The internet is awash with lists of the most famous French people in history. But if you want a modern perspective on French culture, you need to look at who is popular in France today.
Partly inspired by personal observations about who the French like to talk about, we’ve picked out 10 celebrities that have been popular in France in recent years.
To add some credibility, we’ve also referenced a national survey, la personnalité préférée des Français (the favourite French personalities). Published annually by the newspaper Le Journal du Dimanche, it captures the opinions of a nation and tells us which famous French people are national treasures in the 21st century.
France’s favourite entertainment stars
While some of the biggest stars in France have attained worldwide fame, global fame doesn’t necessarily reflect which famous French people are popular with their compatriots. The first entries on our list certainly are.
Sophie Marceau
Sophie may have an international profile, but she’s not the biggest movie star in France. However, she is one of the most popular and has twice topped the poll for France’s favourite personality, including in 2021.
It helps that her debut came in the coming-of-age movie La Boum (aka, the Party) when only 13 years old. La Boum is a nostalgic warm blanket for anyone who grew up in France during the 80s.
Sophie’s career blossomed as she grew up, ultimately appearing in a handful of Hollywood blockbusters, like Braveheart and the 007 adventure The World Is Not Enough. But the bulk of her work has been in French movies, most recently behind the camera as a director.
Popular French films include Chouans! (depicting the tragic history of a post-revolutionary uprising in France) and Fanfan (a romantic comedy).
Sophie has reportedly been the cover star of 300 magazines and has found time to be a cultural ambassador of France, where she is well known for her films and local advertising appearances.
Her elevation to one of the most beloved famous French people partly reflects the longevity of her career. Although perhaps her most famous act was rejecting the highest French honour, l’ordre national de la Légion d’honneur, in protest of human rights abuses in Saudi Arabia. The award was also presented in the same year to Muhammad bin Nayef, then crown prince of Saudi Arabia. An act of political defiance that only seems to have endeared Sophie Marceau to the French public.
Omar Sy
Omar Sy’s international profile has skyrocketed in recent years. Yet before he starred in the Netflix drama Lupin and blockbusters like Jurassic World, he was a popular TV personality in France.
Born to West African parents, Omat Sy grew up in habitation à loyer modéré (low-income housing). Partnering with comedian Fred Testot, his big break came first on the radio and then on a regular Canal+ show.
However, it was 2011’s Intouchables (Untouchables) that lit the touchpaper on Omar’s career. It was an instant classic and the perfect vehicle for an actor with a winning smile and boundless charisma. The César Award he won for best actor simply confirmed he was now one of France’s most treasured celebrities.
Named the favourite personality in France three times, Omar Sy’s trajectory continues upwards, making him one of the most famous French people in and outside France.
Check out our guide to some of the best French tv shows to study French in 2022, which includes Lupin.
Johnny Hallyday
It is arguably cheating to include Johnny Hallyday on this list. He is one of the most famous French people ever. Yet ‘the biggest rock star you’ve never heard of’ is too lionised to ignore.
Johnny, as he is affectionately known, has been compared to Elvis Presley and is credited with importing rock ‘n’ roll to France. Transcending his music, he is one of the famous French people that almost everybody talked about. The working-class man who rose to become modern French royalty.
The numbers speak for themselves. Jonny Hallyday sold 100 million albums, placing him among the 100 best-selling artists worldwide. His Eiffel Tower concert in 2000 remains France’s biggest, with an audience of 1 million. He completed 187 tours, appeared on over 2,500 magazine covers, and had nearly 200 books written about him. In short, Johnny is a French phenomenon.
People outside France may wonder how Johnny became one of the most celebrated of all famous French people. Sure, he possessed a distinctive voice, but his commitment to American inspired Francophone music meant he never found an international fanbase.
Yet the man born Jean-Philippe Smet had a charismatic swagger and rock and roll attitude that bewitched generations of French music fans. Many in France would say he was an everyday guy they could imagine sharing an apéro with. Plus, he was responsible for some timeless French classics, including Allumer le feu and L’envie.
In the select club of famous French people referred to by just their first name, Johnny’s mark on French music is immeasurable. He passed in 2017, yet his albums still make the bestseller charts in France, proving he is unquestionably one of the most famous French people in recent times.
Mimie Mathy
It is unlikely you’ve heard of Mimie Mathy if you live outside France. But everybody in France knows this star, who has been a small screen regular since the 1980s.
Her most famous show was the long-running Joséphine, ange gardien (Josephine, Guardian Angel). She appeared as the eponymous hero for 23 seasons. Despite the show ending in 2019, the reruns still appear frequently on TV.
In common with some of France’s biggest tv stars, Mimie also sings and performs on stage. She’s a regular on Saturday night entertainment shows and pops up on popular tv shows, including playing herself in the global Netflix smash, Dix pour cent (Call my agent in English).
Mimie was born with achondroplasia, a form of dwarfism, and is a UNICEF goodwill ambassador. She is also one of the most treasured of all famous French people working today and was voted France’s favourite female personality in 2007.
France’s favourite sports stars of modern times
Successful sports stars are assured of fame in any country. But a few sports stars have struck gold in France, ranking as not just famous French people, but some of the most beloved personalities of recent times.
