The Cours Florent is a private French

drama school A drama school, stage school or theatre school is an undergraduate and/or graduate school or department at a college or university; or a free-standing institution (such as the Drama section at the Juilliard School); which specializes in the pr ...

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

established in 1967 by

François Florent François Florent, stage name of François Eichholtzer (30 April 1937 – 27 September 2021) was a French theater actor. He was the founder of the eponymous drama school Cours Florent, the alumni of which include Isabelle Adjani and Audrey Tatou ...

. The school is located on three nearby sites in the

19th 19 (nineteen) is the natural number following 18 and preceding 20. It is a prime number. Mathematics 19 is the eighth prime number, and forms a sexy prime with 13, a twin prime with 17, and a cousin prime with 23. It is the third full re ...

arrondissement An arrondissement (, , ) is any of various administrative divisions of France, Belgium, Haiti, certain other Francophone countries, as well as the Netherlands. Europe France The 101 French departments are divided into 342 ''arrondissements' ...

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

: rue Archereau, rue Mathis, and Avenue Jean-Jaurès; further along is the Conservatoire national supérieur de musique et de danse de Paris. The Cours Florent also has locations in

Brussels Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...

Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...

and

Montpellier Montpellier (, , ; oc, Montpelhièr ) is a city in southern France near the Mediterranean Sea. One of the largest urban centres in the region of Occitania (administrative region), Occitania, Montpellier is the prefecture of the Departments of ...

Programs

The Cours Florent is known as one of France's most prestigious drama schools, offering a three-year program to learn acting and theatre classes for children and teenagers. Since 2011, the school also offers a three-year program in English called "Acting in English" for English-speaking students and foreigners. Students can apply to this program during the school year. Auditions are organized in May and September, and 2 intensive summer programs are available in July and August. Cours Florent International courses offer students not only the chance to refine their dramatic acting skills but also to experience full immersion in the cultural and artistic life of France. The school has a specialized class to prepare students for the competitive examination of the prestigious '' Conservatoire national supérieur d'Art dramatique de Paris'' (CNSAD), as well as the ''École nationale supérieure des arts et techniques du théâtre'' (ENSATT) in

Lyon Lyon,, ; Occitan: ''Lion'', hist. ''Lionés'' also spelled in English as Lyons, is the third-largest city and second-largest metropolitan area of France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, to the northwest of t ...

and the ''École supérieure d'art dramatique'' of the

Strasbourg Strasbourg (, , ; german: Straßburg ; gsw, label=Bas Rhin Alsatian, Strossburi , gsw, label=Haut Rhin Alsatian, Strossburig ) is the prefecture and largest city of the Grand Est region of eastern France and the official seat of the Eu ...

National Theater. But the Cours Florent is above all famous for its ''Classe libre'' (Free class) where many French actors and actresses have studied, with teachers like

Francis Huster Francis Huster (born 8 December 1947) is a French stage, film and television actor, director and scriptwriter. Biography Francis Huster was born in Neuilly-sur-Seine. His father is Charles Huster, commercial director at Lancia, and his Poli ...

, Jean-Pierre Garnier, Hervé Falloux and Antonia Malinova. Cours Florent also has a series of Master Classes with major international teachers, like Mark Bell, and actors such as

Olivier Marchal Olivier Marchal (born 14 November 1958) is a French actor, director, screenwriter, and a former policeman. In 2005, he was nominated for three César Awards (best director, best film and best writing) for his film ''36 Quai des Orfèvres''. He al ...

Gilles Lellouche Gilles Lellouche (; born 5 July 1972) is a French actor. He started his career as a director. Lellouche has appeared in more than fifty films since 1995. He was nominated twice for a César Award; in 2006 for Most Promising Actor and in 201 ...

and alumni Diane Kruger,

Gad Elmaleh Gad Elmaleh ( ar, جاد المالح, Latn, ar, Gād el-Māleḥ; born 19 April 1971) is a Moroccan-Canadian stand-up comedian and actor who achieved fame in France, Morocco and the United States. He is best known in the French-speaking worl ...

, Guillaume Canet and Jacques Weber among others.

Notable alumni

Over its history, many notable people have graduated from the Cours Florent, including: *

Isabelle Adjani Isabelle Yasmina Adjani ; born 27 June 1955) is a French actress and singer of Algerian and German descent. She is the only performer in history to win five César Awards for acting; she won the Best Actress award for ''Possession'' (1981), ''O ...

