Coward
Macchia plays Pierre in the completed 2026 war drama directed by Lukas Dhont.[1]
Emmanuel Macchia
Emmanuel Macchia is a Belgian actor born in Charleroi. His first screen role, as Pierre in Lukas Dhont's Coward, earned him a shared Best Actor award at Cannes in 2026.
Biography
Macchia grew up around Ham-sur-Heure and was studying landscape architecture in Gembloux when a casting search led him to Coward. He had no previous screen experience before taking the role of Pierre.
Coward was Macchia's first acting role. He spent three months preparing and another three months filming before the debut brought him and co-star Valentin Campagne a shared Cannes acting prize.
Known for
Career highlights
- Coward Role
- Street Casting
A school encounter led to his first audition
Lukas Dhont noticed Macchia during a street-casting search at his architecture school and invited him to audition.[3]
- Debut
- Cannes Award
He shared the Cannes acting prize
The 2026 Cannes jury named Macchia and Valentin Campagne together for Best Performance for an Actor in Coward.[7]
Good to know
He was born in Charleroi and raised nearby
Macchia was born in Charleroi and grew up around Ham-sur-Heure before studying landscape architecture in Gembloux.[4][6][2]
The leads prepared for three months
Macchia and Campagne described a three-month preparation period followed by a three-month shoot.[3]
He was studying landscape architecture
Before Lukas Dhont street-cast him in Coward, Macchia was studying landscape architecture in Gembloux and had no formal acting training.[2]
