Florian Zeller | |
|---|---|
Zeller at the2021 Academy Awards | |
| Born | (1979-06-28)June 28, 1979 (age 46) Paris, France |
| Occupation | Playwright, novelist, theatre director, filmmaker |
| Nationality | French |
| Genre | Literary fiction |
| Years active | 2002–present |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
Florian Zeller (French:[zɛlɛʁ];[1] born 28 June 1979)[2] is a French playwright, novelist, theatre director, and filmmaker. He has written over a dozen plays that have been staged worldwide, making him one of the most celebrated contemporary playwrights.[3][4][5]
Zeller co-wrote and directed the2020 film adaptation of his playThe Father, earning theAcademy Award andBAFTA Award for his screenplay.[6] Since then, it has been cited as one of thebest films of the 2020s and the 21st century.[7][8][9][10]
In 2023, Zeller was awarded France'sLegion of Honour.[11] In 2025, he joined the prestigious French literary societyAcadémie Française.[a][12]
Florian Zeller was born inParis in 1979, the middle child of three. His grandmother and mother raised him, as his father worked and lived in Germany.[3] A coma caused by a serious asthma attack at the age of 15 changed the course of his life, as he said later: "I think it’s at that moment that worry and writing entered my life." He began studies atSciences Po but dropped out to focus on his writing.[3]
Zeller wrote his first novel,Artificial Snow, when he was 22. His third novel,The Fascination of Evil, made him a household name in France.[3] It was selected for thePrix Goncourt.[13]
Zeller's play,The Father, played in London'sWest End to critical acclaim and top listings in the Best Plays of the Year. It was considered "the most acclaimed new play of the last decade."[14][15] and won several awards and nominations in Paris, London and New York.[16] According toThe Times,The Father is "one of the greatest plays of the century."[17]
His comedy,The Truth, opened in the West End in June 2017 and received anOlivier Award nomination for Best Comedy.[citation needed] His play,The Height of the Storm, starringJonathan Pryce andEileen Atkins, opened in London's West End in September 2018 and on New York's Broadway in September 2019.[18] It has been named "best play of 2018"[19] and "one of the best plays of the 21st century" byThe Guardian.[20]
His play,The Mother, starringIsabelle Huppert, opened in New York in February 2019.[21]The Son opened in London in February 2019 and transferred to the West End in September 2019 with rave reviews.[22]
His plays have been staged in more than 45 countries.[citation needed]
Zeller wrote and directed his first film, 2020'sThe Father, based on his play.[23] It had its world premiere at theSundance Film Festival on 27 January 2020. The film received acclaim from critics, who lauded Hopkins and Colman's performances and praised its depiction ofdementia.[24][25][26][27][28] Onreview aggregatorRotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 98% based on 165 reviews, with an average rating of 8.50/10. The website's critics consensus reads: "Led by stellar performances and artfully helmed by writer-director Florian Zeller,The Father presents a devastatingly empathetic portrayal of dementia."[29] AtMetacritic, it has aweighted average score of 88 out of 100, based on 42 critics, indicating "universal acclaim."[30]
The film received four nominations at the78th Golden Globe Awards, includingBest Motion Picture – Drama. It also received six nominations at the74th British Academy Film Awards, includingBest Film, and six Oscar nominations. Zeller andChristopher Hampton won a BAFTA and anAcademy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for the film.
