French actor Gaspard Ulliel, known for appearing in Chanel perfume ads as well as film and television roles, died aged 37 on Wednesday after a skiing accident in the Alps, his agent’s office said.
Ulliel portrayed the young Hannibal Lecter in 2007’s Hannibal Rising and fashion mogul Yves Saint Laurent in the 2014 biopic Saint Laurent. He is also in the coming Marvel series Moon Knight and was the advertising face of the Chanel men’s fragrance Bleu de Chanel.
He was admitted to hospital on Tuesday after the accident in the Savoie region’s Rosiere ski area, the Savoie prosecutor’s office said. The office of the actor’s agent said Ulliel died on Wednesday. It provided no further details.
Local broadcaster France Bleu said Ulliel was admitted to hospital with a skull injury and that he apparently collided with another skier at a crossing point on the slopes. The other skier was reportedly not taken to hospital. Police and prosecutors would not discuss details of the accident.
Ulliel started in television while still in middle school and went on to win two of France’s top cinema awards, the Cesar.
Tributes poured in from shocked fans and the corridors of power. French Prime Minister Jean Castex tweeted an homage that said: “Gaspard Ulliel grew up with cinema and cinema grew up with him. They loved each other madly.”