Niels Arestrup obit

Niels Arestrup Dies: ‘A Prophet’ French-Danish Actor Was 75

 

He was not on the list.

French-Danish actor, director and writer Niels Arestrup, known for his Cesar-winning performances in Jacques Audiard’s The Beat That My Heart Skipped and A Prophet, has died at his home outside Paris at the age of 75.

Arestrup’s wife, the actress, screenwriter and author Isabelle Le Nouvel announced her husband’s death on Sunday.

The actor won a record three French Césars across his career with the final one being Bertrand Tavernier’s political satire The French Minister (Quai d’Orsay).

Arestrup was born to French mother, from Brittany, and a Danish father and grew up in humble conditions in Paris. After failing his high-school exams, he did odd jobs and then slowly moved into TV and drama.

In A Prophet, Arestrup played ruthless Corsican mobster César Luciani, who enlists the protagonist Malik (Tahar Rahim), introducing him to a life of crime in return for his protection.

Further highlights of Arestrup’s career included Volker Schlöndorff ‘s Diplomacy, in which he played General Dietrich von Choltitz, the real-life German military governor of occupied Paris in WWII, opposite André Dussollier as Swedish consul-general Raoul Nordling, as he tried to save the city from destruction.

More recently, Arestrup has appeared in a number of high-profile French TV dramas, Ziad Doueiri’s Baron Noir and Les Papillons Noirs.

He also had a prolific career in theatre, his first love, with his most recent credits including a production of John Logan’s play Red about the artist Rothko, for which he won a Molière award for Best Actor in 2019.

Actor

Les papillons noirs (2022)

Les papillons noirs

7.5

TV Mini Series

Albert

2022

6 episodes

 

Oulaya Amamra and Lina El Arabi in Divertimento (2022)

Divertimento

6.9

Sergiu Celibidache

2022

 

Jean-Pierre Mocky in Myster Mocky présente (2007)

Myster Mocky présente

7.4

TV Series

2020

1 episode

 

Niels Arestrup and Patrick Bruel in Villa Caprice (2020)

Villa Caprice

5.8

Luc Germon

2020

 

Calls (2017)

Calls

7.6

TV Series

Adam

2019

1 episode

 

Willem Dafoe in At Eternity's Gate (2018)

At Eternity's Gate

6.9

Madman

2018

 

Corinne Masiero in Capitain Marleau (2014)

Capitain Marleau

6.8

TV Series

Hervé Gerfaut

2017

1 episode

 

See You Up There (2017)

See You Up There

7.4

Marcel Péricourt

2017

 

Return to Montauk (2017)

Return to Montauk

5.9

Walter

2017

 

Baron noir (2016)

Baron noir

7.8

TV Series

Francis Laugier

2016

8 episodes

 

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie in By the Sea (2015)

By the Sea

5.3

Michel

2015

 

Papa lumière (2015)

Papa lumière

5.2

Jacques

2015

 

96 heures (2014)

96 heures

5.6

Victor Kancel

2014

 

Niels Arestrup and André Dussollier in Diplomacy (2014)

Diplomacy

7.1

General Dietrich von Choltitz

2014

 

The Dune (2013)

The Dune

6.9

Reuven

2013

 

Julie Gayet, Thierry Lhermitte, and Raphaël Personnaz in The French Minister (2013)

The French Minister

6.4

Claude Maupas

2013

 

Émilie Dequenne and Tahar Rahim in Our Children (2012)

Our Children

6.8

André Pinget

2012

 

Jeremy Irvine in War Horse (2011)

War Horse

7.2

Grandfather

2011

 

Niels Arestrup, Patrick Chesnais, Lorànt Deutsch, and Anne Marivin in You Will Be My Son (2011)

You Will Be My Son

6.9

Paul de Marseul

2011

 

Lettres à un jeune poète (2010)

Lettres à un jeune poète

2010

 

Small World (2010)

Small World

6.5

Thomas Senn

2010

 

The Big Picture (2010)

The Big Picture

6.6

Bartholomé

2010

 

Kristin Scott Thomas and Charlotte Poutrel in Sarah's Key (2010)

