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Jean Raoul Robert Rochefort (; 29 April 1930 – 9 October 2017) was a French actor. He received many accolades during his career, including an
Honorary César The César Award is France's national film award. Recipients are selected by the members of the Académie des Arts et Techniques du Cinéma. The following are the recipients of the Honorary César award since 1976. Recipients 1970s 1980s 199 ...
in 1999.


Life and career

Rochefort was born on 29 April 1930 in
Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...
, France, to Breton parents. He was educated at the '' Lycée Pierre Corneille'' in Rouen. Rochefort was nineteen years old when he entered the ''Centre d'Art Dramatique de la rue Blanche''. Later he joined the '' Conservatoire National''. After completing his
national service National service is the system of voluntary government service, usually military service. Conscription is mandatory national service. The term ''national service'' comes from the United Kingdom's National Service (Armed Forces) Act 1939. The ...
in 1953, he worked with the ''Compagnie Grenier Hussenot'' as a theatre actor for seven years. There he was noticed for his ability to play both
drama Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance: a play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a genre of poetry in general, the dramatic mode has b ...
and
comedy Comedy is a genre of fiction that consists of discourses or works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. The term o ...
. He then became a television and cinema actor, and also worked as director. After some supporting roles in '' Cartouche'', '' Captain Fracasse'' and in '' Marvelous Angelique'', Rochefort played his first big role with
Annie Girardot Annie Suzanne Girardot (25 October 193128 February 2011) was a French actress. She often played strong-willed, independent, hard-working, and often lonely women, imbuing her characters with an earthiness and reality that endeared her to women und ...
as his wife and
Claude Jade Claude Marcelle Jorré, better known as Claude Jade (; 8 October 1948 – 1 December 2006), was a French actress. She starred as Christine in François Truffaut's three films '' Stolen Kisses'' (1968), '' Bed and Board'' (1970) and '' Love on th ...
as his daughter in '' Hearth Fires'' in 1972. In this drama, he starred as a man who leaves his family for ten years before returning. In this film he played with 41 years a family father of adult children (the young Claude Jade was already 23). To appear older, he grew a
moustache A moustache (; en-US, mustache, ) is a strip of facial hair grown above the upper lip. Moustaches have been worn in various styles throughout history. Etymology The word "moustache" is French, and is derived from the Italian ''mustaccio'' ...
, his trademark, which he had removed only once in 1996 for '' Ridicule''. Four years after ''Hearth Fires'' he was the leading star of the midlife crisis comedy ''
An Elephant Can Be Extremely Deceptive ''Pardon Mon Affaire'' (French title: Un éléphant ça trompe énormément, in English literally ''An Elephant Can Be Extremely Deceptive''), is a 1976 French comedy film co-written and directed by Yves Robert. It was remade as the 1984 American ...
'' as a man who risks his married life with Danièle Delorme for an affair with
Anny Duperey Anny Duperey (born Annie Legras; 28 June 1947) is a French actress, published photographer and best-selling author with a career spanning almost six decades as of 2021 and more than eighty cinema or television credits, around thirty theatre pr ...
. Thanks to the success of this film, Rochefort achieved big popularity. In 1972, he starred opposite
Pierre Richard Pierre Richard (born Pierre-Richard Maurice Charles Léopold Defays; 16 August 1934) is a French actor, film director and screenwriter, best known for the roles of a clumsy daydreamer in comedy films. Pierre Richard is considered by many, such as ...
as Chief of Counter-Espionage Louis Toulouse in the Yves Robert comedy '' Le Grand Blond avec une chaussure noire'', a role he reprised in the 1974 sequel '' Le Retour du grand blond'', also directed by Robert. In 1998, he starred as "Fernand de Morcerf" opposite
Gerard Depardieu Gerard is a masculine forename of Proto-Germanic origin, variations of which exist in many Germanic and Romance languages. Like many other early Germanic names, it is dithematic, consisting of two meaningful constituents put together. In this ca ...
in the mini-series '' Le Comte de Monte Cristo''. In his thirties during the shooting of '' Cartouche'', he discovered his passion for horses and equestrianism. He was a
horse breeder Horse breeding is reproduction in horses, and particularly the human-directed process of selective breeding of animals, particularly purebred horses of a given breed. Planned matings can be used to produce specifically desired characteristics in ...
since then and owned Le Haras de Villequoy. His passion led him to become a horse consultant for French television in 2004. He won two César Awards: in 1976, Best Supporting Actor for '' Que la fête commence''; and in 1978, Best Actor for '' Le Crabe-tambour''. In the eighties, he became the narrator of the French version of ''
Welcome to Pooh Corner ''Welcome to Pooh Corner'' is a live-action/puppet television series that aired on Disney Channel, featuring the characters from the Winnie the Pooh universe portrayed by actors in human-sized puppet suits, except Roo, who was originally a traditio ...
'', replacing
Laurie Main Laurence George "Laurie" Main (29 November 1922 – 8 February 2012) was an Australian actor best known for hosting and narrating the children's series '' Welcome to Pooh Corner'', which aired on The Disney Channel during the 1980s. Born i ...
. This made him popular with children at the time and Disney hired him to record several audio versions of their classic movies. In the 1990s, he returned to comedy with Les Grands Ducs where he played alongside two other actors of his generation with a similar career, Philippe Noiret and Jean-Pierre Marielle. He was set to play the lead role in ''
The Man Who Killed Don Quixote ''The Man Who Killed Don Quixote'' is a 2018 adventure- comedy film directed by Terry Gilliam and written by Gilliam and Tony Grisoni, loosely based on the 1605/1615 novel ''Don Quixote'' by Miguel de Cervantes. Gilliam tried to make the film m ...
'', after being found as "the perfect Quixote" by director
Terry Gilliam Terrence Vance Gilliam (; born 22 November 1940) is an American-born British filmmaker, comedian, animator, actor and former member of the Monty Python comedy troupe. Gilliam has directed 13 feature films, including '' Time Bandits'' (1981), '' ...
. Rochefort learned to speak English just for the part. Unfortunately, amongst other production problems, he began suffering from a
herniated disc Spinal disc herniation is an injury to the cushioning and connective tissue between vertebrae, usually caused by excessive strain or trauma to the spine. It may result in back pain, pain or sensation in different parts of the body, and physical ...
. Unable to film for months, production was cancelled. A documentary, ''
Lost in La Mancha ''Lost in La Mancha'' is a 2002 documentary film about Terry Gilliam's first attempt to make ''The Man Who Killed Don Quixote'', a film adaptation of the 1605/1615 novel ''Don Quixote'' by Miguel de Cervantes. The documentary was shot in 2000 d ...
'', was made about the failed production. In 1960, he married Alexandra Moscwa, with whom he had two children: Marie (1962) and Julien (1965). With actress-filmmaker Nicole Garcia, he also had a son
Pierre Pierre is a masculine given name. It is a French form of the name Peter. Pierre originally meant "rock" or "stone" in French (derived from the Greek word πέτρος (''petros'') meaning "stone, rock", via Latin "petra"). It is a translation ...
. Through his second marriage with Françoise Vidal, he had two children, Louise (1990) and Clémence (1992).


