Eric Daniel Pierre Cantona (born 24 May 1966) is a French actor, director, producer and former professional soccer player. After his career in sports he focused mostly as an actor in French cinema, having had his first role as a rugby player in Le bonheur est dans le pré, shot during his 1995 suspension from football. In the late 1990s, he accepted a role as a French ambassador in the English film ''Elizabeth'' (1998). In 2002, he directed a short film, ''Apporte-moi ton amour''. In January 2020, Cantona played The King in the music video for Liam Gallagher''s single ''Once''. June 2023 saw Cantona''s début as a recording musician under his own name with the single, ''The Friends We Lost''.