Frédéric Diefenthal
Biography
Frédéric Diefenthal (born 26 July 1968 in Saint‑Mandé, Val‑de‑Marne, France) is a French actor and director. He grew up in Saint‑Puy in southwestern France and is Jewish. Before pursuing acting he completed apprenticeships in the hotel industry, hairdressing and pastry, and began studies in architecture before switching to drama classes. Diefenthal entered the acting profession in the early 1990s, gaining early notoriety with a main role in the French television series Le juge est une femme (The Judge is a Woman). He later played a major part in the French Taxi film series. He was previously married to actress Gwendoline Hamon, with whom he has a son.
Career overview
Frédéric Diefenthal was born on 26 July 1968 in Saint‑Mandé, Val‑de‑Marne, France, and grew up in Saint‑Puy in southwestern France. Before entering the performing arts he pursued a range of apprenticeships, including work in the hotel industry, hairdressing and pastry making, and he began studies in architecture before turning to drama classes. He left formal schooling in his mid‑teens and held various jobs such as waiter and barber prior to his first screen appearance in 1991.
Diefenthal began his acting career in the early 1990s and quickly secured a main role in the French television series Le juge est une femme (The Judge is a Woman), which brought him an initial degree of notoriety. He subsequently became widely recognised for a major part in the French Taxi film series, contributing to the franchise’s popularity. In addition to his work in front of the camera, Diefenthal has also taken on directing responsibilities, expanding his involvement in French cinema and television.
Throughout his career Diefenthal has been identified as a French actor and director, with a professional portfolio that includes more than seventy credited appearances across film and television. His background reflects a transition from varied early‑career apprenticeships to a sustained presence in the French entertainment industry.
Ask the Vault
Ask anything about Frédéric Diefenthal.
Frequent co-stars
Career timeline
Full filmography
- Face à face (2026) as CNE director
- Le Nounou (2024) as Sylvain Delorme
- The Gamemaster (2024) as Self - Contestant
- Le Jour de Ma Mort (2024) as Stanislas Coesens
- Neige (2022) as Thomas Delhaye
- L'Homme que j'ai condamné (2021) as Commandant Legaret
- Van Gogh in Love (2021) as Léo
- The Grand Restaurant III (2021) as Clémence's husband
- En attendant un miracle (2021) as Maxime Gardette
- Ici tout commence (2020) as Antoine Myriel
- CDD: Corpus Crisis (2020) as Father
- Mask Singer (2019) as Self
- The Secret Song (2018) as Self
- Murder in Le Havre (2018) as Gaspard Lesage
- Shadows of the Past (2018) as Yann Leblanc
- Tomorrow Is Ours (2017) as Antoine Myriel
- The Forest (2017) as Vincent Musso
- Crimes parfaits (2017) as Nathan
- Murder In Auvergne (2017) as Bruno Romagnat
- Le Chapeau de Mitterrand (2016) as Daniel Mercier
- Top Gear France (2015) as Self - Guest
- Je préfère qu'on reste amis (2015) as Valentin
- Meurtres à l'abbaye de Rouen (2014) as Didier Mège
- Les Enfoirés - Les Enfoirés en chœur de 1985 à aujourd'hui (2014)
- Dors mon lapin (2014) as Lionel
- Murders in... (2013) as Didier Mège
- Murders in... (2013) as Bruno Romagnat
- Poor Richard! (2013) as Richard
- Une bonne leçon (2013) as Diego
- Le Renard jaune (2013) as Poulin
- Kramer contre Kramer (2013) as Ted Kramer
- Jeux dangereux (2012) as Antonin Brecht
- Furious Girl (2011) as Fred
- Les Virtuoses (2010) as Horace Lange
- Chateaubriand (2010) as François-René de Chateaubriand
- Le Gendre idéal 2 (2010) as Arnaud
- L'homme sans nom (2010) as David / Guillaume Derville
- Facteur chance (2009) as Tib
- Cartouche, le brigand magnifique (2009)
- Cartouche, le Brigand Magnifique (2009) as Cartouche
- Elite Squad (2008) as Victor « Yach » Yachvili
- Les Enfoirés 2008 - Les secrets des Enfoirés (2008)
- Le Gendre idéal (2008) as Arnaud
- Off Prime (2007)
- Taxi 4 (2007) as Émilien Coutant-Kerbalec
- On n'est pas couché (2006) as Self - Guest
- David Nolande (2006) as David Nolande
- Ange de feu (2006) as Noël Courtal
- Pas de panique (2006) as Ludovic Chambercy
- Clara Sheller (2005) as JP
- Le souffleur (2005) as Philippe
- The Adventures of Renny the Fox (2005) as Renart (voice)
- Free Wheeling (2005) as Max
- Before You Leave (2005) as Phyl
- Voisins, voisines (2005) as Paco Garcia
- L'incruste (2004) as Alexandre
- Nos amis les flics (2004) as Frédo
- Totally Nuts (2004) as Arthur
- Taxi 3 (2003) as Émilien Coutant-Kerbalec
- Labyrinth (2003) as Matthias
- Un homme par hasard (2003) as Yann Le Guenn
- A Private Affair (2002) as Femme bar de nuit
- Belphegor, Phantom of the Louvre (2001) as Martin
- Savage Souls (2001) as Firmin
- Fool's Game (2001) as Skip
- Taxi 2 (2000) as Émilien Coutant-Kerbalec
- Six-Pack (2000) as Philippe Saule
- I Want It All (1999) as Philippe
- Vivement dimanche (1998) as Self
- Taxi (1998) as Émilien Coutant-Kerbalec
- Petite menteuse (1998) as David
- Captain Conan (1996) as Sergent gare Bucarest
- Une histoire d'amour à la con (1996)
- Douce France (1995) as Jean-Luc
- Florence Larrieu : Le juge est une femme (1993) as Inspecteur Colas
- Normal People Are Nothing Exceptional (1993) as Jean
- The Jackpot! (1991) as Le deuxième loubard
- Les Ritals (1991)