Pierre Niney

Profile Overview

Pierre François Lazare Niney (Born March 13 1989) is a French actor. Regarded as a French cinematic cultural icon, Niney has received numerous accolades, including a César Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of the title character in the 2014 biographical film Yves Saint Laurent, as well as five additional César nominations. One of France’s most bankable stars, he starred as Edmond Dantès in the 2024 film adaptation of The Count of Monte Cristo, which became one of France’s biggest box-office successes of all time, attracting 9.4 million admissions in the country. The film’s success further cemented Niney as one of the most prominent French public figures of his generation.
Having been the youngest-ever male member of the Comédie-Française, where he performed from 2010 to 2015, Niney made his film debut in the 2008 teenage comedy LOL (Laughing Out Loud), starring Sophie Marceau. In 2012, Niney received his first César nomination for Best Male Revelation for his performance in the coming-of-age comedy 18 Years Old and Rising. In 2013, he starred alongside Virginie Efira in the commercially successful comedy It Boy. He achieved national stardom the following year with his portrayal of Yves Saint Laurent in the biographical film Saint Laurent, for which he won his first César Award for Best Actor.
Niney continued to establish himself as one of France’s leading actors, earning further César nominations for his performances in Frantz (2016) and Black Box (2021). The former, regarded as an accomplished art-house film, competed for the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival and was named one of the National Board of Review’s Top Five International Films of 2017. His portrayal of Edmond Dantès in The Count of Monte Cristo received widespread critical acclaim and the film became a major international box-office success, grossing more than $100 million worldwide. His performance earned him his fifth César Award nomination for Best Actor.
He became a Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters in France in 2015.