François Leterrier facts for kids

François Leterrier (born May 26, 1929 – died December 4, 2020) was a French film director and actor. He started his career in movies when he acted in Robert Bresson's film A Man Escaped. After this, he became a director himself, making many films and TV shows.

Life and Career in Film

François Leterrier went to the University of Paris. There, he studied philosophy. While he was a student, he often went to the university's film club. This shows he loved movies from a young age.

He did his military service in Morocco. It was there that a famous film director, Robert Bresson, found him. Bresson was known for choosing people who were not professional actors. He gave François the main role in his 1956 movie, A Man Escaped.

After acting, François Leterrier worked as an assistant director. He helped famous directors like Louis Malle and Yves Allégret. An assistant director helps the main director with many tasks on set.

His first movie as a director was Les Mauvais Coups in 1961. This film was based on a book by Roger Vailland. François Leterrier also directed movies based on books by other well-known writers. These included Jean Giono and Raymond Queneau.

François Leterrier's son, Louis Leterrier, is also a film director. Louis is famous for directing big action and blockbuster movies. Some of his well-known films include the first two Transporter movies, The Incredible Hulk, Clash of the Titans, and Now You See Me.

Movies Directed by François Leterrier

Films for the Cinema

• Les Mauvais Coups (1961)
• A King Without Distraction (Un roi sans divertissement) (1963)
• The Royal Chase (La Chasse royale) (1969)
• Private Screening (Projection privée) (1973)
• Goodbye Emmanuelle (1977)
• Your Turn, My Turn (Va voir maman, papa travaille) (1978)
• Rat Race (Je vais craquer) (1980)
• Les Babas Cool (1981)
• Le Garde du corps (1984)
• Tranches de vie (1985)
• The Son of the Mekong (Le Fils du Mékong) (1992)

Television Shows Directed

• La Guêpe (1965)
• Milady (1976)
• Pierrot mon ami (1979)
• Le Voleur d'enfants (1981)
• Le Cœur du voyage (1986)
• L'Île (1987)
• Imogène (1989, 3 episodes)
• Clovis (1993, 2 episodes)
• Les Disparus de Reillanne (1993)

Acting Roles

• A Man Escaped (1956) - Played Le lieutenant Fontaine
• Stavisky (1974) - Played André Malraux (This was his last movie role as an actor)