CineScope
Serge Reggiani picture

Serge Reggiani

Acting
Known For

82 Years Old

Serge Reggiani (2 May 1922 – 23 July 2004) was an Italian-born French singer and actor. He was born in Reggio Emilia, Italy and moved to France with his parents at the age of eight. For many years, he struggled with alcoholism, caused in part by the 1980 suicide of his son Stephan. After acting school (Conservatoire des arts cinématographiques) he was discovered by Jean Cocteau and appeared in a wartime production of Les Parents terribles ("The Terrible Parents"). During World War II, he left Paris to join the French resistance. His first feature film came in 1946 with his role in Les portes de la nuit ("The Doors of the Night"). He later went on to perform in 80 films including Casque d'or, Les Misérables (1958),Tutti a casa, Le Doulos, Il Gattopardo, La terrazza, The Pianist (1998). In spite of never quite reaching the peak with his acting career, he did triumph in the theatre in 1959 with his performance in Jean-Paul Sartre’s play Les Séquestrés d'Altona. In the meantime, though, in 1965 he began a second career, that of a singer (at the age of 43), with the help of Simone Signoret and her husband Yves Montand and later with great assistance of the French diva Barbara. Reggiani became one of the most acclaimed performers of French "Chanson" ("song") and although he was in his 40s, his bad-boy rugged image made him popular with both young and older listeners. His best known songs include Les loups sont entrés dans Paris ("The Wolves Have Entered Paris") and Sarah (La femme qui est dans mon lit) ("The Woman Who Is In My Bed"), the latter written by Georges Moustaki. However, one of his regular songwriters throughout his career was Boris Vian (Le Déserteur, Arthur où t'as mis le corps, La Java des bombes atomiques). His new young fans identified with his left-wing ideals and antimilitarism, most notably during the 1968 student revolts in France. With age he became more and more acclaimed as one of the best interpreters of the French chanson also bringing the poetry of Rimbaud, Apollinaire and Prévert closer to his audience. In 1995, he made a comeback to the singing stage, giving a few concerts despite his deteriorated health and personal distress, the last one being held as late as in the year of his death, in spring of 2004. In later life he became a painter and gave a number of exhibitions of his artwork. Serge Reggiani died in Paris of a heart attack at the age of 82, one day after the death of another well known French singer Sacha Distel. He is interred in Montparnasse Cemetery.

