Already 88 years old

Pierre Richard celebrated his 88th birthday this Tuesday, August 16. And despite his age, the actor famous for his comedic and quirky roles is more active than ever! Find with us the main stages of his career and his most recent projects.

Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something using the links recommended in this article.

The son of a large family

Born Pierre Richard de Fays in 1934, the future actor came from a large family of industrialists, but he knew his father very little. His compound first name is inspired by actor Pierre Richard-Willm (in the photo), an actor his mother liked.

Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something using the links recommended in this article.

King’s fool

In an interview given to ‘Progrès’ in 2013, Pierre Richard recounted the early origin of his innate comic style: “It was war, I was in a religious establishment: to get out of it, being neither strong intellectually nor strong physically, I had no other solution than to be funny to become the darling of the tough guy. I was the jester to survive, I chained to live. »

Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something using the links recommended in this article.

A vocation for cinema

While he often skips school to go to the cinema, his vocation as an actor comes to him at 18 when he sees the American actor Danny Kaye (in the photo), who looks like him, in the film “Un fou s’ go to war”. It will therefore be the cinema, even if he is studying physiotherapy to reassure his family who wants him to learn a “real job”.

Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something using the links recommended in this article.

The great team

In 1958, Pierre Richard landed his first role in the television series “La Belle Équipe”. He is noted there for his hyperlaxity, that is to say the extreme elasticity of some of his limbs. Without giving up physiotherapy at first, the young actor took his first steps in the theater in the 1960s.

Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something using the links recommended in this article.

A special place to take

In 1968, he finally got his first film role in “Alexandre le bienheureux” by Yves Robert (on the left in the photo, with Philippe Noiret and Marlène Jobert). This filmmaker then gives him decisive advice: “You are not a young first; neither are you round. You have a special place, which is not yet written. It’s up to you to write it and make your place. »

Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something using the links recommended in this article.

The Distracted

Guided by this influence, Pierre Richard honed his role as a comic dreamer by writing and directing “Le Distrait” (1970), the story of an incredibly distracted young man recruited by an agency. The actor obviously plays the title role, assisted by Bernard Blier. Producer of the film, Yves Robert makes a brief appearance.

Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something using the links recommended in this article.

A burlesque and endearing comic

In the 1970s, Pierre Richard met with great success by embodying from one role to another a form of burlesque comedy that made him so endearing to the public. The Pierre Richard style was born and it is unique.

Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something using the links recommended in this article.

The Big Blonde

His appearance in “The Tall Blond with a Black Shoe” (1972) is one of his most famous and emblematic of his career: he plays a dreamy musician caught in spite of himself in machinations fomented by two rival leaders of the services secrets, played by Jean Rochefort and Bernard Blier. This role will be worth to the actor to be regularly nicknamed the “tall blond” for fifty years.

Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something using the links recommended in this article.

Committed anyway

Despite his burlesque dimension and his distracted character, Pierre Richard also seeks to give a committed dimension to the films in which he plays. Thus, “Les Malheurs d’Alfred” portrays certain failings of television, while “I know nothing, but I will say everything” denounces the sale of arms.

Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something using the links recommended in this article.

In duet with Depardieu

Pierre Richard often starred with Gérard Depardieu, notably in Francis Veber’s films “La Chèvre” (1981), “Les Compères” (1983) and “Les Fugitives” (1986). Caught in what he calls the “spiral of success”, he appears more and more in commercial comedies.

Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something using the links recommended in this article.

behind the camera

But Pierre Richard is not just a successful actor: he has also made seven feature films, including “I don’t know anything, but I will say everything” (1973). The latest is “Droit dans le mur” (1997), in which he plays the role of a comedian in full decline.

Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something using the links recommended in this article.

An honorary Caesar

Pierre Richard has never stopped filming since his film debut, while regularly playing in the theatre. In 2006, he received from the hands of Clovis Cornillac an honorary César for his entire career.

Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something using the links recommended in this article.

Pierre Richard’s web TV

In 2014, the year of his 80th birthday, the actor launched his own web TV. Who said that Pierre Richard was not at the forefront of modernity?

Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something using the links recommended in this article.

More experimental projects

The following years saw him appear in more experimental films, such as “Barefoot Paris” (2016) by Belgian-Canadian duo Abel and Gordon. But he was also part of the high-end cast of “Petit Spirou” the following year, alongside François Damiens and Natacha Régnier.

Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something using the links recommended in this article.

The Ch’tite family

In 2018, Pierre Richard played a supporting role in “La Ch’tite famille”, a comedy directed by Dany Boon which had more than 5 million admissions at the box office. He camps there the father of the character embodied by Boon. The cast has many stars and achieves real popular success.

Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something using the links recommended in this article.

A new album

Despite his age, Pierre Richard is more active than ever! In 2020, he released his second studio music album, “Nuit à jour”, thirty-five years following the first which bore his own name.

Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something using the links recommended in this article.

Mr X

The same year, at all the same 86 years old, Pierre Richard won the Molière for best solo on stage for “Monsieur X”, a show by Mathilda May played at the Théâtre de l’Atelier. Indestructible!

Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something using the links recommended in this article.

In the next episode of Asterix…

The French public has not finished seeing one of their favorite actors appear on the big screen: he will play the role of the druid Getafix in the next Asterix opus, “L’Empire du milieu”, directed by Guillaume Canet which is scheduled for release next year.

Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something using the links recommended in this article.

… and Maïwenn’s next film!

In 2023, he will also appear in Maïwenn’s biopic on Madame du Barry, alongside the latter in the title role, Louis Garrel and Johnny Depp in the role of Louis XV. At almost 90 years old, Pierre Richard has clearly lost none of his appetite for cinema and acting!

Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something using the links recommended in this article.

20/20 SLIDES