Jacques Villeret
Jacques Villeret (6 February 1951 – 28 January 2005) was a French actor, best known internationally for his role as François Pignon in the comedy Le Dîner de Cons. During his career, he earned many awards including the prestigious medal and title of Chevalier de la Légion d'Honneur.[1]
Jacques Villeret | |
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![]() Villeret at the 1999 César Awards | |
Born | Jacky Boufroura 6 February 1951 |
Died | 28 January 2005 53) | (aged
Occupation | Actor |
Spouse(s) | Irina Tarassov (1979–1998) |
Life and career
Villeret was born Jacky Boufroura in Loches, Indre-et-Loire, France, to an Algerian father and a French mother.[2] He studied at the Conservatoire de Paris (CNSAD) in the same class as Louis Seigner, the grandfather of Emmanuelle Seigner and Mathilde Seigner. While he was most famous for his role as François Pignon in Le Dîner de Cons; both on the stage and in the film, his other celebrated roles included the extra terrestrial in La soupe aux choux, the autistic Mo in L'été en pente douce, and marshal Ludwig von Apfelstrudel in Papy fait de la résistance.
At the time of making the film Un aller simple directed by Laurent Heynemann – a film about integration and racism and the clash of generations – Villeret said that watching the young actors in the film, Barbara Schulz and Lorant Deutsch, reminded him of the insouciance he had had as a young man with his friends at the Conservatoire. When his career was at its height, with the success of Le Dîner de Cons, a separation from his wife and an enormous financial downfall due to tax issues, plunged him into depression. Villeret turned to alcohol for comfort, and it subsequently became problematic, which he sought to resolve by isolating himself and hiding away for long periods. In retrospect on this episode in his life, he is quoted: Alcohol is a friend, but a friend who means you harm.[3]
Villeret's love of his profession helped to bring his career back from the brink. In an interview in 2001 he spoke of his admiration for performers like Johnny Hallyday and Jacques Brel for their level of commitment, and quoted the author Louis-Ferdinand Céline: When I write, I put my balls on the table.[4]
Villeret married Irina Tarassov, an actress and writer, on 26 December 1979. They separated in 1998. (Irina has written about their life together in her book, Un jour, tout ira bien.)[5] Having met Seny, an African widow, Villeret was about to start life together with her in Paris when he died in Evreux following a liver haemorrhage brought about by his previous alcoholism.
Filmography
Year | Title | Role | Director | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
1973 | R.A.S. | Soldat Girot | Yves Boisset | |
1974 | Un amour de pluie | Guillaume | Jean-Claude Brialy | |
The Mouth Agape | Maurice Pialat | Uncredited | ||
And Now My Love | a spectator | Claude Lelouch | ||
1975 | Serious as Pleasure | the policeman | Robert Benayoun | |
The Common Man | Gérald | Yves Boisset | ||
1976 | The Good and the Bad | Simon | Claude Lelouch | |
If I Had to Do It All Over Again | the real estate broker | Claude Lelouch | ||
Les Naufragés de l'île de la Tortue | Bernard Dupoirier, dit 'Petit Nono' | Jacques Rozier | ||
1977 | Another Man, Another Chance | a customer | Claude Lelouch | |
1978 | Robert et Robert | Robert Villiers | Claude Lelouch | |
Mon premier amour | Jacques Labrousse | Elie Chouraqui | ||
Passe montagne | Georges | Jean-François Stévenin | ||
Un balcon en forêt' | Le soldat Gourcuff | Michel Mitrani | ||
1979 | Confidences pour confidences | L'étudiant qui cherche du travail | Pascal Thomas | |
