Yoann Zimmer, a young version of Depardieu for “Des hommes”

Emmanuel Macron recognized it, not easy to be 20 years old in these times of pandemic. It’s at least as hard to be on and off from the show (but that the president took longer to admit). Yoann Zimmer, 28, has all disabilities.

At the start of 2020, the young Belgian actor thought his time had come: after having shot in several short films and made appearances in feature films, he found himself starring in two films selected at Cannes, with a small role in the bright Summer 85, by François Ozon, and a much more important Men, by Lucas Belvaux, where he plays a young person called to Algeria (Gérard Depardieu playing the role as an adult).

Private tuxedo

Bad luck, the Festival was canceled and Yoann Zimmer was deprived of a tuxedo, applause and stair climbing. The Ozon was released this summer, before theaters closed for the second time, the Belvaux had three postponements, before finally being released on June 2. “The fate persists”, the actor had said with a smile when we had met him, displaying the apparent relaxation of those who arrived in the circuit a bit by chance.

At home in Namur, where he grew up, cinema was not really on the program. The youngest of a family of four children with a mother who is a French teacher and a father who works in the building industry, he prefers “Fool around” at school rather than going to see movies. He just confesses a few Scorsese, watched over and over with the buddies – you have to believe that The Freedmen are a must for any teenager in search of testosterone identification.

With his bac in his pocket, he took photos for fun and odd jobs for eating: diving into a restaurant, handling with his father. His sister, who is twelve years older than him, plays in a fairground theater company. From time to time he goes to his marquee shows.

Disappointing memory

He ended up registering for an intensive one-week theater course at Neufchâteau where he was immediately spotted by the organizers who urged him to present the Royal Conservatory of Liège. Because Yoann Zimmer clearly has “something”. Not a classic beauty, but an animality that arises behind a willful nose and a mischievous smile, shining eyes that tell of a desire to do battle, a scoundrel air and a presence that occupies the space. A mouth to play small strikes as well as lovers, to express violence or tenderness.

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