Jean Dujardin facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jean Dujardin
Dujardin at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival
Born	Jean Edmond Dujardin (1972-06-19) 19 June 1972 (age 53) Rueil-Malmaison, France
Occupation	Actor comedian television director
Years active	1996–present
Spouse(s)	Gaëlle Demars ​ (div. 2003)​ Alexandra Lamy ​ ​ (m. 2009; div. 2014)​ Nathalie Péchalat ​ (m. 2018)​
Children	4

Jean Edmond Dujardin (born 19 June 1972) is a famous French actor and comedian. He started his career performing as a stand-up comedian in Paris, telling jokes and funny stories to an audience. Later, he appeared in funny TV shows and movies.

He became well-known for the popular TV series Un gars, une fille (1999–2003), where he starred with Alexandra Lamy. After that, he became a popular movie actor, appearing in comedies like Brice de Nice (2005) and the secret agent films OSS 117: Cairo, Nest of Spies (2006) and OSS 117: Lost in Rio (2009).

Jean Dujardin became famous around the world for his role as George Valentin in the 2011 silent film The Artist. This role won him many important awards, including the Academy Award for Best Actor (he was the first French actor to win this award!), the Golden Globe Award, and the BAFTA Award. Even with his global fame, he mostly continued to work in France, but he also appeared in English-language films like The Wolf of Wall Street (2013) and The Monuments Men (2014).

Early Life and First Steps

Jean Dujardin was born on 19 June 1972, in Rueil-Malmaison, a town near Paris, France. He grew up in a nearby town called Plaisir. After finishing high school, he worked for his father's construction company as a locksmith. Jean started thinking about becoming an actor while he was doing his mandatory military service a few years later.

Acting Career

Jean Dujardin began his acting journey by performing his own one-man comedy show in different bars and clubs in Paris. He first got noticed on a French talent show called Graines de star in 1996. He was part of a comedy group called Nous Ç Nous.

From 1999 to 2003, Dujardin starred in the French TV comedy series Un gars, une fille. He played a main character alongside Alexandra Lamy, who later became his wife. This show was about a couple's relationship, with each episode being very short. In 2005, he played a surfer in the popular comedy movie Brice de Nice. He also sang on the movie's soundtrack.

In 2006, Dujardin played the secret agent Hubert Bonisseur de La Bath in the comedy OSS 117: Cairo, Nest of Spies. This role earned him an award and a nomination for the Best Actor. The movie was so successful that it led to a sequel, OSS 117: Lost in Rio. In 2007, he starred in 99 Francs, a funny movie about an advertising executive. He also tried a serious role for the first time in the film Contre-enquête, playing a police officer.

Jean Dujardin with Charlotte Gainsbourg in 2011

In 2011, Dujardin played the silent movie star George Valentin in The Artist. This movie brought him back together with director Michel Hazanavicius and co-star Bérénice Bejo from the OSS 117 films. The Artist was shown for the first time at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival, where Dujardin won the Best Actor Award. His performance was highly praised by critics.

On 15 January 2012, Dujardin won a Golden Globe Award. He then won the Screen Actors Guild Award and the BAFTA Award. He also won the Best Actor award at the 84th Academy Awards. He was the first French actor to win the Best Actor Oscar.

In February 2012, Dujardin appeared in Les Infidèles with his friend Gilles Lellouche. In 2013, he starred in Möbius and then in Martin Scorsese's The Wolf of Wall Street alongside Leonardo DiCaprio. He also appeared in The Monuments Men, directed by George Clooney, and co-starring Clooney, Matt Damon, and Cate Blanchett. In late 2014, The Connection was released, where he played a French police judge trying to stop a crime organization.

Jean Dujardin in 2014

Personal Life

Jean Dujardin has been married three times and has four children. His first marriage ended in 2003. He has two sons from that marriage, born in 2000 and 2001. In 2003, he started dating Alexandra Lamy, his co-star from Un gars, une fille. They got married in 2009 but announced their separation in November 2013.

In 2014, he began dating French ice dancer Nathalie Péchalat. They had a daughter named Jeanne in December 2015. They got married on 19 May 2018. Their second daughter, Alice, was born in February 2021.

Filmography

Film

Television

Awards and Nominations

Jean Dujardin has won many awards for his acting. Here are some of the most important ones:

See also

In Spanish: Jean Dujardin para niños