Pierre Richard facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Pierre Richard
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Richard at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival
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| Born |
Pierre-Richard Maurice Charles Léopold Defays
16 August 1934 Valenciennes, France
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| Occupation | Actor, director, screenwriter |
| Years active | 1967–present |
Pierre Richard (born Pierre-Richard Maurice Charles Léopold Defays on August 16, 1934) is a famous French actor, movie director, and screenwriter. He is best known for playing clumsy and dreamy characters in comedy films.
Many people, including other famous French comedians like Louis de Funès and Gérard Depardieu, consider him one of the best comedians in France from the last 50 years. Besides acting, he also directs movies and sometimes sings.
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Early Life and First Steps
Pierre Richard was born into a wealthy family in the city of Valenciennes, France. His grandfather was the director of a large company. He got his stage name, "Richard," from his mother's favorite actor, Pierre Richard-Willm.
As a kid, he often skipped school to go to the movies. He was inspired to become an actor after seeing the American actor Danny Kaye in the movie Up in Arms. His family wasn't very excited about his choice, but he moved to Paris to study acting.
At first, his acting career didn't go well. He wanted to be in serious dramas, but his talent was really in comedy. He even studied to become a physical therapist just in case acting didn't work out. But he never gave up on his dream.
A Career in Comedy Films
Pierre Richard started his career performing in theaters and comedy clubs in Paris. He and his friend Victor Lanoux wrote and performed funny skits that became very popular.
His movie career began in 1968. In 1970, he directed his first movie, Le Distrait. He later worked with director Yves Robert on the hit movie Le Grand Blond avec une chaussure noire (The Tall Blond Man with One Black Shoe). This movie and its sequel made him a huge star.
The writer of The Tall Blond Man, Francis Veber, later directed his own movies and chose Richard for the main role in Le Jouet (The Toy). Richard's most famous movies from the 1980s were three comedies where he starred alongside another famous French actor, Gérard Depardieu. These movies were La Chèvre (1981), Les Compères (1983), and Les Fugitifs (1986).
Playing Characters with Recurring Names
One interesting thing about Pierre Richard's career is that he often played characters with the same name in different movies. These characters were not connected to each other.
François Perrin
He played a character named François Perrin in four different movies:
- In The Tall Blond Man with One Black Shoe and its sequel, he was a violinist who is mistaken for a secret agent.
- In On aura tout vu he was a photographer who sells a movie script to a producer of films for adults.
- In The Toy he was a jobless man who is "bought" as a toy for the son of a very rich businessman.
- In La Chèvre he was a very unlucky man sent to Mexico to help a detective (played by Gérard Depardieu).
Pierre Renaud
He played a character named Pierre Renaud in two movies:
- In Je suis timide mais je me soigne he was a shy hotel worker who tries to win the heart of a wealthy guest.
- In C'est pas moi, c'est lui he was a writer who gets a big opportunity with a famous movie producer.
François Pignon
He played a character named François Pignon in two movies with Gérard Depardieu:
- In Les Compères he was a sad, unemployed teacher who goes on a search with a tough journalist.
- In Les Fugitifs he was a desperate father who tries to rob a bank and ends up taking a former bank robber hostage.
Other Activities
Besides acting, Pierre Richard is also a businessman. Since 1986, he has been a winemaker. He owns a large vineyard in the south of France that produces about 80,000 bottles of wine each year. He also owns a restaurant in Paris called Au pied de chameau.
Personal Life
Pierre Richard has two sons, Olivier and Christophe. They are both musicians and actors. His grandson, Arthur Defays, is a model and actor.
Awards and Honors
- 1996: Best Actor at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival for the movie A Chef in Love.
- 2004: Honorary Prize at the Just for Laughs Festival in Montréal.
- 2006: Honorary Cesar, a special lifetime achievement award in France.
- 2015: Honorary Prize at the Magritte Awards in Belgium.
- He was also made a Chevalier (Knight) of the Legion of Honour, one of France's highest honors.
See also
In Spanish: Pierre Richard para niños