Death

Rochefort died on 9 October 2017 at the age of 87.


Awards

Rochefort won many awards throughout his career, most notably three César Awards: Best Supporting Actor for '' Que La Fête Commence'', Best Actor for Le Crabe-Tambour and an honorary prize in 1999. He was nominated for many more awards.


Filmography


Theater

*1953: ''Azouk'' by Alexandre Rivemale, staging Jean-Pierre Grenier, Théâtre Fontaine *1953: ''L'Huitre et la perle'' by William Saroyan, staging Jean-Pierre Grenier, Théâtre Fontaine *1953: ''Les Images d'Épinal'' by Albert Vidalie, staging Jean-Pierre Grenier, Cabaret La Fontaine des Quatre-Saisons *1954: ''Responsabilité limitée'' by Robert Hossein, staging Jean-Pierre Grenier, Théâtre Fontaine *1954: ''L’Amour des quatre colonels'' by Peter Ustinov, adaptation Marc-Gilbert Sauvajon, staging Jean-Pierre Grenier, Théâtre Fontaine *1957: ''Romanoff et Juliette'' by Peter Ustinov, staging Jean-Pierre Grenier, Théâtre Marigny *1957: ''L’Amour des quatre colonels'' by Peter Ustinov, staging Jean-Pierre Grenier, Théâtre de l'Ambigu-Comique *1958: '' Tessa'' by
Jean Giraudoux Hippolyte Jean Giraudoux (; 29 October 1882 – 31 January 1944) was a French novelist, essayist, diplomat and playwright. He is considered among the most important French dramatists of the period between World War I and World War II. His wo ...
from the work of
Basil Dean Basil Herbert Dean CBE (27 September 1888 – 22 April 1978) was an English actor, writer, producer and director in the theatre and in cinema. He founded the Liverpool Repertory Company in 1911 and in the First World War, after organising unof ...
and
Margaret Kennedy Margaret Moore Kennedy (23 April 1896 – 31 July 1967) was an English novelist and playwright. Her most successful work, as a novel and as a play, was '' The Constant Nymph''. She was a productive writer and several of her works were filmed. T ...
, staging Jean-Pierre Grenier, Théâtre Marigny *1958: ''L’Étonnant Pennypacker'' by Liam O'Brien, staging Jean-Pierre Grenier, Théâtre Marigny *1960: '' Champignol malgré lui'' by
Georges Feydeau Georges-Léon-Jules-Marie Feydeau (; 8 December 1862 – 5 June 1921) was a French playwright of the era known as the Belle Époque. He is remembered for his farces, written between 1886 and 1914. Feydeau was born in Paris to middle-class parent ...
and Maurice Desvallières, staging Jean-Pierre Grenier, Théâtre Marigny *1960: ''Le Comportement des époux Bredburry'' by
François Billetdoux François Billetdoux (7 September 1927 – 26 November 1991) was a French dramatic author and novelist. Biography His works describe the world with a fierce humor of a somewhat burlesque style, which sometimes turns into black humor. Billetdoux w ...
, staging by the author, Théâtre des Mathurins *1960: ''Génousie'' by René de Obaldia, staging Roger Mollien, TNP
Théâtre Récamier The théâtre Récamier was a Parisian theatre located at 3 rue Récamier in the 7th arrondissement of Paris, inaugurated in 1908 and closed in 1978. History Originally, it was an entertainment venue built by Charles Blondel for the Ligue de ...
*1961: ''Loin de Rueil'' by
Maurice Jarre Maurice-Alexis Jarre (; 13 September 1924 – 28 March 2009) allmusic Biography/ref> was a French composer and conductor. Although he composed several concert works, Jarre is best known for his film scores, particularly for his collaborations wit ...
and Roger Pillaudin from the work of
Raymond Queneau Raymond Queneau (; 21 February 1903 – 25 October 1976) was a French novelist, poet, critic, editor and co-founder and president of Oulipo ('' Ouvroir de littérature potentielle''), notable for his wit and cynical humour. Biography Queneau w ...
