Biography: Born in Lausanne, Switzerland in 1962, soulful, exotic-looking leading man Vincent Perez is known for his grand and glossy French pictures, exuding a sexy stare and irresistable charm that has swept Gallic women off their feet for nearly two decades. From the classical theatre stage (Paris Conservatoire, L'Ecole des Amandiers) in works ranging from Shakespeare to Chekhov, Perez became an instant r ... show all Born in Lausanne, Switzerland in 1962, soulful, exotic-looking leading man Vincent Perez is known for his grand and glossy French pictures, exuding a sexy stare and irresistable charm that has swept Gallic women off their feet for nearly two decades. From the classical theatre stage (Paris Conservatoire, L'Ecole des Amandiers) in works ranging from Shakespeare to Chekhov, Perez became an instant romantic idol after pairing opposite slightly older femme stars Jacqueline Bisset in House of Jade (1988) and Catherine Deneuve in Indochine (1992). His breakthrough role, however, came as the callow, vacuous lover Christian opposite Gerard Depardieu's Cyrano de Bergerac (1990). The film is considered these days the definitive version of the Edmond Rostand classic. With this European success, the lithe, moody heartthrob branched out internationally, finally making his American film debut in The Crow: City of Angels (1996), taking over the vengeful title role from the late Brandon Lee who was accidentally killed in the original. The sequel proved crashingly dull and the U.S. has been surprisingly unreceptive to Perez ever since. This may be in part due to his subsequent American movies, which have included the passionless I Dreamed of Africa (2000) with Kim Basinger, The Bride of the Wind (2001) and The Queen of the Damned (2002) with the late musical star Aaliyah. Perez has been married to model/actress Karine Sylla since 1998 and they have three children, including one set of twins). Sylla also has a child by Perez's ex-co-star Depardieu. In Europe, however, Perez is an art-house favorite. hide |
