Dany Boon
{{short description|French comedian and filmmaker|bot=PearBOT 5}}
{{for|others with similar names|Daniel Boone (disambiguation)}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Dany Boon
| image = Dany Boon Cannes 2018.jpg
| caption = Boon in 2018
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1966|6|26}}
| birth_place = Armentières, Hauts-de-France, France
| birthname = Daniel Farid Hamidou
| spouse = {{plainlist|
- {{marriage|Judith Godrèche|1998|2002|reason=div}}
- {{marriage|Yaël Harris|2003|2018|reason=div}}
}}
| partner = Laurence Arné (2018–)
| children = 5
| yearsactive = 1992–present
| occupation = Actor, film director, screenwriter, producer
}}
Dany Boon ({{IPA|fr|dani bun|pron}}; born Daniel Farid Hamidou on 26 June 1966) is a French actor, film director, screenwriter and producer.
Starting out as a comedian during the 1990s, he found success in 2008 as an actor and director in the film comedy Welcome to the Sticks. Since then he has been involved as screenwriter or director or both in the films Nothing to Declare (2011), Supercondriaque (2014), Raid dingue (2017), La Ch'tite famille (2018), Stuck Together (2021) and Life for Real (2023).
Early life
Boon was born Daniel Farid Hamidou in a middle-class family in northern France. His father was born in 1930 in Issers, Algeria, and was Muslim,{{cite web |url=https://www.yediot.co.il/articles/0,7340,L-5419391,00.html|title="היום אני יהודי גאה" |date=3 December 2018 }} and died in Lille, France in 1992. He was a boxer and a chauffeur. Boon's mother, Danièle Ducatel,{{Cite web|title=Daniele Hamidou-Ducatel , mother of French comedian Dany Boon, and...|url=https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/daniele-hamidou-ducatel-mother-of-french-comedian-dany-boon-news-photo/461672313|access-date=2021-04-08|website=Getty Images|date=10 January 2014 |language=en-us}} is from northern France. A Catholic, she was a stay-at-home mother.
He converted to Judaism (his wife's faith) in 2002.{{cite web |url=https://www.yediot.co.il/articles/0,7340,L-5419391,00.html|title="היום אני יהודי גאה" |date=3 December 2018 }}
He studied graphic arts at the Institut Saint-Luc in Belgium.
Career
Boon arrived in Paris in 1989, where he was a mime{{Cite web|last=McGary|first=Sue|date=2020-03-15|title=Dany Boon - Writer, director, actor, comedian {{!}} French Affair|url=https://frenchaffair.com.au/dany-boon/|access-date=2021-04-08|language=en-AU}} in the streets for a living while appearing frequently on open mic nights at places like the Treviso theatre. He borrowed his stage name from a hero in the American television series Daniel Boone, which was about an American trapper.
He acted in several one-man shows.{{Cite web|title=Dany Boon - Rotten Tomatoes|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/dany-boon|access-date=2021-04-08|website=www.rottentomatoes.com|language=en}}
Boon is also a musician; he has done a version of "Piensa en mí"{{Citation|title=DANY BOON - Pensa me - Luz Casal (Piensa en mi)|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1bjItpeqK8 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/s1bjItpeqK8 |archive-date=2021-12-21 |url-status=live|language=en|access-date=2021-04-08}}{{cbignore}} ("Think of me"). He also writes his own songs, for example, "Le Blues du 'tiot poulet" ("The Chicken Blues").
After small roles in movies during the 1990s, he landed a role in the 1998 satire Bimboland, directed by Ariel Zeitoun. Boon is deeply attached to his native region, Nord-Pas-de-Calais. In 2003, he made a whole show in the local dialect of ch'ti, also known as Picard. Despite the use of dialectal language, 600,000 copies of the DVD (which included French subtitles) were sold. No previous DVD featuring a one-man show had sold as well in France.{{Citation needed|date=June 2011}} In 2004, he was part of the main cast in Pédale Dure,{{Citation|last=Aghion|first=Gabriel|title=Pédale dure|date=2004-10-20|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0395721/|type=Comedy|others=Gérard Darmon, Michèle Laroque, Dany Boon, Jacques Dutronc|publisher=Galfin, Aussie Films, Sans Contrefaçon Productions|access-date=2021-04-08}} directed by Gabriel Aghion, a critical and commercial flop. He was then offered several roles in movies, notably in the film Joyeux Noël (Merry Christmas), which was released internationally in 2005.
