The Most Famous
Actors from France
Trending Actors from France This Week
The top 10 Actors from France trending on Wikipedia in the past 7 days, with a quick note on what drove the spike.
- #1
Nathalie Baye
1948 - 2026
Trending in French (#1), Dutch (#40), German (#55), Hungarian (#57), Polish (#79), Spanish (#130), Portuguese (#131), Italian (#185), and...
- #2
Laura Smet
b. 1983
Trending in French (#2) Wikipedia (52,377 views, on Apr 24).
- #3
Max Linder
1883 - 1925
Trending in Polish (#4) Wikipedia (3,473 views, on Apr 27).
- #4
Sophie Marceau
b. 1966
Trending in Hungarian (#7) and French (#326) Wikipedia (516 views, on Apr 24).
- #5
Clovis Cornillac
b. 1968
Trending in French (#9) Wikipedia (7,059 views, on Apr 23).
- #6
Pauline Lafont
1963 - 1988
Trending in French (#10) Wikipedia (12,645 views, on Apr 26).
- #7
Laurent Lafitte
b. 1973
Trending in French (#11) Wikipedia (8,936 views, on Apr 24).
- #8
Alexandra Lamy
b. 1971
Trending in French (#12) Wikipedia (6,151 views, on Apr 23).
- #9
Karin Viard
b. 1966
Trending in French (#14) and German (#89) Wikipedia (6,699 views, on Apr 22).
- #10
Claudine Auger
1941 - 2019
Trending in French (#15) Wikipedia (7,670 views, on Apr 24).
Top 10 French Actors
The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the top 10 most legendary Frenchs Actors of all time. This list of famous Frenchs Actors is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography's online popularity. Visit the rankings page to view the entire list of Frenchs Actors.
- #1
Alain Delon
1935 - 2024
HPI 85.79123 langsAlain Delon is most famous for his role in the French film "Plein Soleil" (Purple Noon) in 1960.
- #2
Brigitte Bardot
1934 - 2025
HPI 84.12119 langsBrigitte Bardot is most famous for her modeling and acting career. She was a popular sex symbol in the 1950s and 1960s.
- #3
Jean-Paul Belmondo
1933 - 2021
HPI 81.9393 langsJean-Paul Belmondo is most famous for his role in the French New Wave film Breathless.
- #4
Louis de Funès
1914 - 1983
HPI 81.8687 langsLouis de Funès is most famous for his comedic roles in French movies and TV shows. He was born in 1914 and died in 1983.
- #5
Sarah Bernhardt
1844 - 1923
HPI 81.34162 langsSarah Bernhardt was a French actress who was most famous for her dramatic roles on stage.
- #6
Gérard Depardieu
b. 1948
HPI 80.1981 langsGérard Depardieu is most famous for his role in the movie Cyrano de Bergerac.
- #7
Catherine Deneuve
b. 1943
HPI 79.3576 langsCatherine Deneuve is a French actress who has starred in over 100 films. She is most famous for her roles in Belle de Jour, The Umbrellas of...Read moreShow less
Catherine Deneuve is a French actress who has starred in over 100 films. She is most famous for her roles in Belle de Jour, The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, and The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2.
- #8
Jean Marais
1913 - 1998
HPI 77.2868 langsJean Marais is most famous for his portrayal of the title character in the Jean Cocteau classic "Beauty and the Beast."
- #9
Jean Gabin
1904 - 1976
HPI 76.2274 langsJean Gabin is most famous for his role in the French film Pépé le Moko.
- #10
Jean Renoir
1894 - 1979
HPI 75.2865 langsJean Renoir is most famous for his films, such as La Grande Illusion and The Rules of the Game.
People by Birth Decade
Browse notable Frenchs Actors grouped by birth decade. Each decade shows the top 10 by HPI; expand to see everyone.
1990s(27)
1980s(67)
1970s(90)
1960s(72)
1950s(45)
1940s(50)
1930s(52)
1920s(52)
1910s(22)
1900s(16)
1890s(15)
1880s(9)
1850s(2)
1750s(1)
1740s(1)
1690s(1)
1610s(1)
Overlapping Lives
Which Actors were alive at the same time? This visualization shows the lifespans of the 25 most globally memorable Actors since 1700.
