Paul Kircher

Paul Kircher (born 2001) is a French actor. The eldest son of actors Irène Jacob and Jérôme Kircher, he is known for his role in the drama film Winter Boy (2022), for which he was nominated for the César Award for Most Promising Actor. He has since starred in the adventure film The Animal Kingdom (2023).

Paul Kircher
Born2001 (age 2122)
Paris, France
OccupationActor
Years active2020–present
Parents
RelativesMaurice Jacob (grandfather)

Early life

Paul Kircher was born in Paris in 2001.[1] He is the eldest son of actors Irène Jacob and Jérôme Kircher. His grandfather was the phyisicist Maurice Jacob (1933–2007). He grew up in Paris with his brother Samuel, who is three years his junior and is also an actor. They both attended school in the 18th arrondissement.[2] Irène Jacob and Jérôme Kircher both often acted together and took their sons on tours.[3]

Originally, Kircher did not want to follow in his parents footsteps by stepping into the acting business, which initially "scared him a bit". Parallel to attending high school, he took lessons at a music school in Paris and sang in various rock bands. After graduating from high school, he began studying geography and economics. At the same time, he completed theater internships with Jordan Beswick, who is a professor at the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute in New York and at the Manufacture des Abbesses in Paris.[4]

Career

Kircher made his feature film debut in 2020 in the teen comedy How to Make Out (T'as pécho?) directed by Adeline Picault. In the film, he took on the lead role of 15-year-old Arthur, whose love for Ouassima (portrayed by Inès d'Assomption) is unrequited. He then gathers a group of unsuccessful male classmates to give them tips on flirting with girls. Kircher had found out about the casting from a friend and spontaneously auditioned. The part led Kircher to another major role, in the romantic comedy film Petite leçon d'amour (2021), which starred Lætitia Dosch and Pierre Deladonchamps as lovers.[5]

Kircher's breakthrough as a film actor was the award-winning title role in Christophe Honoré's semi-autobiographical drama Winter Boy (Le Lycéen) Kircher portrays Lucas Ronis, a 17-year-old gay teenager coping with the sudden and unexpected death of his father in an accident that may or may not have been suicide. To help her spiraling son, Isabelle (Juliet Binoche) sends Lucas to Paris for a week with his older brother Quentin (Vincent Lacoste). Honoré had chosen Kircher from hundreds of actors[4] and would later praise him for his "overwhelming sensitivity".[5] In preparation, he gave the actor, among other things, the novel The Beautiful Room Is Empty by Edmund White to read.[6] For his portrayal of Lucas, Kircher won the Silver Shell for Best Leading Performance at the 70th San Sebastián International Film Festival and received nominations for Most Promising Actor at the 28th Lumières Awards and 48th César Awards.[7][8][9]

Following the success of Winter Boy, Kircher was originally slated to play the male lead in Catherine Breillat's erotic drama Last Summer (L'Été dernier). However, the shooting was delayed, after which the actor was considered too old for the part intended for him. He then recommended his brother Samuel, who was not active in cinema, to the director, who ultimately awarded him the role.[10] Kircher was instead cast in a main role alongside Romain Duris and Adèle Exarchopoulos in Thomas Cailley's science fiction adventure film The Animal Kingdom (Le Règne animal),[11] which was selected to be screened as the opening film of the Un Certain Regard section at the 76th Cannes Film Festival,[12] where it premiered on 17 May 2023.[13]

As of September 2023, Kircher is filming for the lead role in Ludovic and Zoran Boukherma's And Their Children After Them, an adaptation of Nicolas Mathieu's novel of the same name.[14][15]

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
2020 T'as pécho? Arthur
2021 Petite leçon d'amour Lancelot Girerd
2022 Winter Boy Lucas Ronis
2023 The Animal Kingdom Émile
2024 Leurs enfants après eux TBA Filming

Television

Year Title Role Notes
2020 Capitaine Marleau Manu Philippon Episode: "L'Arbre aux Esclaves"
2022 Weekend Family Alexis Episode: "Double Axel"