Noémie Merlant Noémie Merlant (; born 27 November 1988) is a French actress and director. She has been nominated for her performances twice at the César Awards, including a nomination for her breakout role in ''Portrait of a Lady on Fire''. Career Merlant w ...

Morjana Alaoui Morjana Alaoui ( ar, مرجانة العلوي; born November 30, 1982) is a Moroccan- French actress. She is best known for her starring roles in director Laila Marrakchi's ''Marock'' and ''Rock the Casbah,'' films which dealt with sexual taboo ...

* Yvan Attal *

Mylène Farmer Mylène Jeanne Gautier (; born 12 September 1961), known professionally as Mylène Farmer (), is a Canadian-born French singer, songwriter, occasional actress, writer, and entrepreneur. Having sold more than 30 million records in France, she is ...

* Daniel Auteuil * Elia, Crown Princess of Albania *

Édouard Baer Édouard Baer (born 1 December 1966) is a French actor, director, screenwriter, film producer and radio personality. In 2009, he participated in the French television programme ''Rendez-vous en terre inconnue''. On 5 March 2015 he appeared with S ...

* Jeanne Balibar *

Malik Bentalha Malik Bentalha ( ar, مالك بن طلحة ; born 1 March 1989 in Bagnols-sur-Cèze) is a French humorist and actor of Algerian and Moroccan descent. He does stand-up comedy and has appeared in some films. Early life Malik Bentalha studied at t ...

Dominique Blanc Dominique Blanc (born 25 April 1956) is a French actress. She is known for her roles in the films ''May Fools'' (1990), '' Indochine'' (1992), '' La Reine Margot'' (1994), ''Those Who Love Me Can Take the Train'' (1998), and '' The Other One'' ...

* Guillaume Canet *

Jil Caplan Jil Caplan (born Valentine Guilen; 23 October 1965 in Paris, France) is a French singer and songwriter. Biography Paris-born Valentine Guilen studied modern literature at the Sorbonne and theatre at the Cours Florent, where she met Jay Alanski, ...

Isabelle Carré Isabelle Carré (born 28 May 1971) is a French actress. She has appeared in more than 70 films since 1989. She won a César Award for Best Actress for her role in '' Se souvenir des belles choses'' (2001), and has been nominated a further six ti ...

* Cecil Castellucci *

Nicolas Cazalé Nicolas Cazalé (born 24 April 1977 in Pau, Gascony, France) is a French model and actor who is most noted for his role in the 2004 French film, ''Le Grand Voyage'' for which he won a Jury Award for Best Actor at the 2005 Newport International F ...

Anne Consigny Anne Consigny (; born 25 May 1963) is a French actress who has been active since 1981. She received a César Award nomination for Best Actress for her role in the film '' Not Here to Be Loved'' (2005). She is also known for her role as Claude in ...

* Clotilde Courau *

Jean-Pierre Darroussin Jean-Pierre Darroussin (born 4 December 1953) is a French actor and filmmaker. He was born in Courbevoie, France. Theater Filmography Actor *1992: '' Riens du tout'' (directed by Cédric Klapisch starring Fabrice Luchini, Daniel Berlioux) ...

* Alain Defossé *

Emmanuelle Devos Emmanuelle Devos (born 10 May 1964) is a French actress. She is the daughter of actress Marie Henriau. She won the César Award for Best Actress in 2002 for her performance in ''Sur mes lèvres'', directed by Jacques Audiard. She has also been ...

Guillaume De Tonquédec Guillaume Emmanuel Marie de Quengo de Tonquédec (born 18 October 1966) is a French stage, television and film actor. He first earned fame in his homeland for his role as Renaud Lepic in the TV series '' Fais pas ci, fais pas ça'' (2007–2017) ...

Marie de Villepin Marie Galouzeau de Villepin (born 8 May 1986) is a French artist, model, actress and singer. The daughter of former Prime Minister and diplomat Dominique de Villepin, she spent most of her childhood in India before moving to various countries in ...

Vincent Elbaz Vincent Elbaz (born 3 February 1971) is a French actor. He has appeared in many French television shows and films. His first major role was in the 1994 film '' Le péril jeune''. Elbaz received the 1998 Jean Gabin Prize. Elbaz was born in Paris ...

Stéphane Freiss Stéphane Freiss (born 22 November 1960) is a French film, television, and stage actor. He won a César Award for his performance in the 1988 film ''Chouans!''. Selected filmography *'' Premiers désirs'' (1984) *''Vagabond'' (1985) *''Chou ...

