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Jacques Villeret

Acting 53 (deceased) years old Tours, Indre-et-Loire, France ★ 0.5
Born: February 6, 1951
Died: January 28, 2005

Biography

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.

Villeret was born Jacky Boufroura in Loches, Indre-et-Loire, France, to an Algerian father and a French mother. 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 – he 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, everything collapsed in a tragedy mirroring the plot of the film. Villeret separated from his wife and suffered an enormous financial downfall due to tax issues, plunging him into depression. Villeret turned to alcohol for comfort, and became an alcoholic. He isolated himself and hid away for long periods. He later said: Alcohol is a friend, but a friend who means you harm.

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.

In 1979 Villeret married Irina Tarassov, an actress and writer. They separated in 1998. Tassarov wrote about their life together in her book Un jour, tout ira bien. (One day, everything will go well).

In 2002 Villeret met Seny, a Senegalese-French widow descended through her grandfather, Mor Diarra N'Dao, from a long line of Sérès nobles of the ancient Kingdom of Saloum, and they fell instantly and deeply in love. They were partners for three years, and she was about to move to Paris to be with him when he died in Évreux in January 2005 of a liver haemorrhage. Seny wrote a memoir of their life together, Jacques Villeret, mon bébé blanc, which was published in Paris by Le Cherche Midi in 2005.

Source: Article "Jacques Villeret" from Wikipedia in English, licensed under CC-BY-SA 3.0.

Filmography

Acting Credits (90)

