Clément Hervieu-Léger takes the reins of the Comédie-Française

Actor and director Clément Hervieu-Léger takes up his duties as general administrator of the Comédie-Française this Monday, with the mission of strengthening its influence while modernizing the institution.

A member of the troupe since 2005 before becoming a member in 2018, Mr. Hervieu-Léger, 48, succeeds Éric Ruf, in office since 2014. He was appointed in February by the Élysée Palace on the proposal of the Minister of Culture, Rachida Dati .

It is "responsible for continuing the influence of France's leading theatrical establishment" by expanding the repertoire while retaining the classics, developing tours and audiovisual productions, as well as strengthening actions aimed at young people and remote audiences, according to the ministerial roadmap.

He will also oversee a major renovation and energy transition project. The Richelieu Hall, the institution's historic venue, will be closed from January to September. During this period, the plays will be performed off-site in eight Parisian theaters and at the Théâtre des Amandiers in Nanterre.

In twenty years with the troupe, Clément Hervieu-Léger notably played Robespierre in The Death of Danton by Georg Büchner, directed by Simon Delétang, Dorante in The Bourgeois Gentleman by Molière, created by Valérie Lesort and Christian Hecq, and Günther von Essenbeck in The Damned by Visconti, distributed by the director Ivo van Hove.

Trained at the Conservatoire du 10e arrondissement in Paris, he worked with Lilo Baur, Denis Podalydès and Robert Wilson, among others.

Also a director, he distinguished himself in 2018 by presenting for the first time in France, in its entirety, Spring Awakening , by the German playwright Frank Wedekind, long censored for pornography.

He also directed Marivaux's The Little Master Corrected and Chekhov's The Cherry Orchard , and founded the Compagnie des Petits Champs with Daniel San Pedro in 2010. Together, they recently adapted They Shoot Horses, Don't They? with the Ballet de l'Opéra national du Rhin.

The 2025-2026 program of the Comédie-Française was concocted by Eric Ruf and includes 15 new productions and 13 revivals, including Molière's Les femmes savantes (directed by Emma Dante), Corneille's Le Cid (by Denis Podalydès) and Hamlet after Shakespeare (by Ivo van Hove). Clément Hervieu-Léger will present his version of Goldoni's L'école de danse .