Niels Arestrup, the French-Danish actor known for his roles in A Prophet and War Horse, has passed away at the age of 75. His wife, Isabelle Le Nouvel, confirmed his death to Agence France-Presse on Sunday, saying that he died “at the end of a courageous fight against illness.”
Arestrup was closely linked to director Jacques Audiard, having starred in Audiard’s The Beat That My Heart Skipped (2005) and A Prophet (2009). In A Prophet, Arestrup played a powerful and terrifying Corsican mob boss running his operations from prison. His performances earned him César Awards, France’s equivalent of the Oscar, for Best Supporting Actor in both films.
His career also included notable roles in films like Steven Spielberg’s War Horse (2011), where he played a gentle French grandfather, and Julian Schnabel’s The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (2007). He received a third César Award in 2014 for his role in Bertrand Tavernier’s The French Minister.
French culture minister Rachida Dati paid tribute to Arestrup, praising his acting talent and strong presence. “He will remain one of our greatest actors,” she wrote on X.
Born in France to a Danish father and French mother, Arestrup grew up in poverty in the Paris suburbs. His passion for theater led him to the stage, where he made his debut at age 23. He made his film debut in 1976 in Second Chance, directed by Claude Lelouch, and went on to appear in dozens of films and TV series throughout his career.
Arestrup’s final performance was in the 2022 French limited series Black Butterflies.
His career was not without controversy. French actress Isabelle Adjani accused Arestrup of slapping her violently during rehearsals for the play Mademoiselle Julie in 1983. In another incident in 1996, actress Myriam Boyer accused him of nearly strangling her during a stage performance of Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Arestrup was never charged with any crime in these cases.
When asked to comment on his death, Adjani acknowledged Arestrup’s talent but said, “I unfortunately have nothing positive to say about the man.”