Stéphane Bak

Stéphane Bak (born 19 September 1996) is a Franco-Congolese actor and comedian. He was showcased as "The youngest comedian in France," in 2012. As an actor his most notable film roles include Christopher Barratier's Team Spirit, David Moreau's Alone, and Paul Verhoeven’s award-winning Elle. More recently, Bak has starred in André Téchiné’s Farewell to the Night and Joël Karekezi’s The Mercy of the Jungle.

Bak was born in Le Blanc-Mesnil, Seine-Saint-Denis. Bak is of Congolese origin; his father is a delivery driver and his mother is a receptionist, and he has four brothers and sisters. In 2011, he was expelled from high school and forced to take correspondence courses. He was authorised by the French Department of Social Affairs to start working at the age of 14.

Bak started his career as a stand-up comedian in December 2010, performing in the small clubs of Paris, most notably at Le Palace and at Théâtre Trévise. In 2011, he participated in the Montreux Comedy Festival alongside the comedic duo Les Chevaliers du fiel. In September 2012, he performed at Grand Rex as part of the evening "Rire ensemble contre le racisme", broadcast on France 2 in prime time before two million viewers. He also appeared at Casino de Paris for "Le Concert solidaire" organized in September 2012 for the 30th anniversary of the organization Handicap International.