Originally from Northern France, Jacques Bonnaffé was born on June 22, 1958, in Douai. He trained at the Lille Conservatory before making his stage debut, notably in Racine's "Britannicus." Passionate about theater and literature, he quickly developed a taste for challenging texts and poetry, which he championed throughout his career.

He made his film debut in 1980 with Édouard Niermans' "Anthracite." Four years later, he first gained acclaim in Jean-Luc Godard's "First Name: Carmen," where he delivered a remarkable performance. From then on, Jacques Bonnaffé established himself as a key figure in auteur cinema, collaborating with renowned directors such as Philippe Garrel ("Elle a passé tant d’heures sous les sunlights…", 1985), Jean-Charles Tacchella ("Escalier C", 1985), Jacques Doillon ("La Tentation d’Isabelle", 1985), and Alain Corneau ("Le Deuxième Souffle", 2007).

At the same time, he pursued a brilliant career in theater, where he distinguished himself both as an actor and a director. A great lover of poetry, he devoted himself to public readings of authors such as Arthur Rimbaud and Jack Kerouac. His commitment to French culture and the French language earned him the Raymond-Devos Prize in 2016.

In film, he alternates between drama and comedy. In 1998, he played an Act-Up activist in the musical "Jeanne et le garçon formidable" (Jeanne and the Great Boy), before playing Nathalie Baye's companion in "Vénus beauté" (Institut) the following year. In 2001, he appeared in Jacques Rivette's "Va savoir" (Va savoir), then starred in "La Repentie" (La Repentie) in 2002, which marked Isabelle Adjani's return to the screen. In 2004, he distinguished himself in the adaptation of "Un fil à la patte" alongside Emmanuelle Béart and Charles Berling, then in "Quand la mer monte" by Yolande Moreau, which won two César Awards. He then explored darker worlds with "Lemming" by Dominik Moll (2005), "La Tourneuse de pages" (2006), and "Les Amitiés maléfiques" (2006).

In 2007, he played a sailor in "Capitaine Achab," a loose adaptation of Herman Melville's Moby-Dick. He then reunited with Jacques Rivette for "36 Views of Pic Saint-Loup" (2009), before winning a Molière for his performance in "L'Oral et Hardi" the same year. Always eager for new experiences, he launched into fantasy cinema in 2011 with "Behind the Walls," one of the first French 3D horror films, starring Laetitia Casta.

Alongside his acting career, Jacques Bonnaffé continues to champion poetry and literature on stage and radio. Between 2015 and 2019, he hosted the daily show Jacques Bonnaffé lit la poésie on France Culture, contributing to the transmission and promotion of French-language literary heritage.

A committed and eclectic actor, Jacques Bonnaffé pursues his path between film, theater, and poetry, with unwavering loyalty to the authors and texts that inspire him.