Yann Gael

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Yann Gael
Born
Garoua, Cameroon
Occupation
  • Actor
Notable work1899, Saloum, Le Rêve Français

Yann Gael is a French-Cameroonian actor and writer. He is best known for his performance in the films Le Rêve Français (2017), Saloum (2021), and Vanilla (2025), and the TV series 1899 (2022) and Néro the Assassin (2025).

Early life and education

Yann Gael was born in Garoua, Cameroon.

He attended the French National Academy of Dramatic Arts (Conservatoire National Supérieur d'Art Dramatique) in Paris.

Career

Acting

Gael first became known to French television audiences through roles including Duel au soleil and Le Rêve français. In Le Rêve français, a France 2 drama about migration from the French overseas departments to metropolitan France during the BUMIDOM period, he played Samuel Rénia and won the Best Male Performance award at the 2017 Festival de la Fiction TV de La Rochelle.[1]

Gael starred in the Senegalese detective series Sakho & Mangane, created by Jean Luc Herbulot for Canal + International. In the United Kingdom, the series was released by Walter Presents on All 4 in September 2020, with UK press describing it as Walter Presents' first-ever African series.[2] Netflix later described Sakho & Mangane as the first African French-language Netflix series.[3]

Gael subsequently led Jean Luc Herbulot's genre film Saloum, playing Chaka, leader of the Bangui Hyenas. The film had its world premiere in the Midnight Madness section of the Toronto International Film Festival in 2021.[4][5]

On 2 May 2021, Deadline Hollywood announced Gael as part of the ensemble cast of 1899, the multilingual Netflix mystery series created by Jantje Friese and Baran bo Odar.[6] He played Jérôme, a French stowaway aboard the Kerberos.[3] The series premiered on Netflix in November 2022 and was cancelled after one season in January 2023.[7]

Yann plays Bastien in the 2025 British LGBT drama film directed by Joseph A. Adesunloye, Vanilla.[8][9][10]

In 2025, Gael appeared in Rebecca Lenkiewicz's feature directorial debut Hot Milk, adapted from the novel by Deborah Levy. The film was selected for the Competition section of the 75th Berlin International Film Festival, where it screened on 14 February 2025.[11][12]

He also appeared in the French Netflix historical action series Néro, the Assassin, created by Jean-Patrick Benes, Martin Douaire and Allan Mauduit. Netflix lists the series as an eight-episode 2025 action series set in France in 1504, with Pio Marmaï, Camille Razat, Olivier Gourmet, Yann Gael among others.[13]

In 2026, he joined Aimee-Ffion Edwards in the cast of Lluest, a Welsh-language Western directed by Gareth Bryn and produced by Hannah Thomas for S4C and Sinema Cymru.[14][15] He also served on the short-film jury of the 40th Cabourg Film Festival, chaired by Xavier Dolan.[16][17]

Writing

On the invitation of Léonora Miano, he wrote a chapter of the book Marianne and the Black Boy (Editions Pauvert), in which he talks about black masculinity in France through his work as an actor.

Awards

  • 2013 : Best Male Interpretation Award of Festival de Hyères Les Palmiers for Le Retour [18]
  • 2014 : Best Male Interpretation Award of Festival Cinebanlieue for Le Retour [19]
  • 2017 : France Televisions Award for Best Male Interpretation of Festival du Court-Métrage de Clermont-Ferrand for Et toujours nous marcherons[20]
  • 2017 : Melhor Ator of Festival FestiFrance Brésil for Et toujours nous marcherons[21]
  • 2017 : Best Male Interpretation Award at Festival de la Fiction at La Rochelle 2017 for Le Rêve français[22]
  • 2018 : Special Mention at Festival Vues d'Afrique for Le Rêve français[23]

