Despite a hard exterior reminiscent of a recent parolee—tightly-wound and on the verge of hurting anyone who looks at him the wrong way—French actor Vincent Cassel has amassed in his career an impressive and varied list of on-screen roles. The son of actor Jean-Pierre Cassel, who made his career in romantic comedies, Cassel was warned by his parents to stay away from the profession. At first he agreed, but later found himself pulled into a world that has led the versatile actor to pursue roles not for fame or money, but for art.

Born in Paris in November of 1966, Cassel spent his youth watching