learned English. Ulliel wanted to be a jazz musician and even tried playing the saxophone for a couple of years, but he quit because he thought he wasn't talented. He also learned how to play the piano. He was also interested in architecture and photography. He dreamed of becoming a film director and attended the University of Saint-Denis in Paris, where he studied cinema for two years until he quit to focus on his acting career. Career Early work and breakthrough (1997–2003) Ulliel began acting while he was still at school, at eleven years old, when a friend of a friend of his mother was working at an agency and was looking for young actors. She asked Ulliel if he wanted to give it a try and he said "yes", but just for fun. It was only after he turned seventeen that he really decided to continue working in this industry. He left the University of Saint-Denis after two years because he was getting more offers as an actor, but he still dreamed about writing and directing his own film, stating in a 2011 interview for Anthem Magazine; "I wake up every morning with this idea stuck in my mind that I want to write and direct my own film one day. As I work more and more on different sets, I see how hard it is to be a director. It's insane the amount of work and confidence that goes into it. I’m so respectful of filmmakers and I admire what they do. I hope that one day I'll find the right subject and the confidence to try it. I'm still young." He made his acting debut with a small part in one episode of Une femme en blanc, a 1997 miniseries for French television starring Sandrine Bonnaire. He continued appearing in made-for-television films and TV series during the late 1990s and early 2000s, and then became known as a film actor in France. In 2001, Ulliel made his feature film debut with a minor role in Christophe Gans's Brotherhood of the Wolf, alongside Vincent Cassel and Monica Bellucci. In 2002, Ulliel played the role of Loic in Michel Blanc's romantic comedy-drama film Summer Things, for which he earned his first César Award nomination for Most Promising Actor, as well as winning the Lumières Award for Most Promising Actor. He also performed at the drama school Cours Florent, where