Olivier Martinez

The son of a Spanish-Moroccan boxer and a French secretary, Martinez was born and raised in a working-class suburb of Paris. Though he aimed to follow the paternal tradition of becoming a professional fighter then a mechanic, Martinez's plans changed after he was injured in a car wreck. Passing an audition for the Conservatoire National Superieur d'Art Dramatique, Martinez began to study acting at age 23. Shortly after he finished school, Martinez's performance in a Paris production of "Eugene O'Neill"'s play Desire Under the Elms landed him his first major film role, co-starring with French icon "Yves Montand" in "Jean-Jacques Beineix"'s adventure "IP5" (1992). Confirming his status as a... Full Biography