Filmography

Film

Year Title Director Ref.
2018 Loro Paolo Sorrentino
2021 Black Soldier Jimmy Laporal-Trésor
2021 Saloum Jean Luc Herbulot
2023 Vanilla Joseph A. Adesunloye
2024 Gladiator II Ridley Scott
2025 Hot Milk Rebecca Lenkiewicz
2026 Lluest Gareth Bryn

Television

Year Title Director Ref.
2014–2016 Duel Au Soleil Olivier Guignard
2015 Il Coraggio Di Vincere Marco Pontecorvo
2017 Le Rêve Français Christian Faure
2019 Plan Cœur Noémie Saglio, Renaud Bertrand
2019 Sakho and Mangane Jean Luc Herbulot
2022 1899 Baran bo Odar, Jantje Friese
2025 Néro the Assassin Allan Mauduit, Ludovic Colbeau-Justin

Music Videos

References

  1. "Le Rêve français". FranceTvPro (in French). 4 April 2018. Retrieved 26 June 2026.
  2. Ellwood-Hughes, Pip (28 August 2020). "Walter Presents: Sakho and Mangane on All 4 in September". Entertainment Focus. Retrieved 26 June 2026.
  3. "'1899' Cast: Set Sail for Multilingual Mystery". Netflix Tudum. 18 November 2022. Retrieved 26 June 2026.
  4. Vourlias, Christopher (11 September 2021). "Senegal's Lacme Studios Launches With TIFF Midnight Madness Selection 'Saloum'". Variety. Retrieved 26 June 2026.
  5. Hammond, Pete (14 September 2021). "Toronto Review: Midnight Madness Film 'Saloum'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 26 June 2026.
  6. Grater, Tom (2 May 2021). "Aneurin Barnard, Andreas Pietschmann, Miguel Bernardeau & More Join Epic Netflix Series '1899' From 'Dark' Creators". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 26 June 2026.
  7. Rick, Porter (2 January 2023). "'1899' Canceled After One Season at Netflix". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 26 June 2026.
  8. "VANILLA: The Open Reel Takes International Rights to British-Nigerian Joseph A. Adesunloye Drama". AKOROKO. 21 September 2023. Retrieved 29 October 2025.
  9. "Vanilla". Apple TV. 27 May 2025. Retrieved 29 October 2025.
  10. "Vanilla". Open Reel. 7 June 2025. Retrieved 29 October 2025.
  11. "Hot Milk". Berlinale. Retrieved 26 June 2026.
  12. "Hot Milk". Teddy Award. Retrieved 26 June 2026.
  13. "Néro the Assassin". Netflix. Retrieved 26 June 2026.
  14. "S4C and Sinema Cymru's first Welsh Western film". S4C. 26 May 2026. Retrieved 26 June 2026.
  15. "MetFilm's Welsh-language western 'Lluest' starring Aimee-Ffion Edwards starts filming in Wales". Screen Daily. 7 May 2026. Retrieved 26 June 2026.
  16. "Découvrez le Jury Courts Métrages". Festival du Film de Cabourg (in French). Retrieved 26 June 2026.
  17. "Le Festival de Cabourg célèbre 40 ans de films romantiques avec Isabelle Huppert". CNC (in French). 9 June 2026. Retrieved 26 June 2026.
  18. "Biographie de Yann Gael". Africultures. Retrieved 28 November 2014.
  19. "Nouveau Prix pour Yann Gael à Cinébanlieue". Mezzanine Films. 24 November 2011. Retrieved 30 November 2011.
  20. "Le Palmarès du Prix France Télévisions du Court Métrage". Retrieved 11 March 2017.
  21. "Et Toujours Nous Marcherons". Retrieved 11 March 2014.
  22. Jean-Christophe Nurbel (17 September 2017). "Le palmarès du Festival de la Fiction TV de la Rochelle 2017". Bulles de Culture. Retrieved 17 September 2017..
  23. Vues d'Afrique (22 April 2018). "Palmarès du 34e Festival international de cinéma Vues d'Afrique". Vues d'Afrique. Retrieved 22 April 2018..