CineScope
Jacques Villeret picture

Jacques Villeret

Acting
Known For

53 Years Old

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.

Born

Tours, Indre-et-Loire, France on 6th February 1951

Died

28th January 2005

All Credits

Vivement dimanche Image
Vivement dimanche
Self
Spécial cinéma Image
Spécial cinéma
Self
Champs-Elysées Image
Champs-Elysées
Self
Sacrée soirée Image
Sacrée soirée
Self
Discorama Image
Discorama
Self
Midi Première Image
Midi Première
Self
Les Rendez-vous du dimanche Image
Les Rendez-vous du dimanche
Self
Le Grand Échiquier Image
Le Grand Échiquier
Self
Numéro un Image
Numéro un
Self - Host
Numéro un Image
Numéro un
Self
Merci Bernard Image
Merci Bernard
Il était une fois Champs-Élysées Image
Il était une fois Champs-Élysées
Self (archive footage)
Nulle part ailleurs Image
Nulle part ailleurs
Self
The Dinner Game Image
The Dinner Game
François Pignon
The Cabbage Soup Image
The Cabbage Soup
L'Oxien (La Denrée)
No Image
Matin Bonheur
Self
First Name: Carmen Image
First Name: Carmen
The Man Who Eats Yogurt
Gramps Is in the Resistance Image
Gramps Is in the Resistance
Maréchal Ludwig von Apfelstrudel
The Children of the Marshland Image
The Children of the Marshland
Henri Pignol, aka Riton
Danton Image
Danton
François-Joseph Westermann
The Antidote Image
The Antidote
André Morin
Bolero Image
Bolero
Jacques
A Crime in Paradise Image
A Crime in Paradise
Jojo Braconnier
Actors Image
Actors
Jacques Villeret
Another Man, Another Chance Image
Another Man, Another Chance
Customer
Strange Gardens Image
Strange Gardens
Jacques Pouzay
The Common Man Image
The Common Man
Gérald
L'été en pente douce Image
L'été en pente douce
Maurice Leheurt aka Mo
Iznogoud Image
Iznogoud
Haroun El Poussah
Hold-up Image
Hold-up
Jeremie Blanchet, taxi driver
Edith and Marcel Image
Edith and Marcel
Jacques Barbier
L'Âge d'or de la pub Image
L'Âge d'or de la pub
Self (archive footage)
Last Summer in Tangiers Image
Last Summer in Tangiers
Marcus
Mookie Image
Mookie
Frère Benoît
The Mouth Agape Image
The Mouth Agape
(uncredited)
The Favour, the Watch and the Very Big Fish Image
The Favour, the Watch and the Very Big Fish
Lingerie Man
The Vultures Image
The Vultures
Brigadier Béral
La TV des 70's : Quand Giscard était président Image
La TV des 70's : Quand Giscard était président
Self (archive footage)
Le Bal des casse-pieds Image
Le Bal des casse-pieds
Jérôme, le présentateur de la météo
Black Mic Mac Image
Black Mic Mac
Michel Le Gorgues
The Good and the Bad Image
The Good and the Bad
Jacques
Move Along, There Is Nothing to See! Image
Move Along, There Is Nothing to See!
Pelissier
Malevil Image
Malevil
Momo
A Second Chance Image
A Second Chance
L'agent immobilier
Dumb But Disciplined Image
Dumb But Disciplined
Jacques Cardot
Keep Your Right Up Image
Keep Your Right Up
Individual
The Do-Gooders Image
The Do-Gooders
lucien
Waiter! Image
Waiter!
Gilbert, Alex's friend
Un amour de pluie Image
Un amour de pluie
Guillaume
The Joint Brothers Image
The Joint Brothers
Momo
The Professional Secrets of Dr. Apfelgluck Image
The Professional Secrets of Dr. Apfelgluck
Martineau
Viper in the Fist Image
Viper in the Fist
Jacques Rézeau
The Castaways of Turtle Island Image
The Castaways of Turtle Island
Petit Nono
Us Two Image
Us Two
Tonton Musique
Malabar Princess Image
Malabar Princess
Gaspard
588 rue Paradis Image
588 rue Paradis
Alexandre Pagès
Le Furet Image
Le Furet
le Furet
Nailcruncher Image
Nailcruncher
Salomon
Nothing to Report Image
Nothing to Report
Soldat Girot
One Way Ticket Image
One Way Ticket
Jean-Pierre
Three Years Image
Three Years
Alexandre Guillermen
Serious as Pleasure Image
Serious as Pleasure
Le gendarme
La Petite Amie Image
La Petite Amie
Guillaume Bertin
Heart to Heart Image
Heart to Heart
Sitting student
Robert et Robert Image
Robert et Robert
Robert Villiers
Grey Souls Image
Grey Souls
Le juge Mierck
La Galette du roi Image
La Galette du roi
Utte de Danemark
Mountain Pass Image
Mountain Pass
Georges
Les Folles Années du Twist Image
Les Folles Années du Twist
M'sieur John Wayne
Un fil à la patte Image
Un fil à la patte
Bouzin
Drôle de samedi Image
Drôle de samedi
Maurice, the butcher
The Drummer of Ravel's Boléro Image
The Drummer of Ravel's Boléro
Le batteur
Le Dernier Été Image
Le Dernier Été
Georges Mandel
Out of Whack Image
Out of Whack
Henri Fisserman / Paul Flantier / Bouli / Dr. Delomien, ...
The Big Brother Image
The Big Brother
Inspecteur Coleau
Le Rabat-joie Image
Le Rabat-joie
Léon
La Folle Histoire de François Pignon - De La chèvre au Dîner de cons Image
La Folle Histoire de François Pignon - De La chèvre au Dîner de cons
Self
Wacko Image
Wacko
Le pompiste
Detective Story Image
Detective Story
Le photographe
Effraction Image
Effraction
Valentin Tralande, truand violent
No Image
Mon premier amour
Jacques Labrousse
Golden Boy Image
Golden Boy
Antoine Bonvoisin
The Son of the Mekong Image
The Son of the Mekong
Durieux
Un Balcon en forêt Image
Un Balcon en forêt
Gourcuff
Georges Dandin de Molière Image
Georges Dandin de Molière
Georges Dandin
Nono Nénesse Image
Nono Nénesse
Nono
Dialogue de sourds Image
Dialogue de sourds
The blind
C'est encore mieux l'après-midi Image
C'est encore mieux l'après-midi
Georges Pigier
Jacques Villeret, drôlement tragique Image
Jacques Villeret, drôlement tragique
Self (archive footage) (uncredited)