Thierry Frémont Thierry Frémont (born 24 July 1962) is a French actor. He has appeared in more than 60 films and television shows since 1984. He starred in the 1991 film ''Fortune Express'', which was entered into the 41st Berlin International Film Festival. ...

* José Garcia *

Olivier Gourmet Olivier Gourmet (born 22 July 1963) is a Belgian actor. Gourmet was born in Namur. He won the Best Actor award at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival for his role in '' Le Fils'' by Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne. He also appeared in ''La Promesse'' ...

* Eva Green * Agnès Jaoui * Marina Hands *

Pom Klementieff Pom Alexandra Klementieff (; born 3 May 1986) is a French actress and model. She was trained at the Cours Florent drama school in Paris and appeared in such French films as '' The Easy Way'' (2008) and '' Sleepless Night'' (2011), before making ...

* Diane Kruger * Samuel Le Bihan *

Vincent Lindon Vincent Lindon (born 15 July 1959) is a French actor and filmmaker. For his role in the film '' The Measure of a Man'' (2015), Lindon won Best Actor at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival, Best Actor at the 41st César Awards and the IFFI Best Act ...

Luce Luce may refer to: People * Luce (name), as a given name and a surname * Luce (singer) Places * Luče, a town in Slovenia * Luce, Minnesota, an unincorporated community * Luce Bay, a large Bay in Wigtownshire in southern Scotland * Luce Cou ...

Sophie Marceau Sophie Marceau (; born Sophie Danièle Sylvie Maupu, 17 November 1966) is a French actress. As a teenager, she achieved popularity with her debut films ''La Boum'' (1980) and ''La Boum 2'' (1982), receiving a César Award for Most Promising Act ...

Pierre Niney Pierre Niney (; born 13 March 1989) is a French actor. He made his acting debut in the two-part television miniseries ''La dame d'Izieu'' in 2007, followed by films such as ''LOL (Laughing Out Loud)'', ''The Army of Crime'', ''Romantics Anonymous ...

* Sarah Perles *

Jérôme Pradon Jérôme Pradon (born 3 June 1964) is a French actor and singer who has performed in the West End, in Paris and in various other places around the world. He was born in Boulogne-Billancourt, Hauts-de-Seine, France. Theatre In 1991, Pradon ...

Cristiana Reali Cristiana Reali (born March 16, 1965) is an Italian- Brazilian actress. She has appeared in numerous theatre pieces, television series and a few movies. Biography Reali was born in São Paulo, Brazil, the daughter of the Brazilian journalist Elp ...

Muriel Robin Muriel Robin (born 2 August 1955) is a French actress and comedian. She won an International Emmy Award for Best Actress in 2007 and received a nomination for a César Award in 2001 and six nominations for a Molière Award. Early years Muriel ...

Sebastian Roché Sebastian Roché (born 4 August 1964) is a French-American actor. He is known for his roles as Kurt Mendel in ''Odyssey 5'', Jerry Jacks in '' General Hospital'', Thomas Jerome Newton in ''Fringe'', Balthazar in '' Supernatural'', Mikael in bot ...

Jean-Paul Rouve Jean-Paul Rouve (born 26 January 1967) is a French actor, film director, screenwriter and producer. He is a member of the troupe "Les Robins des Bois". He has appeared in more than thirty film and television productions since 1993. Personal li ...

Mathilde Seigner Mathilde Seigner (born 17 January 1968) is a French actress. Early life Seigner was born in Paris. She is the granddaughter of actor Louis Seigner (1903–1991). She is the sister of Emmanuelle Seigner and a niece of Françoise Seigner. Ca ...

Audrey Tautou Audrey Justine Tautou (; born 9 August 1976) is a French actress. She made her acting debut at the age of 18 on television and her feature film debut in ''Venus Beauty Institute'' (1999), for which she received critical acclaim and won the Césa ...

* Gaspard Ulliel * Arnaud Valois * Tasha de Vasconcelos * Jacques Weber *

Océane Zhu Océane Zhu Xuan (born on April 4, 1987) is a Chinese model, former beauty queen, and actress based in Hong Kong. She joined TVB in 2009 and left in 2015 to explore a career in China. Life and career Early life Océane was born and raised in Be ...

Elsa Zylberstein Elsa Zylberstein (born Elsa Florence Zylbersztejn, 16 October 1968) is a French film, TV, and stage actress. After studying drama, Zylberstein began her film career in 1989, and has appeared in more than 60 films. She won the César Award for Be ...

References

External links

*
Official English website
{{authority control Education in Paris Drama schools in France Film schools in France Educational institutions established in 1967 1967 establishments in France