Jacques Perrin facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jacques Perrin
Perrin in a 1961 publicity photo
Born	Jacques André Simonet (1941-07-13)13 July 1941 Paris, France
Died	21 April 2022(2022-04-21) (aged 80) Paris, France
Alma mater	CNSAD
Occupation	Actor, producer, director
Years active	1957–2022
Spouse(s)	Valentine Perrin ​ (m. 1995)​
Children	3; including Maxence

Jacques Perrin (born Jacques André Simonet; 13 July 1941 – 21 April 2022) was a famous French actor and filmmaker. He was sometimes known as Jacques Simonet.

A Life in Film: Jacques Perrin's Career

Jacques Perrin started his acting career on stage, performing in a play called L'Année du bac over 400 times in Paris.

Early Acting Roles

He got his first movie roles from Italian director Valerio Zurlini, who liked working with him. Jacques Perrin acted alongside famous stars like Claudia Cardinale in La Ragazza con la valigia and Marcello Mastroianni in Family Diary.

He also worked with well-known directors like Henri-Georges Clouzot in The Truth (1960) and Mauro Bolognini in Corruption (1963). He played main roles in four films by Pierre Schoendoerffer, including Le Crabe-tambour (1977).

Jacques Perrin also appeared in two musical movies by Jacques Demy: The Young Girls of Rochefort (1967) and Donkey Skin (1970). Both of these films starred Catherine Deneuve. Later, he played the older Salvatore in the very popular movie Cinema Paradiso.

In 1966, he won two "Best Actor" awards at the Venice Film Festival. He won for the Italian film Almost a Man and the Spanish film The Search.

Becoming a Producer

When he was 27, Jacques Perrin started his own film production company. His first big success as a producer was the movie Z (1969), directed by Costa-Gavras. This film won an Oscar for Best Foreign Film.

Perrin at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival

He continued to produce political films with Costa-Gavras, like État de Siège (State of Siege) in 1973 and Section spéciale in 1975. He also produced a documentary about the Algerian uprising and a film about the Chilean president Salvador Allende. In 1973, Perrin produced Home Sweet Home, a film where he also acted. This movie won 14 international awards.

In 1976, he produced another Oscar-winning film called La Victoire en chantant (Black and White in Color). A year later, he produced and acted in Le Désert des Tartares, which won a major French film award.

Focus on Nature Documentaries

Later in his career, Jacques Perrin spent a lot of time making nature documentaries. He produced Microcosmos in 1995. He also produced and helped direct Le Peuple Migrateur (Winged Migration) in 2001, Océans in 2009, and Seasons in 2015. These films are known for their amazing footage of animals and nature.

He also played the role of the older Pierre Morhange, who tells the story in the very successful film The Chorus. He also produced this movie. His son, Maxence, played the young Pépinot in the film.

Jacques Perrin received many honors for his work, including being named a Commander of the Legion of Honour and a Commander of the National Order of the Merit. In 2015, he became a member of the French Marine Painters and a reserve officer in the French Navy. In 2016, he received the prestigious Prix du Cinéma René Clair from the French Academy.

Jacques Perrin's Personal Life

Jacques Perrin was born in Paris. His father, Alexandre Simonet, was a theater director, and his mother, Marie Perrin, was an actress. His uncle, Antoine Balpêtré, was also an actor. Jacques Perrin studied acting at the Conservatoire National Supérieur d'Art Dramatique.

He married Valentine Perrin in 1995. He had three sons: Mathieu (born 1975), Maxence (born 1995), and Lancelot (born 2000). His two oldest sons, Mathieu and Maxence, also became actors.

Jacques Perrin passed away on 21 April 2022 in Paris, at the age of 80.

Filmography

Actor

Producer

Images for kids

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  Perrin in a 1961 publicity photo

See also

In Spanish: Jacques Perrin para niños