It is, according toThe Times, "one of the greatest cinematic experiences of the decade".[31]
In 2021, it was included onForbes's list of "The Top 150 Greatest Films Of The 21st Century."[7] In 2022,Time Out ranked it number 93 on its list of the "100 Best Films of the 21st Century So Far", writing that the film "communicates perfectly what dementia must feel like: a world stripped of its signposts, a feeling of being uncoupled, a sense of the familiar slowly becoming frighteningly 'other'."[8] In 2023, it ranked number 2 onCollider's list of "The 20 Best Drama Movies of the 2020s So Far."[32] It also ranked number 27 on its list of the "30 Best Drama Movies of All Time,"[33]
In March and April 2021, it was announced that Zeller co-wrote with Christopher Hampton, and would direct, their adaptation ofThe Son (which serves as Zeller's and Hampton's follow-up toThe Father), withHugh Jackman,Laura Dern andVanessa Kirby to star in the film.[34][35][36] The film premiered in September 2022 at theVenice Film Festival, eliciting a 10-minute standing ovation after the screening.[37][38]
In May 2025, it was announced thatPenelope Cruz andJavier Bardem will star in his upcoming feature, calledBunker. According toDeadline, this psychological thriller "delves into the emotional and moral challenges a couple faces amid the tensions of the world around them, exploring the fears, doubts, and dilemmas that define our era".[39] Filming is scheduled to begin in December 2025.[12]
Zeller lives in Paris. In 2010, he married ex-model, actress and sculptorMarine Delterme,[40][41] who played one of the main roles in the Parisian production of his playLe Manège. Their son was born in December 2008.[42] His stepson was born in 1998 to his wife and her previous partner,Jean-Philippe Écoffey.[43]
| Country | Award | Work | Result | Category | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USA | Academy Awards | The Father | Won | Best Adapted Screenplay | |
| Golden Globes | Nominated | Best Motion Picture – Drama | [44] | ||
| Nominated | Best Screenplay | [44] | |||
| Directors Guild of America Awards | Nominated | Outstanding Directorial Achievement of first-time Feature Film Director | [45] | ||
| Boston Society of Film Critics Awards | Won | Best First Film | [46] | ||
| Indiana Film Journalists Association Awards | Nominated | Best Film | [47] | ||
| Nominated | Best Screenplay | [47] | |||
| Florida Film Critics Circle Awards | Nominated | Best Director | [47] | ||
| Nominated | Best First Film | [47] | |||
| Nominated | Best Adapted Screenplay | [47] | |||
| Chicago Film Critics Association Awards | Nominated | Best Screenplay | [48] | ||
| Greater Western New York Film Critics Association Awards | Nominated | Best Adapted Screenplay | [49] | ||
| Nominated | Breakthrough Director | [49] | |||
| Hawaii Film Critics Society Awards | Nominated | Best Film | [50] | ||
| Nominated | Best First Film | [50] | |||
| Nominated | Best Director | [50] | |||
| Nominated | Best New Filmmaker | [50] | |||
| Nominated | Best Screenplay | [50] | |||
| Chicago Indie Critics Awards | Nominated | Best Independent Film | [51] | ||
| Nominated | Best Director | [51] | |||
| Nominated | Best Adapted Screenplay | [51] | |||
| San Diego Film Critics Society Awards | Won | Best Adapted Screenplay | [52] | ||
| Nominated | Best Director | [52] | |||
| Houston Film Critics Society Awards | Nominated | Best Film | [53] | ||
| Satellite Awards | Nominated | Best Film | [54] | ||
| Nominated | Best Director | [54] | |||
| Won | Best Adapted Screenplay | [55] | |||
| Hollywood Critics Association Awards | Nominated | Best Film | [56] | ||
| Nominated | Best Screenplay | [56] | |||
| Critics Choice Awards | Nominated | Best Screenplay | [57] | ||
| Nevada Film Critics Society Awards | Won | Best Adapted Screenplay | |||
| Austin Film Critics Association Awards | Nominated | Best Screenplay | [58] | ||
| Europe | European Film Awards | Nominated | Best Film | [59] | |
| Nominated | Best Director | ||||
