Patrick Bruel (born Patrick Benguigui on May 14, 1959, in Tlemcen, French Algeria) is a French singer, songwriter, actor, producer and professional poker player. After moving to France with his mother at the age of three, he grew up in Argenteuil and later Paris. Although he initially considered a career in soccer, a Michel Sardou concert encouraged him to pursue music. He also developed an interest in acting and performed in school theater productions.
Bruel made his screen debut in Alexandre Arcady's film Le Coup de sirocco in 1979. The film established him as a promising young actor, but his first significant professional success came from music. His debut album, De face, was released in 1986 and sold modestly. A series of concerts at the Olympia in Paris in 1987, however, demonstrated his growing stage appeal and helped build a devoted following.
His breakthrough arrived with the 1989 album Alors regarde. Combining polished pop arrangements with direct, conversational songwriting, the record became one of the defining French popular albums of its era. Songs such as "Casser la voix" and "Place des grands hommes" became enduring audience favorites. The album sold several million copies, and its supporting tour turned Bruel into one of France's most prominent live performers. His charismatic, highly participatory concerts also helped create the phenomenon sometimes called "Bruelmania."
During the 1990s, Bruel continued to balance music and acting. His albums included Bruel (1994), Juste avant (1999), and several successful live recordings. On screen, he appeared in films including La Maison assassinee, L'Union sacree, Force majeure and Le Jaguar. His acting work generally moved between mainstream popular cinema and more dramatic projects, allowing him to establish an identity separate from that of a pop idol.
Bruel returned strongly to music in 2002 with Entre-deux, an album devoted to songs associated with the 1930s. Its nostalgic repertoire and carefully arranged duets brought him another major commercial success and earned recognition from the Victoires de la musique. Later albums such as Des souvenirs devant..., Lequel de nous and Ce soir on sort... confirmed his continuing place in French chanson and pop. He also recorded Tres souvent, je pense a vous..., a 2015 tribute to Barbara.
His acting career gained renewed attention through Claude Miller's Un secret (2007), Claude Chabrol's L'Ivresse du pouvoir (2006), and Le Prenom, adapted from the successful stage comedy in which Bruel also starred. The 2012 film version became a major French box-office success and earned him a Cesar nomination for best actor. Other notable appearances include Le Code a change, Tu veux ou tu veux pas, Les Yeux jaunes des crocodiles, Un sac de billes, Holy Lands and Villa Caprice.
A longtime participant in the charity ensemble Les Enfoires, Bruel has also supported humanitarian and social causes. Outside entertainment, he became associated with online poker and co-founded Winamax in the mid-2000s, later winning a World Series of Poker bracelet.
In 2026, Bruel's public career was overshadowed by a criminal investigation. In June, he was placed under formal investigation for rape, attempted rape, sexual assault and sexual harassment in several cases, while receiving assisted-witness status in other proceedings. He was released under judicial supervision and has denied all allegations. At the time of writing, the proceedings remain unresolved, and no conviction has been issued.