Luc Besson spent the first years of his life following his parents, scuba diving instructors, around the world. His early life was entirely aquatic. He already showed amazing creativity as a youth, writing early drafts of The Big Blue and The Fifth Element, as an adolescent bored in school. He planned on becoming a marine biologist specializing in dolphins until a diving accident at age 17 which rendered him unable to dive any longer. He moved back to Paris, where he was born, and only at age 18 did he first have an urban life or television. He realized that film was a medium which he could combine all his interests in various arts together, so he began taking odd jobs on various films. He moved to America for three years, then returned to France and formed Les Films de Loups - his own production company, which later changed its name to Les Films de Dauphins. He is now able to dive again.


Dated Maïwenn Le Besco. She gave birth to their daughter, Shanna Besson, in 1993. Placed under investigation on a charge of involuntary manslaughter 4 June 2002 by Paris prosecutor during inquiry into death of a cameraman hit by a car during 1999 filming of chase scene in Taxi 2 (2000), which Besson produced. Often casts Gary Oldman (Leon, The Fifth Element (1997)) and they are very close friends. He produced Gary's movie Nil by Mouth (1997). Refuses to do interviews or audio commentaries for DVD releases. This is because he believes that they ruin the impact of the film. Wanted to become a marine biologist as a child, but an accident at the age of 17 prevented him from being in water. Grew up in Greece, Bulgaria and former Yugoslavia where his parents were diving instructors for Club Med. He always said, that he will retire as a director after he made 10 movies. This would make Arthur et les Minimoys (2006) his last one.