Olivier Gourmet

Grandson of a carpenter, Olivier Gourmet grew up in Mirwart, a Belgian village where his father was a cattle dealer and mother the manager of a family hotel-restaurant. At 13, he was sent to boarding school, which was an unhappy experience that led him to "be closed in on myself". It was at this school that he began acting when he replaced a classmate at short notice in the school play. He discovered a talent for mimicry and comedy. Later he was torn between a career in sports journalism or comedy. He opted for acting and comedy and attended the Conservatoire de Liège where he won first prize after only two years.