Us Two | Uncle Musique | Claude Lelouch | ||
Bête, mais discipliné | Jacques Cardot | Claude Zidi | ||
Rien ne va plus | Henri Fisserman / Paul Flantier / Bouli / Dr. Delomien / Jacques du Breuil / Robert Valier / Florence / Commissaire Blandin / Le patron de La Grenade / M. Fremelin | Jean-Michel Ribes | ||
1981 | Malevil | Momo | Christian de Chalonge | |
Les Uns et les Autres | Jacques | Claude Lelouch | ||
La Soupe aux choux | the Alien | Jean Girault | ||
1982 | The Big Brother | Inspecteur Coleau | Francis Girod | |
1983 | Danton | François Joseph Westermann | Andrzej Wajda | |
Effraction | Valentin Tralande | Daniel Duval | ||
Édith et Marcel | Jacques Barbier | Claude Lelouch | ||
Circulez y'a rien à voir | Pelissier | Patrice Leconte | ||
First Name: Carmen | the man at the petrol station | Jean-Luc Godard | ||
Papy fait de la résistance | Ludwig Von Apfelstrudel | Jean-Marie Poiré | ||
Waiter! | Gilbert | Claude Sautet | ||
1984 | Les Morfalous | Béral | Henri Verneuil | |
1985 | Drôle de samedi | Maurice, le boucher | Tunç Okan | |
Hold-Up | Jérémie Planchet | Alexandre Arcady | ||
Les Folles Années du twist | M'sieur John Wayne | Mahmoud Zemmouri | ||
1986 | La galette du roi | Le prince Utte de Danemark | ||
Black Mic Mac | Michel Le Gorgues | Thomas Gilou | ||
Les Frères Petard | Momo | Herve Palud | ||
1987 | L'été en pente douce | Maurice Leheurt, aka Mo | Gérard Krawczyk | |
Keep Your Right Up | a man | Jean-Luc Godard | ||
1988 | La petite amie | Guillaume Bertin | Luc Béraud | |
Mangeclous | Salomon | Moshé Mizrahi | ||
1990 | Trois années | Alexandre Guillermen | Fabrice Cazeneuve | |
1991 | Les secrets professionnels du Dr Apfelglück | Martineau | ||
The Favour, the Watch and the Very Big Fish | Charles, the lingerie expert | Ben Lewin | ||
1992 | 588, rue Paradis | Alexandre | Henri Verneuil | |
Le bal des casse-pieds | Jérôme | Yves Robert | ||
Le fils du Mékong | Durieux | François Leterrier | ||
Le Batteur Du Boléro | the drummer | Patrice Leconte | Short | |
Mayrig | Alexandre | Henri Verneuil | 2 episodes | |
1994 | Parano | Le pompiste | (episode "Nuit d'essence") | |
1996 | Golden Boy | Antoine Bonvoisin | Jean-Pierre Vergne | |
1998 | Le Dîner de Cons | François Pignon | Francis Veber | |
Mookie | Frère Benoît | Hervé Palud | ||
1999 | The Children of the Marshland | Riton | Jean Becker | |
2000 | Les Acteurs | Himself | Bertrand Blier | |
2001 | A Crime in Paradise | Jojo Braconnier | Jean Becker | |
Un aller simple | Jean-Pierre | Laurent Heynemann | ||
2003 | Strange Gardens | Jacques Pouzay | Jean Becker | |
Le Furet | Le Furet | Jean-Pierre Mocky | ||
2004 | Malabar Princess | Gaspard | Gilles Legrand | |
Vipère au poing | Jacques Rézeau | Philippe de Broca | ||
2005 | Iznogoud | Haroun El Poussah | Patrick Braoudé | |
L'antidote | André Morin | Vincent de Brus | ||
Les âmes grises | Le juge Mierck | Yves Angelo | ||
Les parrains | Lucien | Frédéric Forestier |
Theatre
- 1990 : La Contrebasse
- 1993 : Le Dîner de cons
- 2000 : Jeffrey Bernard est souffrant
Awards
- 1979 : César Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for Robert et Robert
- 1999 : César Award for Best Actor for Le Dîner de cons
- 1999 : Lumières Award for Best Actor for Le Dîner de cons
- Chevalier des Arts et Lettres
- Légion d'honneur
References
- Jacques Villeret - Biography
- Jacques Villeret - News & actus people sur Premiere
- Paris Match, 14 June 2001
- Paris Match 14 June 2001
- Irina Tarassov-Villeret, Un jour, tout ira bien, ISBN 2-08-068891-X
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Jacques Villeret. |