The world of fashion was not unknown to him.
Childhood memories came to mind when he broached the subject, recalling “
the piles of clothes in the hallway of my house.
Big bags full of clothes, because my mother is a designer
”.
Born November 25, 1984 in Boulogne-Billancourt, it was thanks to a friend of his mother who enrolled him in a modeling agency that he set foot in the stirrup.
From then on he would keep a close link with this world and fate would entrust him with one of his major roles a few years later.
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In 2014, he slipped into the shoes of fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent in Bertrand Bonello's film. However, he said he had no notion of the profession of couturier and had discovered it during the filming. This role had put him in competition with Pierre Niney in Jalil Lespert's film. However, he had known how to stand out for his very fair interpretation. “
Gaspard convinced me by his desire not to be in imitation, to play the interpretation. I told him that I was going to film him and not Yves. For all these reasons, Gaspard quickly became obvious
,” explained Bertrand Bonello in an interview with
Le Figaro
in September 2014.
To stick to his character the actor had lost more than 10 kilos.
While the film depicted the time when Saint Laurent gave life to the 1971 Liberation collection, Gaspard Ulliel said: "
put a part of himself in this character
", while the couturier is increasingly abused by the pressure to create .
Both finally shared a common point: they had grown up faster than the others, had taken on responsibilities at a very young age.
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Gaspard Ulliel willingly lent his features and acting talents to fashion photographers and advertising directors. Like the Longchamp campaign where he posed with the British model Kate Moss in front of the lens of Alas & Piggott. In 2010, he became the hero of Chanel's Bleu campaign under the direction of Martin Scorsese and then in 2018 under that of director Steve McQueen. This global campaign for one of the best-selling men's fragrances in the world had contributed to its great international notoriety. Like the discretion he showed in life, Gaspard Ulliel cultivated a simple elegance and confided his sensitivity to beautiful things. It was also not uncommon to come across the actor with his sunglasses worn halfway up his nose to greet theassistance with her ocean blue gaze.
