Personal details
Born:
- Birthday: 1973-01-17
- Born Place: Uccle, Belgium
Also Known As:
프랑수아 다미앵, Brian Courts, François L'Embrouille
François Damiens
Born on January 17, 1973, in Uccle, Belgium, François Damiens is a celebrated actor, director, and comedian who has successfully bridged the gap between cult comedy and prestigious drama. He first rose to fame under the pseudonym "François l’Embrouille," becoming a household name in the 1990s for his elaborate and often absurd hidden-camera pranks on Belgian and French television. Damiens made a seamless transition to cinema, initially as a scene-stealing supporting actor in hits like OSS 117: Cairo, Nest of Spies (2006) and Heartbreaker (2010), for which he received his first César Award nomination. His career evolved with poignant, lead roles in films such as Delicacy (2011), The Bélier Family (2014), and Suzanne (2013), the latter earning him a Special Artistic Achievement award at the Thessaloniki Film Festival. In 2018, he showcased his versatility behind the camera by writing and directing the comedy-drama Mon Ket. In 2025, he delivers a nuanced performance as Yves in Agnès de Sacy's La Fille d'un grand amour, portraying a father and former lover whose "divergent testimony" about a past romance forms the emotional core of the film. Outside of live-action, he is also a prolific voice actor, recently lending his voice to the character Razamel in the 2025 animated feature The Smurfs Movie.