| Won | Best European Screenplay | [59] | |||
| UK | BIFA | Won | Best Screenplay | [60] | |
| Nominated | Best Film in 2020 | [61] | |||
| Nominated | Best Director in 2020 | [61] | |||
| BAFTA Film Awards | Nominated | Best Film | [62] | ||
| Nominated | Outstanding British Film | [62] | |||
| Won | Best Adapted Screenplay | [62] | |||
| London Critics Circle Film Awards | Nominated | Best British Film | [63] | ||
| France | Cesar Awards | Won | Best International Film | [64] | |
| Lumière Awards | Nominated | Best International Film | [65] | ||
| Paris Film Critics Awards | Won | Best First Film | [66] | ||
| Cinéroman | Won | Best Film | [67] | ||
| Spain | Premios CEC | Nominated | Best Foreign Film | [68] | |
| Goya Awards | Won | Best European Film | [65] | ||
| Sant Jordi Awards | Won | Best International Film | [69] | ||
| San Sebastian Audience Award | Won | Best Film | [70] | ||
| Italy | Golden Lion | The Son | Nominated | Best Film | [71] |
| Norway | Amanda Awards | The Father | Nominated | Best International Film | |
| Germany | Funk Seen Film Festival Awards | Nominated | Audience Award | ||
| Poland | Polish Film Awards | Won | Best European Film | ||
| Sweden | Guldbagge Awards | Nominated | Best International Film | ||
| Swedish Film Critics Circle Awards | Won | Best Screenplay | |||
| Denmark | Bodil Awards | Nominated | Best International Film | ||
| Danish Film Awards | Won | Best Screenplay | |||
| Türkiye | Turkish Film Critics Association | Nominated | Best International Film | ||
| Brazil | Grande Prêmio do Cinema Brasileiro | Nominated | Best International Film | ||
| Australia | AACTA Awards | Nominated | Best Screenplay | [72] | |
| Nominated | Best Film | [72] | |||
| China | Golden Rooster Awards | Won | Best International Film | [73] | |
| The Son | Nominated | Best International Film | [74] | ||
| Golden Panda Awards | Won | Best International Film | [75] |
| Country | Award | Work | Result | Category | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USA | Tony Awards | The Father | Nominated | Best Play in 2016 | [76] |
| Outer Critics Circle Awards | Nominated | Best Play in 2016 | |||
| The Height of the Storm | Won | Best Play in 2020 | [77] | ||
| Drama League Awards | The Father | Nominated | Best Play in 2016 | [78] | |
| Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Awards | Won | Best Play in 2020 | [79] | ||
| UK | Laurence Olivier Awards | Nominated | Best Play in 2016 | ||
| The Truth | Nominated | Best Comedy in 2017 | |||
| Evening Standard Theatre Awards | The Father | Nominated | Best Play in 2016 | [80] | |
| Theatre Awards UK | Nominated | Best Play in 2016 | |||
| Manchester Theatre Awards | Won | Best Play in 2018 | |||
| France | Moliere Awards | The Father | Won | Best Play in 2014 | |
| The Mother | Nominated | Best Play in 2011 | |||
| The Son | Nominated | Best Play in 2018 | |||
| Prix du théâtre | For all his work | Won | Best Playwright | ||
| Académie française Awards | If you were to die | Won | Best Play in 2006 | ||
| SACD Awards | All his work | Won | Best Playwright | [81] | |
| Japan | Kikuta Kazuo Awards | The Father | Won | Best Play in 2019 | [82] |
| Yomiuri Awards | Won | Best Play in 2020 | |||
| Hong Kong | Hong Kong Drama Awards | Won | Best Play in 2018 | ||
| The Truth | Nominated | BestPlay in 2018 | |||
| Canada | Jessie Richardson Awards | The Father | Won | Best Play in 2020 | [83] |
| Brazil | Aplauso Brazil Awards | Won | Best Play in 2017 | [84] | |
| Israel | Academy Theatre Awards | Nominated | Best Play in 2016 | ||
| Germany | Friedrich-Luft Awards | Nominated | Best Play in 2017 | ||
| Irland | Irish Times Theatre Awards | Nominated | Best Play in 2017 | ||
| Mexico | Cartelera Awards | Won | Best Play in 2024 | [85] | |
| Acpt Awards | Won | Best Play in 2024 | [86] |
| Award | Work | Result | Category | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prix Interallié | Fascination of Evil | Won | Best Novel in 2004 |
Born in Paris in 1979...