Maximilien Léon Boublil on May 17, 1979, in Paris, is a French actor, singer, and comedian. He comes from a diverse background; his father is a general practitioner of Tunisian Jewish origin, while his mother is a screenwriter and children's author of Champagne origin, making him of Sephardi Jewish descent. He began his career appearing in films, TV movies, and television series starting in the late 1990s, including roles in ‘Sous le soleil’ (1999) and ‘Navarro’ (2000). Before returning to stand-up comedy, he worked selling clothing. Boublil gained significant recognition in 2007 with the humorous song and music video 'Ce soir... tu vas prendre,' which also led to appearances on Canal+'s Le Grand Journal . Following this success, he embarked on a series of one-man shows. He performed 'Max prend...' in Paris between 2007 and 2009, and ‘Max prend la route’ in other cities during the same period. His comedy style is known for humorous takes on songs and personalities; he has parodied figures like Susan Boyle. Other notable appearances from this era include One Man Sauvage (2009) and Max les veut toutes , a hidden camera show on Comédie! and NRJ 12 (2009). He released his debut album, ‘L'album,’ in February 2011, and ‘Le 2ème album’ in June 2012. Throughout the 2010s, Boublil continued to expand his work. He appeared in films such as 'Les Gaous' (2003), 'La Folle Histoire d'amour de Simon Eskenazy' (2009) and co-wrote and starred in ‘Les Gamins’ (2013). In 2010, he hosted Le Mag de Max on W9’s reality show Dilemme , and released the song 'Chanson raciste,' which sparked a dispute with Alibi Montana, but they later collaborated on 'Max Boublil clash alibi Montana.' He toured extensively with ‘En sketches et en chansons,’ culminating in a performance at the Olympia in Paris in June 2013. More recently, he starred in Play (2020) and co-wrote and starred in the series Mike (2018). In 2020, he created and starred in Max Boublil , filmed for Prime Video. He appeared on Les Grosses Têtes in 2021, and in 2025 presented Neuilly-Poissy at the San Diego French Film Festival.

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Michaël Gregorio

Michaël Gregorio is a French comedian, imitator, and singer born on June 10, 1984, in Mulhouse. His childhood was marked by frequent relocations due to his father’s military career, including time spent living in Germany and Pau. From age three, he demonstrated an early interest in performance, participating in a school play in Gan. He also has Spanish origins. Gregorio's journey into comedy began at age 14 when he started taking theater classes and performing in plays like 'Dom Juan revient de guerre' and 'Grand-peur et misère du IIIe Reich'. Around age 16, he experimented with singing, drawing inspiration from bands such as Radiohead and Nirvana. He also attended circus school (Persé Circus) as a juggler. His talent for imitation was recognized early; he won the ‘Graines de star’ show on M6 twice in March 2001. He began performing professionally at age 16 with his manager, David Hardit. He participated in 'Les Coups d'humour' on TF1 in 2002 and 2003. Throughout the 2000s, Gregorio’s career gained momentum. In 2004, he appeared on Laurent Ruquier’s show 'Vos imitations préférées', and in 2005, he performed at the Juste pour rire festival in Montreal. His first solo show, 'J’aurais voulu être un chanteur…', toured France and Europe. He opened for Céline Dion on her European tour in 2008 and received a ‘prix coup de cœur du jury’ at the Festival Mont-Blanc d’Humour that same year. He performed five sold-out shows at the Bataclan in December 2008. Since 2004, he has presented successful shows combining humor, vocal performances, and emotions. His tours have been acclaimed by over 1.5 million spectators. Gregorio's current show is 'L’Odyssée de la Voix', touring France and Belgium in the 2023-24 season, and concluding with three performances at the Folies Bergère on February 16, 17, and 18, 2026. Over 400,000 people have seen 'L’Odyssée de la voix'. He has also appeared in films like 'Dépression et des potes' (2016) and 'Hommes au bord de la crise de nerfs' (2023), and has dubbed around fifteen animated films and series.