Awards and nominations

Awards and nominations for Paul Kircher
Award Date of ceremony Category Title Result Ref.
San Sebastián International Film Festival 24 September 2022 Silver Shell for Best Leading Performance[lower-alpha 1] Winter Boy Won [18]
Festival de films francophones Cinemania 2022 Best Actor Won [19]
Lumières Award 16 January 2023 Most Promising Actor Nominated [20]
César Awards 24 February 2023 Most Promising Actor Nominated [21]

Notes

  1. shared with Carla Quílez for her performance in Motherhood.[16][17]

References

  1. "Qui est Paul Kircher, LE LYCÉEN de Christophe Honoré ?" (in French). Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Cinéma. 7 December 2022. Retrieved 19 May 2023.
  2. Armelle Héliot: Jérôme Kircher : ses adresses à Paris XVIIIe. lefigaro.fr, 12 April 2016.
  3. Rossel, Natacha (1 June 2019). "Irène Jacob: Trois couleurs et bien plus encore". Tribune de Genève (in French). Retrieved 20 May 2023.
  4. Dubreuil, Maroussia (29 November 2022). "Paul Kircher, acteur dans Le Lycéen : "La sexualité est la seule chose qui appartient vraiment au personnage"". Le Monde (in French). Retrieved 20 May 2023.
  5. Paul Kircher. In: allocine.fr (accessed 16 April 2023)
  6. Ciné Kircher. Tribune de Genève, 29 November 2022, p. 23.
  7. Roxborough, Scott (24 September 2022). "'The Kings of the World' Wins San Sebastian Film Festival Golden Shell for Best Film". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 20 May 2023.
  8. Goodfellow, Melanie (25 January 2023). "César Nominations: Louis Garrel's 'The Innocent' Takes Surprise Lead, Followed By 'Night Of The 12th' – Full List". Deadline. Retrieved 20 May 2023.
  9. Goodfellow, Melanie (15 December 2022). "'The Night Of The 12th' Leads Nominations In France's Lumière Awards". Deadline. Retrieved 20 May 2023.
  10. Cooper-Hadjian, Olivia (13 April 2023). "Catherine Breillat : L'Été dernier". Cahiers du Cinéma (in French). Retrieved 16 April 2023.
  11. Felperin, Leslie (17 May 2023). "'The Animal Kingdom' Review: Romain Duris and Adèle Exarchopoulos in a Sensitive French Sci-Fi Adventure". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 20 May 2023.
  12. Lemercier, Fabien (13 April 2023). "Young talents abound in Cannes' Un Certain Regard". Cineuropa. Retrieved 16 May 2023.
  13. mraultpauillac (10 May 2023). "The Screenings Guide of the 76th Festival de Cannes". Festival de Cannes. Retrieved 10 May 2023.
  14. Keslassy, Elsa (18 May 2023). "French Hitmakers Hugo Selignac, Alain Attal Set for Banner 2024 With Studiocanal and Netflix on Gilles Lellouche's 'L'Amour Ouf,' and With WB, HBO Max on Boukherma Brothers' Next Film (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 18 September 2023.
  15. Oury, Antoine (5 July 2023). "Leurs enfants après eux : le Goncourt 2018 au cinéma en 2024". ActuaLitté (in French). Retrieved 18 September 2023.
  16. "'Los reyes del mundo' wins the Golden Shell at San Sebastian Festival's 70th edition". San Sebastián Film Festival. 24 September 2022. Retrieved 20 May 2023.
  17. Cabeza, Elisabet (24 September 2022). "'The Kings Of The World' wins Golden Shell in San Sebastian". Screen International. Retrieved 20 May 2023.
  18. "Festival de San Sebastián : Paul Kircher reçoit la Concha d'argent de la Meilleure interprétation pour 'Le Lycéen' !" (in French). Retrieved 26 November 2022.
  19. "Les films lauréats du festival Cinemania dévoilés". ICI.Radio-Canada.ca (in Canadian French).
  20. "La Nuit du 12 en tête des nominations des prix Lumières, avant la course aux César". Le Figaro (in French). 15 December 2022. Retrieved 18 December 2022.
  21. "César 2023 : L'Innocent et La Nuit du 12 en tête des nominations". parismatch.com (in French). Retrieved 25 January 2023.
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