Samuel Theis is a French actor, film director, and screenwriter known for blending technical performance with intimate, socially grounded filmmaking. He gained early recognition through French television and cinema before making a major directorial breakthrough with the acclaimed feature Party Girl.
Early Life and Education
Samuel Theis was born on November 12, 1978, in Creutzwald, Moselle, France, and grew up in nearby Forbach within a working-class environment shaped by the region’s former coal-mining industry. He was raised by his parents, Mr. Theis and Angélique Litzenburger, alongside his three siblings: Mario Theis, Séverine Theis, and Cynthia Theis. He developed an early passion for theatre before transitioning to professional acting.
Theis studied dramatic arts at the École Nationale Supérieure des Arts et Techniques du Théâtre in Lyon, where he worked under theatre professionals including Christian Schiaretti and Christophe Perton. In 2012, he joined the screenplay workshop at La Fémis in Paris to further sharpen his writing and filmmaking skills. He is of French heritage and identifies with a Christian religious background.
Career and Filmography
Theis started his screen career with small parts in short films and television projects such as Oui, peut-être and Musée haut, musée bas. He played Louis XIV in the docu-fiction Versailles, le rêve d’un roi and later won over television audiences with his recurring role as Wehrmacht officer Kurt in the series Un village français.
Drawing on his upbringing and family experiences, Theis made his directorial breakthrough with Party Girl (2014), which he co-wrote and co-directed alongside Marie Amachoukeli and Claire Burger. The film won the prestigious Caméra d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival. His subsequent directorial projects include the coming-of-age drama Softie (2021) and Je le jure.
As an actor, his notable film credits include:
- The Princess of Montpensier (2010)
- Manon Lescaut (2013)
- Softie (2021)
- Anatomy of a Fall (2023)
- Langue étrangère (2024)
Personal Life, Family, and Net Worth
At 47 years old, Samuel Theis stands at a height of 1.87 meters. He maintains a relatively private personal life and has not publicly established a long-term romantic partner, wife, or children. His family has played a central role in his artistic projects; his mother, Angélique Litzenburger, starred as the main figure in Party Girl, and his siblings Mario, Séverine, and Cynthia also appeared in the film.
Through his work across French cinema and television as an actor, writer, and director, Samuel Theis has accumulated an estimated net worth of $1.5 million.
Awards and Recognition
- 2008: Cannes Film Festival, Cinéfondation – Second Prize for Forbach
- 2014: Cannes Film Festival, Caméra d’Or – Winner for Party Girl
- 2021: Grand Prize at the Skip City International D-Cinema Festival for Softie