Jacques Villeret, drôlement tragique
Jacques Villeret, drôlement tragique Self (archive footage) 2025
L'Âge d'or de la pub
L'Âge d'or de la pub Self (archive footage) 2023
Il était une fois Champs-Élysées
Il était une fois Champs-Élysées Self (archive footage) 2022
Belmondo: The Incorrigible
Belmondo: The Incorrigible 2022
La TV des 70's : Quand Giscard était président
La TV des 70's : Quand Giscard était président Self (archive footage) 2022
La Folle Histoire de François Pignon - De La chèvre au Dîner de cons
La Folle Histoire de François Pignon - De La chèvre au Dîner de cons Self 2015
The Do-Gooders
The Do-Gooders lucien 2005
Grey Souls
Grey Souls Le juge Mierck 2005
The Antidote
The Antidote André Morin 2005
Iznogoud
Iznogoud Haroun El Poussah 2005
Viper in the Fist
Viper in the Fist Jacques Rézeau 2004
Malabar Princess
Malabar Princess Gaspard 2004
Le Furet
Le Furet le Furet 2003
Strange Gardens
Strange Gardens Jacques Pouzay 2003
One Way Ticket
One Way Ticket Jean-Pierre 2001
A Crime in Paradise
A Crime in Paradise Jojo Braconnier 2001
Actors
Actors Jacques Villeret 2000
The Children of the Marshland
The Children of the Marshland Henri Pignol, aka Riton 1999
Mookie
Mookie Frère Benoît 1998
Vivement dimanche
Vivement dimanche Self 1998
The Dinner Game
The Dinner Game François Pignon 1998
Le Dernier Été
Le Dernier Été Georges Mandel 1997
Georges Dandin de Molière
Georges Dandin de Molière Georges Dandin 1997
Golden Boy
Golden Boy Antoine Bonvoisin 1996
Wacko
Wacko Le pompiste 1994
The Drummer of Ravel's Boléro
The Drummer of Ravel's Boléro Le batteur 1992
The Son of the Mekong
The Son of the Mekong Durieux 1992
Le Bal des casse-pieds
Le Bal des casse-pieds Jérôme, le présentateur de la météo 1992
588 rue Paradis
588 rue Paradis Alexandre Pagès 1992
The Favour, the Watch and the Very Big Fish
The Favour, the Watch and the Very Big Fish Lingerie Man 1991
The Professional Secrets of Dr. Apfelgluck
The Professional Secrets of Dr. Apfelgluck Martineau 1991
Three Years
Three Years Alexandre Guillermen 1990
Un fil à la patte
Un fil à la patte Bouzin 1989
La Petite Amie
La Petite Amie Guillaume Bertin 1988
Nailcruncher
Nailcruncher Salomon 1988
Keep Your Right Up
Keep Your Right Up Individual 1987
Sacrée Soirée
Sacrée Soirée Self 1987
Nulle part ailleurs
Nulle part ailleurs Self 1987
L'été en pente douce
L'été en pente douce Maurice Leheurt aka Mo 1987
Last Summer in Tangiers
Last Summer in Tangiers Marcus 1987
Matin Bonheur
Matin Bonheur Self 1987
C'est encore mieux l'après-midi
C'est encore mieux l'après-midi Georges Pigier 1987
The Joint Brothers
The Joint Brothers Momo 1986
Black Mic Mac
Black Mic Mac Michel Le Gorgues 1986
Les Folles Années du Twist
Les Folles Années du Twist M'sieur John Wayne 1986
La Galette du roi
La Galette du roi Utte de Danemark 1986
Hold-up
Hold-up Jeremie Blanchet, taxi driver 1985
Drôle de samedi
Drôle de samedi Maurice, the butcher 1985
Dialogue de sourds
Dialogue de sourds The blind 1985
The Vultures
The Vultures Brigadier Béral 1984
First Name: Carmen
First Name: Carmen The Man Who Eats Yogurt 1983
Waiter!
Waiter! Gilbert, Alex's friend 1983
Gramps Is in the Resistance
Gramps Is in the Resistance Maréchal Ludwig von Apfelstrudel 1983
Move Along, There Is Nothing to See!
Move Along, There Is Nothing to See! Pelissier 1983
Effraction
Effraction Valentin Tralande, truand violent 1983
Danton
Danton François-Joseph Westermann 1983
Edith and Marcel
Edith and Marcel Jacques Barbier 1983
The Big Brother
The Big Brother Inspecteur Coleau 1982
Merci Bernard
Merci Bernard 1982
Champs-Elysées
Champs-Elysées Self 1982
The Cabbage Soup
The Cabbage Soup L'Oxien (La Denrée) 1981
Bolero
Bolero Jacques 1981
Malevil
Malevil Momo 1981
Out of Whack
Out of Whack Henri Fisserman / Paul Flantier / Bouli / Dr. Delomien, ... 1979
Dumb But Disciplined
Dumb But Disciplined Jacques Cardot 1979
Us Two
Us Two Tonton Musique 1979
Heart to Heart
Heart to Heart Sitting student 1979
Mountain Pass
Mountain Pass Georges 1978
Mon Premier Amour
Mon Premier Amour Jacques Labrousse 1978
Robert et Robert
Robert et Robert Robert Villiers 1978
Un Balcon en forêt
Un Balcon en forêt Gourcuff 1978
Le Rabat-joie
Le Rabat-joie Léon 1978
Another Man, Another Chance
Another Man, Another Chance Customer 1977
Nono Nénesse
Nono Nénesse Nono 1976
The Castaways of Turtle Island
The Castaways of Turtle Island Petit Nono 1976
A Second Chance
A Second Chance L'agent immobilier 1976
The Good and the Bad
The Good and the Bad Jacques 1976
Numéro un
Numéro un Self 1975
Numéro un
Numéro un Self - Host 1975
The Common Man
The Common Man Gérald 1975
Serious as Pleasure
Serious as Pleasure Le gendarme 1975
Les Rendez-vous du dimanche
Les Rendez-vous du dimanche Self 1975
Midi Première
Midi Première Self 1975
Spécial cinéma
Spécial cinéma Self 1974
The Mouth Agape
The Mouth Agape (uncredited) 1974
Loving in the Rain
Loving in the Rain Guillaume 1974
Nothing to Report
Nothing to Report Soldat Girot 1973
Detective Story
Detective Story Le photographe 1972
Le Grand Échiquier
Le Grand Échiquier Self 1972
Discorama
Discorama Self 1959

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