Valois ceased studies at law school and began to study acting at the Cours Florent drama school for two years. After a series of rejections as an actor, Valois left France and studied massage at Wat Pho in Bangkok 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.
In 2017, with the international release of 120 BPM, the film's campaign for the 2018 Oscars nominations, and his ability to speak English, he became known internationally. Vanity Fair ranked him as the eleventh most influential French person in the world in 2017.