Before becoming an actor, François-Xavier Demaison had a career in finance in New York. But an event turned his life upside down.
François-Xavier Demaison, today a successful actor and comedian, has not always evolved in the world of entertainment. Before embarking on a career on stage, he worked as an international tax specialist in New York. September 11, 2001, a day marked by terrorist attacks, was a decisive turning point in his life. That day, he realized that his true vocation was elsewhere.
September 11, 2001: a shock for François-Xavier Demaison
On the morning of September 11, 2001, François-Xavier Demaison was on the subway south of Manhattan, just when the first tower of the World Trade Center was hit by a plane. As he leaves the metro, he discovers the images of the attack, initially thinking of a disaster film. Reality quickly catches up with him. “When I went up to my office, I was told that there had been an attack.” he told France Inter.
The actor, guest of prime 25 years of Who wants to make millions? on TF1, remembers crossing a city in a state of shock, with people wandering around, covered in ashes, and the army blocking access to certain neighborhoods. “I remember a panic at the foot of the Empire State Building.”he confides. This day, when life in New York came to a sudden halt, had a profound impact on François-Xavier Demaison.
A click to change your life
Faced with tragedy, François-Xavier Demaison becomes aware of the fragility of existence. “This day made me realize that life is short and that I risked missing out on my dream”he explains. A childhood dream, that of going on stage. This cathartic shock pushed him to reevaluate his priorities and leave his career as a tax professional to follow his passion for theater and cinema.
“I had no place in an office”he confides, recalling the moment when he decided to leave New York for Paris, in order to devote himself fully to his dream of becoming an actor. A decision that radically changed his life and which, today, has allowed him to enjoy a flourishing career on stage and screen. A few months ago, we saw him in the series The Negotiator.