Sarah's Key

7.5

Jules Dufaure

2010

 

Niels Arestrup in L'invitation (2009)

L'invitation

Short

Philippe Torsen

2009

 

Emir Kusturica and Guillaume Canet in Farewell (2009)

Farewell

6.9

Vallier

2009

 

Suite noire (2009)

Suite noire

6.8

TV Series

Gérard

2009

1 episode

 

Tahar Rahim in A Prophet (2009)

A Prophet

7.8

César Luciani

2009

 

Mathieu Amalric and Emmanuelle Seigner in The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (2007)

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

8.0

Roussin

2007

 

La part animale (2007)

La part animale

6.5

Henri Chaumier

2007

 

Le candidat (2007)

Le candidat

6.3

Georges - le stratège du parti

2007

 

Fragments of Antonin (2006)

Fragments of Antonin

7.0

Professeur Lantier

2006

 

Le Rainbow Warrior (2006)

Le Rainbow Warrior

6.8

TV Movie

Le Duc

2006

 

The Beat That My Heart Skipped (2005)

The Beat That My Heart Skipped

7.2

Robert Seyr

2005

 

Les enquêtes d'Éloïse Rome (2001)

Les enquêtes d'Éloïse Rome

6.9

TV Series

Van Rooten

2002

1 episode

 

Parlez-moi d'amour (2002)

Parlez-moi d'amour

5.2

Richard

2002

 

A Private Affair (2002)

A Private Affair

6.2

Le père de Rachel

2002

 

Fernando Krapp m'a écrit cette lettre

TV Movie

Fernando Krapp

2000

 

Jean-Louis Foulquier and Lara Guirao in La part de l'ombre (2000)

La part de l'ombre

6.2

TV Movie

Charles Oberlé

2000

 

Le pique-nique de Lulu Kreutz (1999)

Le pique-nique de Lulu Kreutz

5.1

Jascha Steg

1999

 

Rewind (1998)

Rewind

5.1

Fabrice Rivail

1998

 

Les derniers jours de la victime (1995)

Les derniers jours de la victime

6.8

TV Movie

Mendizabal

1995

 

Délit mineur (1994)

Délit mineur

4.3

Claude

1994

 

Albert Savarus (1993)

Albert Savarus

8.2

TV Movie

Albert Savarus

1993

 

La femme abandonnée

6.4

TV Movie

Oskar de Wilno

1992

 

Meeting Venus (1991)

Meeting Venus

6.6

Zoltan Szanto

1991

 

La grande dune

TV Movie

Keiser

1990

 

Sabine Haudepin and Jacques Perrin in Manon Roland (1989)

Manon Roland

6.5

TV Movie

Danton

1989

 

La derelitta (1983)

Cinéma 16

6.9

TV Series

Professeur Hans Klemm

Brandy

1977–1988

2 episodes

 

Ville étrangère (1988)

Ville étrangère

5.0

Gregor Keuschnig

1988

 

Rausch der Verwandlung (1989)

Rausch der Verwandlung

8.8

TV Mini Series

Ferdinand Farner

1989

 

Doux amer (1987)

Doux amer

2.8

Jean

1987

 

Charlie Dingo (1987)

Charlie Dingo

3.8

William

1987

 

John Gielgud in Barbablù, Barbablù (1987)

Barbablù, Barbablù

6.8

Gastone

1987

 

Grandeur et décadence d'un petit commerce de cinéma (1986)

Black Sequence

6.8

TV Series

Angelo

1987

1 episode

 

La rumba (1987)

La rumba

4.6

Commissaire Detaix

1987

 

Le goûter chez Niels

7.6

Short

Niels

1986

 

Les loups entre eux (1985)

Les loups entre eux

5.1

Mike

1985

 

Diesel (1985)

Diesel

3.8

Nelson

1985

 

Isabelle Huppert and Niels Arestrup in Sincerely Charlotte (1985)

Sincerely Charlotte

5.3

Mathieu

1985

 

Ornella Muti, Niels Arestrup, and Hanna Schygulla in The Future Is Woman (1984)

