---
name: "Niels Arestrup"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/niels-arestrup"
fi1m_id: "niels-arestrup"
imdb_id: "nm0034390"
tmdb_id: 17498
wikidata_id: "Q1974920"
roles: ["Actor"]
born: "8 February 1949"
died: "1 December 2024"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 3
average_fi1m_score: 78
average_as: "actor"
average_over: 3
updated: "2026-09-20T07:31:16.657224+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Niels Arestrup

## Identity

Niels Arestrup

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/niels-arestrup
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** niels-arestrup
- **IMDb ID:** nm0034390
- **TMDB ID:** 17498
- **Wikidata ID:** Q1974920
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niels_Arestrup, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1974920, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0034390/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/17498

Actor. Born 8 February 1949 in Montreuil, Seine [now Seine-Saint-Denis], France. Died 1 December 2024.

## Details

- **Work:** Actor
- **Born:** 8 February 1949, Montreuil, Seine [now Seine-Saint-Denis], France
- **Died:** 1 December 2024
- **Active:** 2007–2011
- **Frequently works with:** [Kathleen Kennedy](https://film.one/person/kathleen-kennedy.md)
- **Average Fi1m score:** 78, as actor, over 3 titles
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 2000s 86 (2), 2010s 62 (1)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 78 to 72 across 3 titles
- **Score spread:** 2 at 80+, 1 at 60–79, 0 under 60
- **Lead roles:** 1 of 3 acting credits billed first or second
- **Genres:** Drama 3, History 2, Crime 1, War 1
- **Screen time:** 7 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $215m across 3 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niels_Arestrup, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1974920, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0034390/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/17498

## Fi1m on Niels Arestrup

> Niels Arestrup was a formidable supporting actor, especially as men accustomed to obedience. In *A Prophet*, we value the force he brings without pushing the central performance aside.

In *A Prophet* (2009), Luciani’s authority makes Malik’s education in prison feel dangerous. Niels Arestrup is forceful as the crime boss, but Tahar Rahim remains the actor we watch most closely. We found the film frightening because Arestrup makes the pressure on the vulnerable Malik so convincing. Jacques Audiard uses him to give Malik something substantial to contend with as his resourcefulness grows. It is an effective piece of supporting acting: Luciani matters without our mistaking him for the person whose story we are following.

Those intimidating fathers and authority figures became his most recognisable work, but they came after years in supporting parts through the 1980s and 1990s. *The Beat That My Heart Skipped* (2005), in which he played Robert Seyr, began his major collaboration with Jacques Audiard and helped establish that paternal casting. *A Prophet* then brought his prison boss to international attention. Audiard is the clearest place to begin with Arestrup, though the repeated association with bullying men can make his work seem narrower than it was.

Julian Schnabel’s *The Diving Bell and the Butterfly* (2007) offers a useful corrective, with Arestrup in the small role of Roussin. Mathieu Amalric’s Bauby remains the complicated centre of a film we recommend warmly, even with Schnabel’s occasional overindulgence in beautiful images. Arestrup’s contribution is supporting work on a smaller scale, adding to the ensemble without becoming the principal reason to watch. It is worth seeing alongside *A Prophet* before deciding that intimidation explains everything he could do.

*The French Minister* (2013), with his satirical role as Claude Maupas, and *Diplomacy* (2014), carrying his stage performance as General Dietrich von Choltitz into film, provide further places to look. The repeated casting as a bully can make us feel we know what he will do before he has done it. Audiard gives that familiarity a useful purpose in *A Prophet*, where we need to understand the threat to Malik. Start there, but do not expect agreeable company.

## Biography

Niels Arestrup was a French actor, director and screenwriter. He was born on 8 February 1949 in Montreuil, Seine (now Seine-Saint-Denis), France, and died on 1 December 2024.

He began his career in the theatre in the early 1970s and appeared in films from the mid-1970s onwards, including early roles in works by Alain Resnais. Arestrup was known for supporting roles in films such as *The Diving Bell and the Butterfly* (2007), in which he played Roussin; *The Beat That My Heart Skipped* (2005) and *A Prophet* (2009), both directed by Jacques Audiard; *War Horse* (2011); *See You Up There* (2017); and *Diplomacy* (2014). He won three César Awards for Best Supporting Actor, for *The Beat That My Heart Skipped*, *A Prophet* and *The French Minister* (2013).

