Frédéric Diefenthal
A French actor best known as the hot-headed but loyal driver Émilien in the globally popular 'Taxi' film series.
Born 1968 (age 58)·French actor and director·Birthday: July 26·Generation X
Biography
Frédéric Diefenthal's face is inextricably linked to one of France's most successful cinematic exports. While he had been acting on television and film since the late 1980s, his career ignited in 1998 when he slid into the passenger seat—and often the driver's seat—of a modified white Peugeot 406 as Émilien Coutant-Kerbalec. As the by-the-book police officer paired with a manic taxi driver in the 'Taxi' franchise, Diefenthal provided the perfect straight-man foil, his expressive exasperation and underlying warmth making him a fan favorite. The role made him an international star, though he has worked consistently to avoid being typecast. He has directed episodes of television and appeared in a range of other French films and series, from comedies to crime dramas. Yet, for a generation of filmgoers, Diefenthal remains the lovable gendarme from Marseille, a symbol of a specific, high-octane era of French comedy that conquered box offices worldwide.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Frédéric was born in 1968, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Frédéric Was Born
The biggest hits of 1968
#1 Movie
2001: A Space Odyssey
Best Picture
Oliver!
#1 TV Show
The Andy Griffith Show
Frédéric's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1968Born
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1973Started school
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1981Became a teenager
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1984Could drive
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1986Could vote
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1989Turned 21
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1998Turned 30
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2008Turned 40
Barack Obama elected first Black US president; financial crisis
Gas: $3.27/galHome: $153,100Min wage: $6.55/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Low" — Flo RidaBest Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
2018Turned 50
Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan; Parkland shooting
Gas: $2.72/galHome: $211,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"God's Plan" — DrakeBest Picture: Green Book
2026Age 58 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Played a leading role as Émilien in all five films of the blockbuster 'Taxi' franchise (1998-2018).
- Nominated for a Molière Award, France's national theatre award, for his stage work.
- Directed several television films and episodes for French TV, including for the series 'RIS'.
- Appeared in over 50 film and television productions throughout his career.
Did You Know?
He is the grandson of the French actor and director Gérard Séty.
He studied drama at the prestigious Cours Florent in Paris.
He provided the French voice for the character of Chick Hicks in the French dub of the Pixar film 'Cars'.
Before his breakout in 'Taxi', he had a recurring role on the popular French TV series 'Julie Lescaut'.
“Emilien was the heart, and I was the chaos.”
