“I don’t have a place in an office…”

François-Xavier Demaison, today a successful actor and comedian, has not always progressed in the world of entertainment. Before starting a career on stage, he worked as an international tax expert in New York. September 11, 2001, a day marked by terrorist attacks, was a definite turning point in his life. That day, he realized his true calling lay elsewhere.

September 11, 2001: shock for François-Xavier Demaison

On the morning of September 11, 2001, François-Xavier Demaison was on the subway south of Manhattan, just when a plane hit the first tower of the World Trade Center. As he leaves the metro, he finds images of the attack, at first thinking of a disaster movie. Quickly, reality 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 primary 25 years of Who wants to make millions? on TF1, remembers crossing a city in a terrible state, with people walking around, covered in ash, and the army blocking access to certain neighborhoods. “I remember panic at the foot of the Empire State Building.”he trusts. This day, when life in New York came to a sudden halt, had a profound impact on François-Xavier Demaison.

Click to change your life

Through tragedy, François-Xavier Demaison becomes aware of his fragility. “This day made me realize that life is short and that I was in danger of losing my dream.”he explains. A childhood dream, to go on stage. This cathartic shock pushed him to reevaluate his priorities and leave his career as a tax professional to pursue his passion for theater and cinema.

“I had no place in the office”he confides, remembering the moment when he decided to leave New York for Paris, to devote himself completely to his dream of being an actor. A decision that changed his life significantly and that, today, has allowed him to enjoy a successful career on stage and screen. A few months ago, we saw him in the series The Arbitrator.