*Sources: imdb.com, en.wikipedia.org, theguardian.com, telegraph.co.uk.*

## On Fi1m (3)

- *War Horse* (2011), Fi1m 62, as Grandfather — [page](https://film.one/film/war-horse.md)
- *A Prophet* (2009), Fi1m 86, as César Luciani — [page](https://film.one/film/a-prophet.md)
- *The Diving Bell and the Butterfly* (2007), Fi1m 87, as Roussin — [page](https://film.one/film/the-diving-bell-and-the-butterfly.md)

## Complete filmography (73)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *Le soir où j'ai reçu le César 2024* (2024), as Niels Arestrup
- *Divertimento* (2023), as Sergiu Celibidache
- *Black Butterflies* (2022), series, as Albert Desiderio
- *Villa Caprice* (2021), as Luc Germon
- *At Eternity's Gate* (2018), as Madman
- *See You Up There* (2017), as Marcel Péricourt
- *Return to Montauk* (2017), as Walter
- *Baron Noir* (2016), series, as Francis Laugier
- *By the Sea* (2015), as Michel
- *Capitaine Marleau* (2015), series, as Hervé Gerfaut
- *So Long Africa* (2015), as Jacques
- *The Dune* (2014), as Ruben
- *96 heures* (2014), as Victor Kancel
- *Diplomacy* (2014), as General Dietrich von Choltitz
- *The French Minister* (2013), as Claude Maupas
- *Our Children* (2012), as André Pinget
- *War Horse* (2011), as Grandfather — Fi1m 62, [page](https://film.one/film/war-horse.md)
- *You Will Be My Son* (2011), as Paul de Marseul
- *Small World* (2010), as Thomas Senn
- *The Big Picture* (2010), as Bartholomé
- *Sarah's Key* (2010), as Jules Dufaure
- *Farewell* (2009), as Vallier
- *A Prophet* (2009), as César Luciani — Fi1m 86, [page](https://film.one/film/a-prophet.md)
- *Le Temps des cerises* (2008), Theatre Play
- *The Diving Bell and the Butterfly* (2007), as Roussin — Fi1m 87, [page](https://film.one/film/the-diving-bell-and-the-butterfly.md)
- *The Candidate* (2007), as Georges · Director, Writer
- *Fragments of Antonin* (2006), as le professeur Lantier
- *The Beat That My Heart Skipped* (2005), as Robert Seyr
- *Speak to Me of Love* (2002), as Richard
- *A Private Affair* (2002), as Le père de Rachel
- *Lulu Kreutz's Picnic* (2000), as Jascha Steg
- *Fernando Krapp m'a écrit cette lettre* (2000), as Fernando Krapp
- *Rewind* (1998), as Fabrice Rivail
- *Les Derniers Jours de la victime* (1995), as Mendizábal
- *Délit mineur* (1994), as Claude
- *Albert Savarus* (1993), as Albert Savarus
- *La Femme abandonnée* (1992), as Oskar de Wilno
- *Meeting Venus* (1991), as Zoltan Szanto
- *Manon Roland* (1989), as Danton
- *Barbablù, Barbablù* (1989), as Gastone
- *La Ruelle au clair de lune* (1988), as Professeur Hans Klemm
- *Ville étrangère* (1988), as Gregor Keuschnig
- *Doux amer* (1987), as Jean
- *Charlie Dingo* (1987), as William
- *Lorfou* (1987), as Angelo
- *La Rumba* (1987), as Detaix
- *Among Wolves* (1985), as Mike
- *Diesel* (1985), as Nelson
- *Sincerely Charlotte* (1985), as Mathieu
- *The Future Is Woman* (1984), as Gordon
- *One Man's War* (1982), as Narrator
- *The Secrets of the Princesse de Cadignan* (1982), as Rastignac
- *La Cerisaie* (1982), as Lopakhine
- *La danse de mort* (1982), as Kurt
- *Le Retour d'Elisabeth Wolff* (1982), as Stan Pilgrim
- *Alone* (1981), as Jean
- *Bruges la Morte* (1980), as Hugues Viane
- *La Femme flic* (1980), as Dominique Allier · le photographe de la MJC
- *Memoirs of a French Whore* (1979), as André
- *Le Tourbillon des jours* (1979), series, as Germain
- *The Song of Roland* (1978), as Le commerçant / Oton
- *Tauwetter* (1977), as Jean-Luc
- *The Sorceror's Apprentice* (1977), as Danton
- *Plus ça va, moins ça va* (1977), as Vincent
- *The Big Night* (1976), as Léon
- *A Second Chance* (1976), as Henri Lanot
- *Tomorrow's Children* (1976), as Philippe
- *Lumière* (1976), as Nano
- *Je Tu Il Elle* (1974), as Truck Driver
- *Stavisky...* (1974), as Rudolph, le secrétaire de Trotski
- *Miss O'Gynie and the Flower Men* (1974), as Yves
- *La dernière carte* (1974), as Wilhelm Kasda
- *Tiens ferme ta couronne*, Actor

