[1] Valois ceased studies at law school[2] and began to study acting at the Cours Florent drama school for two years.

[3] After a series of rejections as an actor, Valois left France and studied massage at Wat Pho in Bangkok[2] and worked as a massage therapist in Thailand for six years.

He returned to Paris to open a massage studio.

He was invited to act in 120 BPM after Robin Campillo read his Facebook profile.

[7][8] Vanity Fair ranked him as the eleventh most influential French person in the world in 2017.