In February 2008, he acted and directed a movie titled Welcome to the Sticks (Bienvenue chez les Ch'tis), which was a success in France and in other countries.{{Cite web|title=Welcome to the Sticks|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt1064932/?ref_=bo_se_r_1|access-date=2021-04-08|website=Box Office Mojo}} This comedy based on prejudices held about the region, went on to break French box office records. Two weeks after its release, the film had already been seen by five million people. After its fourth week, the figure had risen to 15 million, and by 11 April, the film had surpassed the viewing audience of La Grande Vadrouille, having been watched by more than 17.4 million people. He was the highest-paid actor in European film history, netting 26 million Euro (c. 33 million dollars).[https://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090226/ennew_afp/entertainmentfrancefilmawardcesar_20090226171150 French blockbuster star is Europe's best-paid actor], Thursday, February 26 He was the president of the 40th César Awards ceremony in 2015.{{cite web|title=Dany Boon président des César : la Ch'ti revanche|url=http://www.lefigaro.fr/cinema/2014/09/26/03002-20140926ARTFIG00424-dany-boon-president-des-cesar-la-ch-ti-revanche.php#|access-date=3 October 2014|work=Le Figaro|date=26 September 2014 }} Boon was on the council of directors of the Pathé production company and has produced several films as actor, co-producer, screenwriter or director.{{Cite web|last=Tartaglione|date=2010-09-14|first=Nancy|title=Dany Boon and Lisa Axuelos to join Pathe executive board|url=https://www.screendaily.com/dany-boon-and-lisa-axuelos-to-join-pathe-executive-board-/5018165.article|access-date=2021-04-15|website=Screen|language=en}} Boon had several production companies, including 26 DB Productions, in Los Angeles, California. They produce and distribute films and TV content.{{Cite web|title=Boon Dany|url=https://cinepassion34.fr/celebrity/dany-boon/|access-date=2021-04-15|website=Cine Passion 34|date=10 June 2003 |language=fr-FR}}
Boon was also directed by French filmmakers such as Jean-Pierre Jeunet in the 2009 movie Micmacs;{{Citation|last=Jeunet|first=Jean-Pierre|title=Micmacs à tire-larigot|date=2009-10-28|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1149361/|type=Action, Comedy, Crime|others=Dany Boon, André Dussollier, Nicolas Marié, Yolande Moreau|publisher=Epithète Films, Tapioca Films, Warner Bros.|access-date=2021-04-08}} Danièle Thompson in 2009 Change of Plans;{{Citation|last=Thompson|first=Danièle|title=Le code a changé|date=2009-02-18|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1193088/|type=Comedy, Drama|others=Karin Viard, Dany Boon, Marina Foïs, Patrick Bruel|publisher=Thelma Films, Alter Films, StudioCanal|access-date=2021-04-08}} A Perfect Plan{{Citation|last=Chaumeil|first=Pascal|title=Un plan parfait|date=2012-10-31|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1986843/|type=Adventure, Comedy, Romance|others=Diane Kruger, Dany Boon, Alice Pol, Robert Plagnol|publisher=Quad Productions, TF1 Films Production, Scope Pictures|access-date=2021-04-08}} 2012 film directed by Pascal Chaumeil, Julie Delpy's movie Lolo{{Citation|last=Delpy|first=Julie|title=Lolo|date=2015-10-28|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4085944/|type=Comedy|others=Julie Delpy, Dany Boon, Vincent Lacoste, Karin Viard|publisher=The Film, France 2 Cinéma, Mars Films|access-date=2021-04-08}} (2015) and Yvan Attal in 2016 film The Jews.{{Citation|last=Attal|first=Yvan|title=Ils sont partout|date=2016-06-01|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5324800/|type=Comedy|others=Yvan Attal, François Bureloup, Tobie Nathan, Benoît Poelvoorde|publisher=La Petite Reine, Films Sous Influence, Entre Chien et Loup|access-date=2021-04-08}}
Raid Dingue{{Citation|last=Boon|first=Dany|title=Raid dingue|date=2017-02-01|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5736696/|type=Action, Comedy, Romance|others=Alice Pol, Dany Boon, Michel Blanc, Yvan Attal|publisher=Pathé, Les Productions du Ch'timi, TF1 Films Production|access-date=2021-04-08}} was a 2016 comedy that was a big success with the viewers but failed to convince film critics. He was both screenwriter and director on this movie, and also starred in it. For this film Boon received the first César du public in the history of French cinema: this new award is given to the French film with the biggest box office of the year. After Raid Dingue, Boon did his sixth movie, (La Ch’tite Famille) Family is Family. It came out in 2018, the 10 year anniversary of Bienvenue chez les Ch’tis.