## Gallery

- ![Niels Arestrup](https://film.one/media/person/99690/gallery-d506d7a0cb09.jpg) Niels Arestrup — Georges Biard, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ad/Niels_Arestrup_C%C3%A9sars_2014.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Obsèques de Niels Arestrup à l'église Saint-Roch de Paris. (2024)](https://film.one/media/person/99690/gallery-606c02af2265.jpg) Obsèques de Niels Arestrup à l'église Saint-Roch de Paris. (2024) — ManoSolo13241324, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/52/Niels_Arestrup_obs%C3%A8ques.jpg/1280px-Niels_Arestrup_obs%C3%A8ques.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Invités aux obsèques de Niels Arestrup à l'église Saint-Roch de Paris. (2024)](https://film.one/media/person/99690/gallery-9f96b02f7e6e.jpg) Invités aux obsèques de Niels Arestrup à l'église Saint-Roch de Paris. (2024) — ManoSolo13241324, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/18/Niels_Arestrup_obs%C3%A8ques_invit%C3%A9s.jpg/1280px-Niels_Arestrup_obs%C3%A8ques_invit%C3%A9s.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Oostende Film Festival 2009-Niels Arestrup (2025)](https://film.one/media/person/99690/gallery-c2ff2ef391cf.jpg) Oostende Film Festival 2009-Niels Arestrup (2025) — Haggis MacHaggis, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6f/Oostende_Film_Festival_2009-Niels_Arestrup.jpg/1280px-Oostende_Film_Festival_2009-Niels_Arestrup.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Niels Arestrup](https://film.one/media/person/99690/gallery-07d85e5376bd.jpg) Niels Arestrup — Image via TMDB
- ![Niels Arestrup](https://film.one/media/person/99690/gallery-c31ad00ca702.jpg) Niels Arestrup — Image via TMDB
- ![plaque posée sur la place drouet d'erlon lors de reims polar de 2023.](https://film.one/media/person/99690/gallery-bcda7850aaf2.jpg) plaque posée sur la place drouet d'erlon lors de reims polar de 2023. — G.Garitan, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b6/Reims_polar_niels_arestrup_1563902.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Théâtre Montparnasse, Paris. (2019)](https://film.one/media/person/99690/gallery-c0f93944e38f.jpg) Théâtre Montparnasse, Paris. (2019) — Thomon, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/65/Th%C3%A9%C3%A2tre_Montparnasse.jpg/1280px-Th%C3%A9%C3%A2tre_Montparnasse.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)

## Awards

### Other awards — 7 won

- Officer of the Legion of Honour 2016: Officer of the Legion of Honour (won)
- César Award for Best Supporting Actor 2014: César Award for Best Supporting Actor (won), for *Quai d'Orsay (film)*
- Officer of the National Order of Merit 2011: Officer of the National Order of Merit (won)
- César Award for Best Supporting Actor 2010: César Award for Best Supporting Actor (won), for *A Prophet*
- César Award for Best Supporting Actor 2006: César Award for Best Supporting Actor (won), for *The Beat That My Heart Skipped*
- Knight of the Legion of Honour 2006: Knight of the Legion of Honour (won)
- Knight of the National Order of Merit 2000: Knight of the National Order of Merit (won)

*From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.*

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/niels-arestrup