Jean Reno facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jean Reno
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Reno at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival
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| Born |
Juan Moreno y Herrera-Jiménez
30 July 1948 |
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| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1977–present |
| Spouse(s) |
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| Children | 6 |
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Jean Reno (born Juan Moreno y Herrera-Jiménez on July 30, 1948) is a famous French-Spanish actor. He became well-known in French movies, especially through his work with director Luc Besson. Jean Reno has also acted in many international films. He has been nominated three times for the César Awards, which are like the Oscars in France.
Some of his most famous movies include Les Visiteurs, Léon: The Professional, Mission: Impossible, Ronin, Godzilla, and The Da Vinci Code. He also voiced Mufasa in the French version of The Lion King.
Contents
Early Life and Background
Jean Reno was born in Casablanca, French Morocco, on July 30, 1948. His parents were from Spain, specifically from Andalusia. They moved to North Africa to find work. Jean Reno has a younger sister named María Teresa. Their family was Catholic. His mother passed away when he was a teenager.
When he was 17, Jean Reno and his family moved to France. There, he studied acting at the Cours Simon School of Drama in Paris. He also served in the French Army, as it was required after his family became French citizens. Jean Reno speaks several languages, including Spanish, Arabic, French, and Italian.
His Acting Career
When he started getting acting jobs in France, Juan changed his name to Jean Reno. Because he is tall, he often played strong or tough characters early in his career. Later, he also appeared in romantic comedies and action films.
He began his film career in France, working on many movies with director Luc Besson. Their first film together was Le Dernier Combat in 1983. They continued to work together on successful films like La Femme Nikita (1990), The Big Blue (1988), and Léon: The Professional (1994).
Jean Reno also became famous in American movies. He starred in French Kiss (1995) with Meg Ryan, Mission: Impossible (1996) with Tom Cruise, and Godzilla (1998). He also played Gilbert Ponton in The Pink Panther (2006) and its sequel. In The Da Vinci Code, he played Captain Bezu Fache.
Beyond movies, Jean Reno lent his voice and appearance to the video game Onimusha 3: Demon Siege. He has also appeared in commercials, including for UPS and Toyota in Japan. In 2013, he starred in the TV series Jo. In 2024, Jean Reno released his first novel, called Emma.
Personal Life
Jean Reno has been married three times and has six children. He married his current wife, Zofia Borucka, in 2006. He has homes in Paris, Malaysia, and Los Angeles. He is a citizen of both France and Spain. He has said that his family roots are mainly Spanish.
Stage Performances
- Prends bien garde aux zeppelins (1977)
- Ecce Homo (1978)
- Celimare le bien-aimé (1978)
- Je romps et ne plie pas (1979)
- Société Un (1979)
- La Manufacture (1981)
- Terre étrangère (1984)
- Andromaque (1989)
- Montserrat (1991)
- Les Grandes Occasions (2006)
- Nos femmes (2015)
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | The Hypothesis of the Stolen Painting | Tableaux Personnel | |
| 1979 | Womanlight | Traffic policeman | |
| 1980 | The Moroccan Stallion | ||
| 1982 | The Passerby | Angry Man | |
| 1983 | Signes extérieurs de richesse | Marc Letellier | |
| Le Dernier Combat | The Brute | ||
| 1985 | Le téléphone sonne toujours deux fois!! | Conman | |
| Subway | The Drummer | ||
| 1986 | I Love You | The dentist | |
| 1988 | The Big Blue | Enzo Molinari | |
| 1990 | La Femme Nikita | Victor, cleaner | |
| 1991 | L'Homme au masque d'or | Father Victorio Gaetano | |
| Loulou Graffiti | Pique la Lune | ||
| L'Opération Corned-Beef | Captain Philippe Boulier | ||
| 1992 | Porco Rosso | Marco "Porco Rosso" Pagot (voice) | French dub |
| 1993 | Les Visiteurs | Godefroy de Papincourt, Comte de Montmirail | |
| La Vis | Monsieur K | ||
| Paranoïa | Short subject | ||
| Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey | Shadow (voice) | French dub | |