In 2016 Boon starred in a film about anti-semitism in France, The Jews. In 2018, his Netflix show, Des-hauts-de-France{{Cite web|title=Dany Boon: Des Hauts De France {{!}} Netflix Official Site|url=https://www.netflix.com/title/80213024|access-date=2021-04-15|website=www.netflix.com|language=en}} premiered on Netflix. Boon voices the character of Olaf in the French dubbings of the Disney movies Frozen, Frozen 2, Once Upon a Snowman, and Olaf Presents.{{Cite web|title=Olaf|url=https://disneyinternationalvoices.weebly.com/olaf.html|access-date=2024-07-22|website=CHARGUIGOU|language=en}}
Personal life
He has four sons and a daughter from three different unions. With his first wife, he had Mehdi, his eldest son, born in 1997. With his second wife, Judith Godrèche, he had Noé, born on 4 September 1999. With his third wife, Yaël Harris, for whom he converted to Judaism in 2002,[http://www.lefigaro.fr/lefigaromagazine/2008/04/05/01006-20080405ARTFIG00521-dany-roots.php Le Figaro Magazine] which states that "his conversion to Judaism in 2002 [has] paradoxically made him closer to his Pas-de-Calais roots" he had Eytan, born 23 June 2005; Elia, born 20 December 2006 and Sarah, born 1 March 2010.[http://jess1393.skyrock.com/2969919041-MEHDI-NOE-EYTAN-ET-ELIA-BOON.html MEHDI NOE EYTAN ET ELIA BOON - famille de stars et de sportifs] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230331181402/https://jess1393.skyrock.com/2969919041-MEHDI-NOE-EYTAN-ET-ELIA-BOON.html |date=2023-03-31 }}. Jess1393.skyrock.com. Retrieved on 2017-01-09.
In July 2022 Boon stated that he was defrauded of €6 million by Irishman Terry Birles and was taking court action.{{cite news |last1=O'Loughlin |first1=Ann |title=French actor claims he is victim of €6m fraud by 'Irish Lord from an ancient family' |url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/courtandcrime/arid-40918178.html |access-date=27 July 2022 |publisher=Irish Examiner |date=14 July 2022}}
Filmography
One-man shows
- Je vais bien, tout va bien (1992)
- Chaud mais pas fatigué (Café de la Gare, 1993)
- Dany Boon Fou ? (Théâtre Tristan-Bernard, Paris, 1994)
- Dany Boon au Théâtre du Rond-Point (1995–96)
- Les Zacros de la télé (1996)
- Tout entier (1997)
- Nouveau spétak (1998).
- Au Bataclan (1998)
- A French Comedian Lost in L.A. (Melrose Theater, Los Angeles) (2000)
- En parfait état (2001)
- A s'baraque et en ch'ti (2003)
- Waïka (novembre 2006)
- Trop stylé (novembre 2009)
- Dany Boon: Des Hauts-De-France (2018)
Plays
- La Vie de chantier (2003)
- Le Dîner de Cons (2007, théâtre de la Porte Saint-Martin)
References
{{reflist}}
External links
{{commons category}}
- {{IMDb name|200702|Dany Boon}}
{{Dany Boon}}
{{César Awards presidents}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Boon, Dany}}
Category:21st-century converts to Judaism
Category:Jewish French comedians
Category:French male film actors
Category:French male stage actors
Category:Jewish French male actors
Category:French people of Kabyle descent
Category:French stand-up comedians
Category:People from Armentières
Category:French male television actors
Category:20th-century French male actors
Category:21st-century French male actors
Category:French male screenwriters
Category:French film directors
Category:French male comedians
Category:Male actors from Hauts-de-France