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Michel Modo

Michel Modo, born Michel Henri Louis Goi on March 30, 1937, in Carpentras, Vaucluse, France, was a French actor and humorist. He died on September 24, 2008, in Vaires-sur-Marne, Seine-et-Marne, from cancer at the age of 71. Known professionally as Modo, he was also a screenwriter and voice actor. Modo began his career in the late 1950s when he formed the comedy duo Grosso et Modo with Guy Grosso. They attended the Cours Simon acting school, where they met, and began performing professionally in music halls and café-théâtres in 1958. Grosso et Modo gained national recognition after appearing in Le Gendarme de Saint-Tropez (1964) and subsequently starred in numerous films with Louis de Funès. They portrayed gendarmes Tricard and Berlicot in the Gendarme de Saint-Tropez film series, and Lecoing and Laflûte in Le Songe d'une nuit d'été (1981). Modo played Constable Berlicot in six films in the series. Throughout his career, Michel Modo appeared in a variety of films including La belle américaine , Le Corniaud , La Grande Vadrouille , and Le Grand Restaurant . Between 1993 and 1997, he played Maurice Lolande, a humorous character representing the average French person, in the television series Highlander . He also made appearances in Plus belle la vie (2005) as a bum philosopher disguised as Santa Claus. From 1989 until his death, Modo provided voice acting for multiple recurring characters in the French version of The Simpsons , including Burns, Wiggum, Krusty, Skinner and Hibbert. He was working on dubbing season 19 of The Simpsons when he died. Gérard Rinaldi replaced him, but Rinaldi also died from cancer in 2012.

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Odile Versois

Odile Versois, born Étiennette de Poliakoff on June 15, 1930, in the 15th arrondissement of Paris, was a French actress. She passed away on June 23, 1980, in Paris, from cancer, at the age of 50. Her parents, Vladimir de Poliakoff and Militza Envald, were Russian émigrés who fled after the 1917 Revolution; her father was an opera singer and her mother a ballet dancer. She was buried at the Russian cemetery of Sainte-Geneviève-des-Bois. Tania Baydarova, later known as Versois, started working professionally in the arts at a young age, first attempting a short-lived ballet career as a 'petit rat' within the Corps de Ballet of the Opéra de Paris. She transitioned to acting at age 18, making her film debut in Les Dernières Vacances (1948) alongside Roger Leenhardt. Her early roles included appearances in films such as Orage d'été (1949) with her sister Catherine, and Into the Blue (1950). From 1948 to 1980, Versois acted in a total of 47 films and television programs. She starred in films like Le Train Bleu s'arrête 13 fois (1966) and La Juive du Château-Trompette (1974). Her appearances on television included roles in series such as L'inspecteur Leclerc enquête (1962), Le Pain de ménage (1964), and her final role in Julien Fontanes, magistrat (1980). She also performed on French, Belgian, Swiss, and North African stages. Her filmography includes Bel Amour (1951) and À tombeau ouvert (1956). She was married twice; first to Jacques René Dacqmine in 1951, divorcing the following year, and later to Comte François Reynier Ambroise Henri Pozzo di Borgo in 1953, with whom she had four children.

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Philippe Chevallier

Born in Redon on January 11, 1956, Philippe Chevallier is a French comedian, actor, and photographer. He is the youngest of four brothers, with his father being a magistrate. After initially studying law for four years and obtaining a certificate in criminology, he attended the Cours Simon for theater training, ultimately following a teacher to start her own school where he met Régis Laspalès in 1980. This meeting marked the beginning of a significant partnership. The comedic partnership of Chevallier et Laspalès, formed with Régis Laspalès, is what primarily defines Chevallier's career. They debuted their first show, Pas de fantaisie dans l'orangeade , in 1981 and made their television debut in 1982 on 'Le Théâtre de Bouvard'. The duo became popular for sketches such as Le train pour Pau , Les Vacances , and S.O.S détresse . Their collaborative work extended to film, notably starring in Ma femme s'appelle Maurice in 2002 and appearing in films like Tête à tête (1994), Le Pari (1997), Ca n'empêche pas les sentiments (1998), Antilles sur Seine (2000), Les Gaous (2004), and Tu vas rire mais je te quitte (2004). They received the SACEM Humor Award in 1999, and from 2001 to 2014, Chevallier was a member of 'Les Grosses Têtes' on television. Beyond his comedic work, Chevallier is recognized for his photography. His artistic style explores themes of transparency, opacity, voyeurism, exhibitionism, and modesty, often utilizing stockings as a "unit of measurement." Critics have noted a paradoxical presence of eroticism in his photographs and described his approach as increasingly sophisticated. He transitioned from Polaroid to digital photography and is a member of the Académie Alphonse Allais. He married his partner, Stéphanie (nicknamed Tiffany), on July 26, 2016. A performance is scheduled for May 22, 2027, at the Théâtre de Longjumeau.

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