Simon Abkarian was born on March 5, 1962, in Gonesse, Val d'Oise, France, to an Armenian family. He spent his childhood in Lebanon before moving to Los Angeles, where he joined an Armenian theater company. In 1985, he returned to France, settling in Paris, and enrolled in the Acting International school. He then joined Ariane Mnouchkine's Théâtre du Soleil, where he remained until 1993.
Abkarian's breakthrough role came in 2001, when he played the lead in "Beast on the Moon" by Richard Kalinoski, directed by Irina Brook, a play about a survivor of the Armenian Genocide. This performance earned him critical acclaim and the Molière award for best comedian.
In the early 2000s, Abkarian began working in film, appearing in several movies directed by Cédric Klapisch, including "Chacun cherche son chat" (1996) and "Ni pour, ni contre (bien au contraire)" (2003). He also appeared in Sally Potter's "Yes" (2004),playing the lead role.
Abkarian has continued to work in a variety of genres, appearing in thrillers like "J'ai vu tuer Ben Barka" (2005) and "Les Mauvais Joueurs" (2007),as well as comedies like "Le Démon de midi" (2005). He has also appeared in Atom Egoyan's "Ararat" (2002) and Michel Deville's "Almost Peaceful" (2004).
In addition to his film work, Abkarian has also appeared on television, playing the role of Dariush Bakhshi, the Iranian Special Consul, in the BBC drama "Spooks MI-5". He has also lent his voice to the French version of the animated feature "Persepolis".
Abkarian is known for his intense and eclectic performances, and has been recognized with several interpretation prizes for his work. He has also been featured in a number of films that explore his Armenian heritage, including "Army of Crime" (2010) and "Prendre Femme" (2004).