The Future Is Woman

5.7

Gordon

1984

 

Anny Duperey in La guerre de Troie n'aura pas lieu (1982)

Emmenez-moi au théâtre

TV Series

Jean

1984

1 episode

 

Les poneys sauvages (1982)

Les poneys sauvages

8.4

TV Mini Series

Ben

1983

1 episode

 

Michel Bouquet in La danse de mort (1982)

La danse de mort

6.7

TV Movie

Kurt

1982

 

Claudine Auger and Marina Vlady in Les secrets de la princesse de Cadignan (1982)

Les secrets de la princesse de Cadignan

6.0

TV Movie

Rastignac

1982

 

Niels Arestrup and Malka Ribowska in Le retour d'Elisabeth Wolff (1982)

Le retour d'Elisabeth Wolff

TV Movie

Stan Pilgrim

1982

 

La cerisaie

8.4

TV Movie

Lopakhine

1982

 

L'oiseau bleu (1981)

L'oiseau bleu

7.0

TV Movie

Le père

1981

 

Les héritiers

TV Series

Serge

1981

1 episode

 

Du blues dans la tête (1981)

Du blues dans la tête

3.9

Dan

1981

 

Seuls (1981)

Seuls

6.1

Jean

1981

 

Niels Arestrup and Nathalie Nell in Le roman du samedi (1980)

Le roman du samedi

TV Series

Hugues Viane

1980

1 episode

 

André Dussollier and Danièle Lebrun in Le petit théâtre d'Antenne 2 (1977)

Le petit théâtre d'Antenne 2

TV Series

Le Client

1980

1 episode

 

The Woman Cop (1980)

The Woman Cop

6.9

Dominique Allier, le photographe

1980

 

Yolande Folliot in Le tourbillon des jours (1979)

Le tourbillon des jours

7.4

TV Mini Series

Germain

1979

6 episodes

 

Miou-Miou in Memoirs of a French Whore (1979)

Memoirs of a French Whore

6.4

André

1979

 

Histoires abominables

Karl (segment "La passion d'une femme sans coeur")

1979

 

La passion d'une femme sans coeur

Short

Karl

1979

 

Klaus Kinski in The Song of Roland (1978)

The Song of Roland

5.5

Le commerçant

Oton

1978

 

Lulu

TV Movie

Schwarz

1978

 

Tauwetter (1977)

Tauwetter

Jean-Luc

1977

 

Jean Carmet and Jean-Pierre Marielle in Plus ça va, moins ça va (1977)

Plus ça va, moins ça va

5.8

Vincent

1977

 

Les apprentis sorciers (1977)

Les apprentis sorciers

5.9

Danton

1977

 

Catherine Deneuve and Anouk Aimée in Second Chance (1976)

Second Chance

6.2

Henri Lanot

1976

 

Demain les mômes (1976)

Demain les mômes

5.2

Philippe

1976

 

Le grand soir (1976)

Le grand soir

6.4

Léon

1976

 

Lumiere (1976)

Lumiere

5.8

Nano

1976

 

I, You, He, She (1974)

I, You, He, She

6.7

Truck-driver

1974

 

Miss O'Gynie et les hommes fleurs (1974)

Miss O'Gynie et les hommes fleurs

5.5

Yves

1974

 

Jean-Paul Belmondo in Stavisky (1974)

Stavisky

6.5

Rudolph, le secrétaire de Trotski

1974

 

La dernière carte

TV Movie

Wilhem Kasda

1974

 

Messieurs les jurés (1974)

Messieurs les jurés

6.2

TV Series

Jean-Roger Pasquier

1974

1 episode

 

Writer

Niels Arestrup in L'invitation (2009)

L'invitation

Short

Writer

2009

 

Le Temps des Cerises

TV Special

Writer

2008

 

Le candidat (2007)

Le candidat

6.3

Writer

2007

 

Du blues dans la tête (1981)

Du blues dans la tête

3.9

Writer

1981

 

Director

Niels Arestrup in L'invitation (2009)

L'invitation

Short

Director

2009

 

Le candidat (2007)

Le candidat

6.3

Director

2007