The French film world is reeling from death of actor Gaspard Ulliel, who passed away on Wednesday following a tragic skiing accident. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Ulliel “had been hospitalized Tuesday after suffering a head injury during a collision on the slopes in the Savoie region of France. He was transported by helicopter to a hospital in Grenoble where he died Wednesday, according to his agent and family.” Ulliel was only 37 years old.

In America, Ulliel is probably best known as the young Hannibal Lecter from The Silence of the Lambs prequel Hannibal Rising. He was even more famous in his native France, where he won a César Award (the French equivalent of an Oscar) for Most Promising Actor for 2004’s A Very Long Engagement. In 2014, he starred as fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent in a popular biopic. He also won another César Award, this time for Best Actor, for his performance in Xavier Dolan’s 2016 film It’s Only the End of the World.

Ulliel was about to be seen in a key role in Marvel’s upcoming TV series Moon Knight, where he was set to play the character Midnight Man. The series debuts on Disney+ on March 30.

Social media is filled with tributes to Ulliel from fans and colleagues, like this post from Juliette Binoche.

Ulliel should have had a long career ahead of him. At 37 years old, he was only just getting started — and with a big American television series on the horizon, he could have been poised for even more crossover success. It’s just a terrible, tragic turn of events.

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