Guillaume Jean-Claude Pierre Gallienne (French pronunciation: [ɡijom ɡaljɛn]; born 8 February 1972) is a French actor, screenwriter and film director. He has received two Molière Awards for his stagework and has won two César Awards, one for writing and the other for his performance in his autobiographical comedy film Me, Myself and Mum (2013).
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Early life
Gallienne was born in the Parisian suburb of Neuilly-sur-Seine to French businessman Jean-Claude and Russian-Georgian aristocrat Melitta Gallienne, the third of four sons. From the age of 10, he attended La Salle Passy Buzenval in Rueil-Malmaison where he was bullied for his effeminate personality. Two years later, after a nervous breakdown, he was sent to St John's College near Portsmouth in England. The death of a close cousin convinced him to take up acting at the age of 19. He attended Cours Florent for three years before studying under Daniel Mesguich, Stéphane Braunschweig and Dominique Valadié at the French National Academy of Dramatic Arts, graduating in 1998.
Career
Gallienne made his film debut in 1992 in Tableau d'honneur and he has starred in Sofia Coppola's 2006 film Marie Antoinette. Between 2008 and 2010, he had a short sketch segment entitled Les Bonus de Guillaume on Le Grand Journal, parodying DVD bonus features. He won a Molière Award for Best Newcomer in 2010 in his one-man stage show Boys and Guillaume, to the table! (Les Garçons et Guillaume, à table!) and another for Best Supporting Actor in 2011 in Un fil à la patte. He collaborated with choreographer Nicolas Le Riche to write the libretto for the 2011 Paris Opera Ballet production of Caligula. He adapted Bolshoi Ballet's 2014 Parisian production of Illusions perdues, choreographed by Alexei Ratmansky.
His 2013 film Me, Myself and Mum, an adaptation of his stage show, was screened in the Directors' Fortnight section at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival where it won the top prize (Art Cinema Award) and the Prix SACD. The film was nominated for ten César Awards, the most in 2014, winning five in total. Individually, he was awarded the César Award for Best Actor and the César Award for Best Adaptation. He also won the César Award for Best Film and César Award for Best First Film with producers.
Gallienne has been a member (Sociétaire) of the Comédie-Française company since 2005, having first entered in 1998. He became a Knight of the National Order of Merit in November 2008 and an Officer of the Order of Arts and Letters at the start of 2013. He has hosted a weekly literature show Ça peut pas faire de mal on France Inter since September 2009.
Personal life
In 2001, Guillaume met his wife Amandine, a stylist, whom he married in 2005.
Filmography
As actor
1992: Tableau d'honneur (by Charles Nemes): Castagnier
1995: Sabrina (by Sydney Pollack): Assistant
1996: Un samedi sur la terre (by Diane Bertrand): Apprenti bijoutier
1997: Jeunesse (by Noël Alpi): Le lyonnais
1997: La Leçon de tango (The Tango Lesson) (by Sally Potter): Pablo's Friend
1999: Monsieur Naphtali by Olivier Schatzky: Sommergan
1999: Une pour toutes by Claude Lelouch: L'agent immobilier
2000: Jet Set by Fabien Onteniente: Evrard Sainte-Croix
2003: Fanfan la tulipe by Gérard Krawczyk: Aimé Bonaventure Claudion Dominique de La Houlette
2003: Monsieur Ibrahim et les fleurs du Coran by François Dupeyron: Le Vendeur de voitures
2004: Narco by Tristan Aurouet & Gilles Lellouche: Samuel Pupkin
2005: Tu vas rire, mais je te quitte by Philippe Harel: Pierre-Louis
2006: Fauteuils d'orchestre by Danièle Thompson: Pascal
2006: Marie-Antoinette by Sofia Coppola: Comte Vergennes
2006: La Jungle by Mathieu Delaporte: Mathias Warkhevytch
2006: Mon colonel (by Laurent Herbiet) - Sous-préfet
Honours
Chevalier of the Ordre national du Mérite (2008)
Molière Award for Best Newcomer in Les Garçons et Guillaume, à table! (2010)
Molière Award for Best Supporting Actor in Un fil à la patte (2011)
Lumière Award for Best Actor in Me, Myself and Mum (2014)
César Award for Best Actor in Me, Myself and Mum (2014)
César Award for Best Adaptation in Me, Myself and Mum (2014)
Globes de Cristal Award for Best Actor in Me, Myself and Mum (2014)
Commandeur of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (2022)
Chevalier of the Ordre du Mérite culturel (2022)
Chevalier of the Légion d'honneur (2025)