Gaël Morel

• Name — Gaël Morel • Born — 25 September 1972 • Birthplace — Villefranche-sur-Saône, Rhône, France • Occupation — Actor, director, screenwriter • Years Active — 1994–present

Morel was born in Villefranche-sur-Saône, Rhône, France, a town of 30,000 inhabitants outside Lyon. He grew up in the nearby village of Lacenas in the Villefranche district. At the age of 15, Morel left home to pursue film studies in Lyon, and later moved to Paris. There he met French director André Téchiné, who cast him in the lead role of François in the multi-César Award-winning 1994 film Wild Reeds (Les Roseaux sauvages), which brought him fame, earning much critical praise for his performance and a 1995 César nomination for Most Promising Young Actor. While his Wild Reeds co-stars Élodie Bouchez and Stéphane Rideau have both gone on to successful acting careers (he has often cast them in his own films), Morel has chosen to write and direct. On April 7, 2009, he co-signed an open letter against the HADOPI law. In January 2013, he co-signed a manifesto in Le Nouvel Observateur in favor of marriage equality; for this newspaper, he reflected on his experiences as a gay man.

• Year — Title — Role — Director • 1994 — Wild Reeds (Les Roseaux sauvages) — François — André Téchiné • 1995 — Le Plus Bel Âge — Bertrand — Didier Haudepin • 1998 — Zonzon — Grandjean — Laurent Bouhnik • 2001 — Far — François — André Téchiné

• Year — Title • 1994 — La Vie à Rebours • 1996 — Full Speed (À toute vitesse) • 1999 — First Snow (Premières neiges) • 2002 — Under Another Sky (Les chemins de l'oued) • 2004 — 3 Dancing Slaves (Le Clan) • 2007 — After Him (Après lui) • 2008 — New Wave • 2011 — Our Paradise (Notre Paradis) • 2017 — Catch the Wind (Prendre le large) • 2024 — To Live, To Die, To Live Again (Vivre, Mourir, Renaître)