Zinedine Zidane
It is not difficult to deduce why the world cup winning captain of the French football team is so admired. Not only did he lead the all-conquering team of 1998, but he also scored two goals in the final and has been named one of the greatest footballers of all time.
His humble Muslim upbringing and Algerian roots helped France embrace a new cultural inclusiveness that coincided with France hosting the World Cup in 1998. Lifting the team to victory merely cemented Zizou’s status as one of the greats.
UEFA named him the best player in the world in the last 50 years in 2004. He is a three-time recipient of the FIFA World Player of the year award. And yet Zidane remains the source of endless sporting debate, with some claiming Zidane was only the second-best French player of all time, behind Michel Platini.
Regardless, having gifted France their first world cup, Zizou sits in rarefied company as one of the most revered and famous French people of the last 50 years.
Teddy Riner
Judo is incredibly popular in France. The 10 times world judoka champion, Teddy Riner, has ensured its popularity will last for generations.
Teddy is another star that transcends his sport. Three gold medals in successive Olympics (2012-20) certainly helped. While his near-perfect record (including a 95-fight winning streak) is almost as well-known as his exuberant celebrations. Consistently in the top 10 favourite personalities, Teddy Bear (or Big Tedd) is respected for his charity working with children and families afflicted by genetic diseases. He is one of the most recognised sports stars in France and easily one of the most famous French people of the last 10 years.
Yannick Noah
Some of the most famous French people are multi-talented, and this next entry could sit in both the entertainment and sports category. Yannick Noah was a successful tennis player and a chart-topping singer.
He won a Grand Slam title at the 1983 French Open, adding the doubles title the following year. In 1991, Yannick also captained France to their first Davis Cup title for 59 years, adding to numerous other elite tennis titles.
Those achievements alone place him amongst the most famous French people today. But, showing vitality beyond his years, he has also carved out a successful singing career while managing the French Davis Cup team. His support of a charity founded by his mother, ‘Enfants de Terre‘, has further endeared him to the French.
Despite a controversial career — he admitted enjoying cannabis before big matches, and had some controversial tax arrangements — Yannick became one of the most loved popular personalities in France. This is why he has topped the vote count for France’s favourite personality a remarkable 11 times.
David Douillet
Underlining the sheer popularity of judo in France, David Douillet is another former champion judoka that merits a place on our list of famous French people.
A double Olympic champion (1996 and 2000) and multiple world champion, his rise to national treasure status began after he was involved in a serious motorcycle accident after the 1996 Olympics. His path to recovery, culminating in his second gold medal in 2000, was inspirational.
David’s popularity accelerated after quitting the sport, aided by his leading role with the children’s charity Opération Pièces Jaunes (Operation Yellow Coins).
A move into sports broadcasting and then politics further demonstrated his enduring appeal.
Twice voted France’s favourite personality, David Douillet is one of the most famous French people, even if few outside France know him.
Other Famous French Personalities
Any 21st century list of famous French people is inevitably dominated by faces from sports and entertainment. But French culture still has room to celebrate personalities outside those two worlds. If we exclude politicians of broad appeal (vanishingly rare), two names truly stand out as acclaimed French figures of modern times.
Simone Veil
Simone Veil passed away in 2017 but is still talked about in reverential tones. An Auschwitz survivor and elder stateswoman of French politics, she was respected across political divides.
A politician and minister under several presidents, Mdme Veil was repeatedly named France’s favourite female personality and is fondly remembered as a champion of women’s rights. Her most noted accomplishment was pushing through the law decriminalising voluntary abortion, subsequently known as loi Veil (Veil’s law).
Notably, Simone was the first president of an elected European Parliament and championed repairing Franco-German relations after World War II.
A vociferous political campaigner in her heyday, her final political actions were tainted by an apparent rejection of gay marriage. But her long, illustrious career saw her mourned by a nation when she passed away. Buried in the Panthéon alongside her husband and some of the most famous French people in history, Simone Veil is still making waves in political debate today.
Thomas Pésquet
Out of all the famous French people on this list, only Thomas Pésquet has come close to reaching the stars. He is the 10th French astronaut, but his space travel CV is unrivalled in the country. Perhaps explaining why he regularly features on France’s favourite personality survey.
Captain Pésquet is a two-time resident of the International Space Station and the first Frenchman to command the ISS. He has a host of other space travel accomplishments under his belt.
The embodiment of high achievement, Thomas speaks 6 languages, is a Judo black belt, and plays the saxophone. Famously, he played the final notes of La Marseillaise with his sax on the ISS to celebrate the Olympic handover for Paris 2024.
Thomas’s wax model has been inaugurated into the Musée Grévin, like many other famous French people on this list. Arguably that is the ultimate proof that somebody has made it in France. Although if you need further proof, schools, streets, and public buildings are regularly named after him. A modern French celebrity of unique accomplishment.
Wrap up
There are many other famous French people we’ve had to omit from this list. But hopefully we’ve introduced you to a few new faces, and given you a more rounded insight into the personalities the French hold dear to their heart.
