Mathieu Carriere has been getting romantic leads in international feature films and television programs since the 1970s. Born in Germany, Carriere began performing onstage as a child. He appeared in his first film at age 13 in Tonio Kroger (1964). Two years later, he had his first leading role in Volker Schlöndorff's Young Torless. Mathieu made his directorial debut in 1989 with Fool's Mate.