Born

Reggio Emilia, Italy on 2nd May 1922

Died

22nd July 2004

All Credits

Le Grand Échiquier Image
Le Grand Échiquier
Self
Vivement dimanche Image
Vivement dimanche
Self
Sacrée soirée Image
Sacrée soirée
Self
Champs-Elysées Image
Champs-Elysées
Self
No Image
Midi trente
Self
Les Rendez-vous du dimanche Image
Les Rendez-vous du dimanche
Self
Discorama Image
Discorama
Self
30 millions d'amis Image
30 millions d'amis
Self
Cinépanorama Image
Cinépanorama
Self
No Image
Samedi soir
Self
À bout portant Image
À bout portant
Self
Numéro un Image
Numéro un
Self - Host
Numéro un Image
Numéro un
Self
Le monde est à vous Image
Le monde est à vous
Self
Victoires de la musique Image
Victoires de la musique
Self
La Chance aux chansons Image
La Chance aux chansons
Self
The Leopard Image
The Leopard
Don Francisco Ciccio Tumeo
Army of Shadows Image
Army of Shadows
Hairdresser
Une enquête du commissaire Prévôt Image
Une enquête du commissaire Prévôt
Le commissaire Prévôt
I Hired a Contract Killer Image
I Hired a Contract Killer
Vic
Les Misérables Image
Les Misérables
Enjolras
The Lovers of Verona Image
The Lovers of Verona
Angelo (Romeo)
Mauvais Sang Image
Mauvais Sang
Charlie
The Last Adventure Image
The Last Adventure
the pilot
The Stowaway Image
The Stowaway
Alfred Mougins
Le Doulos Image
Le Doulos
Maurice Faugel
Napoleon Image
Napoleon
Lucien Bonaparte
Gates of the Night Image
Gates of the Night
Guy Sénéchal
Cinecittà Cinecittà Image
Cinecittà Cinecittà
Serge Reggiani
Paris Blues Image
Paris Blues
Michel 'Gypsy' Devigne
The Beekeeper Image
The Beekeeper
Sick Man
Violette & Francois Image
Violette & Francois
M. Levene
The Day of the Owl Image
The Day of the Owl
Parrinieddu
The 25th Hour Image
The 25th Hour
Trajan Koruga
The Blue Panther Image
The Blue Panther
Ivanov
Vincent, Francois, Paul and the Others Image
Vincent, Francois, Paul and the Others
Paul, écrivain, journaliste
Casque d'Or Image
Casque d'Or
Georges
Don't Touch the White Woman! Image
Don't Touch the White Woman!
The Mad Indian
Secret People Image
Secret People
Louis Balan
The Terrace Image
The Terrace
Sergio
La Ronde Image
La Ronde
Franz, le soldat
Henri-Georges Clouzot's Inferno Image
Henri-Georges Clouzot's Inferno
Marcel (archive footage)
Manon Image
Manon
Léon Lescaut
Cat and Mouse Image
Cat and Mouse
Lechat
Heroines Image
Heroines
monsieur Montgolfier
The Pianist Image
The Pianist
Rossell mayor
Boys' School Image
Boys' School
Un élève
La TV des 70's : Quand Giscard était président Image
La TV des 70's : Quand Giscard était président
Self (archive footage)
The Curious Adventures of Mr. Wonderbird Image
The Curious Adventures of Mr. Wonderbird
Chimney Sweep (voice)
The Good and the Bad Image
The Good and the Bad
le chef de la résistance
Les Enfoirés - Les Enfoirés en chœur de 1985 à aujourd'hui Image
Les Enfoirés - Les Enfoirés en chœur de 1985 à aujourd'hui
Marie-Octobre Image
Marie-Octobre
Antoine Rougier
Let Sleeping Cops Lie Image
Let Sleeping Cops Lie
Le Stéphanois
Everybody Go Home! Image
Everybody Go Home!
Geniere Assunto Ceccarelli
Les Enfoirés 1995 - Les Enfoirés à l'Opéra-Comique Image
Les Enfoirés 1995 - Les Enfoirés à l'Opéra-Comique
The Big Shots Image
The Big Shots
Thia
There Were Days... and Moons Image
There Were Days... and Moons
Le père de Sophie
Fantastica Image
Fantastica
Euclide Brown
Le Voyageur de la Toussaint Image
Le Voyageur de la Toussaint
Bob Éloi
Solemn Communion Image
Solemn Communion
Le récitant chanteur (voice)
Act of Love Image
Act of Love
Claude Lacaud
The Doll that Took the Town Image
The Doll that Took the Town
Mario Grimaldi
Il était une fois... Vincent, François, Paul et les autres Image
Il était une fois... Vincent, François, Paul et les autres
Self (archive footage)
Not Delivered Image
Not Delivered
Bastien Sassey
The Wicked Go to Hell Image
The Wicked Go to Hell
Rudel
Return to Life Image
Return to Life
Louis (segment "Le retour de Louis")
The Little Boy Image
The Little Boy
Germain
Storms Image
Storms
Sergio Parnell
The Perfume of the Lady in Black Image
The Perfume of the Lady in Black
Joseph "Rouletabille"
No Image
Rosen-Emil
Dr. Levy
The Seven Cervi Brothers Image
The Seven Cervi Brothers
Ferrari, antifascista in carcere
The Elders of Saint-Loup Image
The Elders of Saint-Loup
Abbot Paul Forestier
The Imprint of Giants Image
The Imprint of Giants
Fouldroule
The World Condemns Them Image
The World Condemns Them
André
3000 Million Without an Elevator Image
3000 Million Without an Elevator
Pierrot
The Threatening Sky Image
The Threatening Sky
Narrator
Good Enough to Eat Image
Good Enough to Eat
Jean-Loup aka 'Loup'
Une fille cousue de fil blanc Image
Une fille cousue de fil blanc
Jérôme
Élisa Image
Élisa
Bernard Voisin
Warriors Five Image
Warriors Five
Libero
The Sinners Image
The Sinners
Pierre
Red Shirts - Anita Garibaldi Image
Red Shirts - Anita Garibaldi
Lantini
No Image
De force avec d'autres
Sergio
Star Without Light Image
Star Without Light
Gaston Lansac
Coïncidences Image
Coïncidences
Jean Ménétrier
François Villon Image
François Villon
François Villon
Plein fer Image
Plein fer
Emilio
The Seine Meets Paris Image
The Seine Meets Paris
Speaker
The Mystery of the Yellow Room Image
The Mystery of the Yellow Room
Joseph Rouletabille
Countdown to Vengeance Image
Countdown to Vengeance
François Nolan
Le Dessous des cartes Image
Le Dessous des cartes
Manu
Overseas Press Club - Exclusive! Image
Overseas Press Club - Exclusive!
Sgt. Jean Renaud
Children of Chaos Image
Children of Chaos
Joris
They Saw Inferno Image
They Saw Inferno
Self
Mad Years Image
Mad Years
Récitant / Narrator (voice)
Bestiary of Love Image
Bestiary of Love
Narrator (voice)
Saturnin de Marseille Image
Saturnin de Marseille
36, le grand tournant Image
36, le grand tournant
Narrator (voice)
No Image
Pueblo en armas
Narrator (voice)
No Image
L'écho
Marius
Night in December Image
Night in December
(uncredited)
On the Set of 'Casque D'Or' Image
On the Set of 'Casque D'Or'
Self (Archive Footage)
Serge Reggiani - Palais des congrès Image
Serge Reggiani - Palais des congrès
Self