Top 10 Facts about Olivier Martinez

Olivier Martinez. Photo by Georges Biard. Wikimedia Commons

Top 10 Facts about Olivier Martinez

Olivier Martinez is a French film actor who was born on 12^th January, 1966 in Paris, France.

Olivier won the César Award for “Most Promising Actor” for the 1993 French films Un, deux, trois, soleil.

He also acted in other well-known movies including the 1995 movie The Horseman on the Roof and the 1997 movie The Chambermaid on the Titanic.

Olivier appeared in Hollywood-produced Television features such as the 2003 crime-thriller called S.W.A.T in which he played the role of a French drug lord.

The top 10 facts about Olivier Martinez include the following.

1. Olivier Was Born to A Catholic Working-Class Family and Is Fluent in Spanish And English

The Conservatoire national supérieur d’art dramatique. Photo by Thomon. Wikimedia Commons

Olivier was born in Paris, France to a working-class family on 12^th January 1966.  

His mother was a French secretary while his father was a Spanish professional boxer; a typical French working-class family.

He began his acting career in his native France in 1990 after completing his studies at The Conservatoire national supérieur d’art dramatique (CNSAD).

Olivier was raised as a catholic by his family. Due to his Valencian and Andalusian heritage, Olivier is fluent in Spanish and English apart from his native French.

2. Olivier Won Prestigious Acting Awards In 1993

For his acting Olivier won Prix Jean Gabin and César Award for Most Promising Actor (Meilleur jeune espoir masculin) for his role in the movie IP5: L’île aux pachyderms.

For his role in the film Un, deux, trois, soleil in 1993, Olivier won a César Award as “Most Promising Actor”.

The 1993 movie Un, deux, trois, soleil or in English 1, 2, 3, Sun is a French surrealist black comedy film directed by Bertrand Blier and in which Olivier played the role of Petit (“Little”) Paul.

Petit (“Little”) Paul is a burglar who gets killed in a burglary incident in the film.

3. Olivier Acted the Leading Role in The Most Expensive Film in 1995

Juliette Binoche. Photo by Siebbi. Wikimedia Commons

In 1995 Olivier starred alongside Juliette Binoche as an Italian nobleman in the Jean-Paul Rappeneau period film The Horseman on the Roof (Le Hussard sur le Toit).

The film failed to reach its $35 million budget but was hailed as the most expensive French film at that time in history.

4. In 1996 and 1997 Olivier Appeared in Two Movies

Olivier appeared in a romantic comedy alongside Anouk Grinberg, Gérard Lanvin, and Valeria Bruni Tedeschi called My Man (Mon Homme) in 1996.  

The romantic comedy was directed by Bertrand Blier.

Alongside Romane Bohringer, he played a leading in Bigas Luna’s drama The Chambermaid on the Titanic (La Femme de chambre du Titanic).

Set in 1912 during the time of the Titanic’s sinking voyage, Olivier portrays a French foundry worker who wins a strongman contest and the prize of a trip to view the ill-fated Titanic’s maiden voyage.

The film was well received by Mick LaSalle of the San Francisco Chronicle. Mick LaSalle felt Olivier portrayed a rare honest male sexuality.

5. Olivier Came into The Mainstream Attention in Hollywood Films In 2000

Javier Bardem . Photo by Carlos Delgado. Wikimedia Commons

Olivier’s performance in Julian Schnabel’s Before Night Falls opposite Javier Bardem and Johnny Depp in 2000 thrust him into the mainstream limelight of Hollywood films.

The screenplay is based on the autobiography of the same name published in English in 1993 of Reinaldo Arenas.

Olivier was overshadowed by Bardem in the eyes of movie critics but the movie received high critical acclaim.

6. Oliver Went on To Appear in Other Hollywood Movies

Diane Lane. Photo by Siebbi. Wikimedia Commons

In 2002, Olivier performed opposite Diane Lane in the film Unfaithful in which he got noticed by movie critics.

He also appeared in the movie adaptation of Blood and Chocolate, a popular book where he starred as Gabriel in 2007

In the Movie Paul, Apostle of Christ which was shot in 2017, Olivier plays the role of Mauritius, the prefect of Mamertine Prison.  

In summary, as from 1990 to 2020, Olivier has appeared in over 23 movies. 

One of his latest movie releases is Mosquito State where he plays the role of Edward Werner which was released in 2020.

7. He appeared in Various Television Movie Series

In 2003 he appeared in television series called S.W.A.T and a television adaptation of The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone.

He also appeared in Talking lives in 2004. Olivier appeared in many other TV series and films.

He starred in 1990 in Navarro where he played the role of Rollo in the episode: “Barbès de l’aube à l’aurore.

Other TV films he has acted include Odyssée Bidon in 1992, The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone in 2003, the TV series Cybergeddon and Cybergeddon Zips in 2012, and TV series Revenge in 2014 among others.

8. Olivier Was at One Time in A Relationship with Kylie Minogue

Kylie Minogue. Photo by Georges Biard. Wikimedia Commons

In the 2003 Grammy Awards ceremony, Olivier met Australian singer and actress Kylie Minogue and began a relationship with her.

However, in February 2007 the two ended their relationship.

9. Olivier Married and Later Divorced Halle Berry and They Have A Son Together

Halle Berry. Photo by Looking Glass Films. Wikimedia Commons

After meeting in 2010 on the set of action thriller film Dark Tide released in 2012, Olivier started dating American actress Halle Berry.

In 2012 they confirmed their engagement and on 13^th July 2013 they married in a private ceremony in France.

Their son was born in Los Angeles in 2013 and in 2015 they announced their divorce.

The divorce was ongoing as of November 2020 even though it was reported to have been finalized in December 2016

10. Olivier Was Treated After Being Injured in A Physical Altercation in 2012

After being injured in a physical altercation with Canadian model Gabriel Aubry, Olivier was treated  at a Los Angeles hospital on 22^nd November 2012.

Gabriel Audry was not only the father of Halle Berry’s daughter but her former partner.

 Olivier wanted Halle Berry to move with her daughter to his native France with led to a custody battle between  Aubry and Berry.

A judge had denied Berry’s request to move with her daughter to native France on the grounds that it would interfere with Berry and Aubry’s joint custody arrangement two weeks prior to the altercation.

The custody battle centered on Berry’s desire to move with their daughter and Olivier to France. By end of November the custody dispute was however resolved.