| 1994 | The Lion King | Mufasa (voice) | |
| Léon: The Professional | Leone "Léon" Montana | ||
| 1995 | Les Truffes | Patrick | |
| French Kiss | Inspector Jean-Paul Cardon | ||
| Al di là delle nuvole | Carlo | ||
| 1996 | Mission: Impossible | Franz Krieger | |
| Le Jaguar | Jean Campana | ||
| 1997 | Roseanna's Grave | Marcello | |
| Un amour de sorcière | Molok | ||
| Les Sœurs Soleil | Spectator | ||
| 1998 | Les Visiteurs II: Les Couloirs du temps | Comte Godefroy de Montmirail, dit Godefroy | |
| Godzilla | Philippe Roaché | ||
| Ronin | Vincent | ||
| 1999 | The Book That Wrote Itself | Himself | |
| 2000 | Crimson Rivers | Pierre Niemans | |
| 2001 | Just Visiting | Count Thibault of Malfete | |
| Atlantis: The Lost Empire | Vincenzo "Vinny" Saltorini (voice) | French dub | |
| Wasabi | Hubert Fiorentini | ||
| 2002 | Décalage horaire | Felix | |
| Rollerball | Alexis Petrovich | ||
| 2003 | Tais-toi! | Ruby | |
| 2004 | Crimson Rivers II: Angels of the Apocalypse | Commissaire Niemans | |
| Hotel Rwanda | Mr. Tillens | Uncredited | |
| The Corsican Files | Ange Leoni | ||
| 2005 | L'Empire des loups | Jean-Louis Schiffer | |
| The Tiger and the Snow | Fuad | ||
| 2006 | The Pink Panther | Gilbert Ponton | |
| Flyboys | Captain Thenault | ||
| The Da Vinci Code | Captain Bezu Fache | ||
| Flushed Away | Le Frog (voice) | Also French dub | |
| 2008 | Ca$h | Maxime - Dubreuil | |
| 2009 | The Pink Panther 2 | Gilbert Ponton | |
| Le Premier Cercle | Milo Malakian | ||
| Couples Retreat | Marcel | ||
| Armored | Quinn | ||
| 2010 | The Round Up | Dr. Sheinbaum | |
| The Philosopher | Baggio | ||
| 22 Bullets | Charly Matteï | ||
| 2011 | Zookeeper | Bernie the Gorilla (voice) | French dub |
| You Don't Choose Your Family | Docteur Luix | ||
| Margaret | Ramon | ||
| 2012 | Alex Cross | Giles Mercier | |
| The Chef | Alexandre Lagarde | ||
| The Day of the Crows | Le père Courge | ||
| 2013 | Days and Nights | Louis | |
| 2014 | My Summer in Provence | Paul | |
| Hector and the Search for Happiness | Dr. Diego Baresco | ||
| Benoît Brisefer: Les Taxis rouges | Poilonez | ||
| 2015 | The Squad | Serge Buren | |
| Brothers of the Wind | Danzer | ||
| 2016 | The Last Face | Dr. Mehmet Love | |
| The Visitors: Bastille Day | Comte Godefroy de Montmirail | ||
| The Promise | Admiral Louis Dartige Fournet | ||
| 2017 | Mes trésors | Patrick | |
| The Girl in the Fog | Augusto Flores | ||
| The Adventurers | Pierre | ||
| 2019 | 4 Latas | Jean Pierre | |
| Cold Blood | Henry | ||
| The Lion King | Mufasa (voice) | French dub | |
| Polina and the Mystery of a Film Studio | Screen Hologram | ||
| 2020 | Waiting for Anya | Henri | |
| Da 5 Bloods | Desroche | ||
| Rogue City | Ange Leonetti | ||
| The Doorman | Victor Dubois | ||
| 2021 | Promises | Grandpa | |
| 2024 | Lift | Lars Jorgenson | |
| My Penguin Friend | João | ||
| Family Pack | Gilbert Vassier | ||
| 2025 | Tuner | Post-production | |
| Zootopia 2 | Bushron | ||
| TBA | The Florist | Post-production |
Television Roles
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Flight from Justice | Charlie Bert | TV movie |
| 2013 | Jo | Joachim "Jo" St-Clair | 8 episodes |
| 2021 | Who Killed Sara? | Reinaldo Gómez de la Cortina | 7 episodes |
| 2022 | A Private Affair | Héctor Hugo | 8 episodes |
Video Games
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Onimusha 3: Demon Siege | Jacques Blanc | Voice and likeness |
Awards and Honors
Jean Reno has received several awards and honors for his acting career:
Awards and Nominations
| Institution | Year | Category | Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| César Award | 1989 | Best Supporting Actor | The Big Blue | Nominated |
| 1994 | Best Actor | Les Visiteurs | Nominated | |
| 1995 | Léon: The Professional | Nominated | ||
| European Film Award | 2000 | Outstanding European Achievement in World Cinema | N/A | Honored |
| Giffoni Film Festival | 2012 | François Truffaut Award | N/A | Honored |
| Screen Actors Guild Award | 2021 | Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture | Da 5 Bloods | Nominated |
Special Honors
- 2003
Officer of the National Order of Merit - 2007
Officer of the Order of Arts and Letters - 2015
Gold Medal of Merit in the Fine Arts - 2024
Commander of the Legion of Honor
See also
In Spanish: Jean Reno para niños