, staging
Maurice Jarre Maurice-Alexis Jarre (; 13 September 1924 – 28 March 2009) allmusic Biography/ref> was a French composer and conductor. Although he composed several concert works, Jarre is best known for his film scores, particularly for his collaborations wit ...
and Jean Vilar, TNP Théâtre national de Chaillot *1962: ''Frank V'' by
Friedrich Dürrenmatt Friedrich Dürrenmatt (; 5 January 1921 – 14 December 1990) was a Swiss author and dramatist. He was a proponent of epic theatre whose plays reflected the recent experiences of World War II. The politically active author's work included avant-g ...
, staging
André Barsacq André Barsacq (24 January 1909 – 8 July 1973) was a French theatre director, producer, scenic designer, and playwright. From 1940 to 1973 he was the director of the Théâtre de l'Atelier. He was the brother of Russian production designer Léo ...
,
Théâtre de l'Atelier The Théâtre de l'Atelier is a theatre at 1, place Charles Dullin in the 18th arrondissement of Paris, France. History The theatre opened on 23 November 1822 under the name Théâtre MontmartreEdward Foreman, ''Historical dictionary of French t ...
*1964: ''Cet animal étrange'' by Gabriel Arout from the work of Anton Tchekhov, staging Claude Régy,
Théâtre Hébertot Théâtre Hébertot () is a theatre at 78, boulevard des Batignolles, in the 17th arrondissement of Paris, France. History The theatre, completed in 1838 and opening as the Théâtre des Batignolles, was later renamed Théâtre des Arts in 190 ...
*1965: '' La Collection'' and '' L’Amant'' by Harold Pinter, staging Claude Régy,
Théâtre Hébertot Théâtre Hébertot () is a theatre at 78, boulevard des Batignolles, in the 17th arrondissement of Paris, France. History The theatre, completed in 1838 and opening as the Théâtre des Batignolles, was later renamed Théâtre des Arts in 190 ...
*1966: ''La prochaine fois je vous le chanterai'' by James Saunders, staging Claude Régy, Théâtre Antoine *1969: ''Le Prix'' by
Arthur Miller Arthur Asher Miller (October 17, 1915 – February 10, 2005) was an American playwright, essayist and screenwriter in the 20th-century American theater. Among his most popular plays are ''All My Sons'' (1947), '' Death of a Salesman'' (1 ...
, staging
Raymond Rouleau Raymond Rouleau (4 June 1904 – 11 December 1981) was a Belgian actor and film director. He appeared in more than 40 films between 1928 and 1979. He also directed 22 films between 1932 and 1981. Rouleau studied at the Royal Conservatory of B ...
, Théâtre Montparnasse *1970: ''Un jour dans la mort de Joe Egg'' by Peter Nichols, staging Michel Fagadau,
Théâtre de la Gaîté-Montparnasse The Théâtre de la Gaîté-Montparnasse is a venue situated at 26, rue de la Gaîté, in the Montparnasse quarter of Paris, in the 14th arrondissement of Paris, 14th arrondissement. It opened in 1868 and seats 399 people. In addition to functioni ...
*1971: '' C'était hier'' by Harold Pinter, staging
Jorge Lavelli Jorge Lavelli (born 1932, Buenos Aires) is a French theater and opera director of Italian ethnicity and Argentine origin. The son of Italian immigrants in Argentina, Lavelli has lived in France since the early 1960s. He became a French citizen in ...
, Théâtre Montparnasse *1982: ''L'Étrangleur s'excite'' by Éric Naggar, staging Jean Rochefort,
Théâtre Hébertot Théâtre Hébertot () is a theatre at 78, boulevard des Batignolles, in the 17th arrondissement of Paris, France. History The theatre, completed in 1838 and opening as the Théâtre des Batignolles, was later renamed Théâtre des Arts in 190 ...
*1985: ''Boulevard du mélodrame'' by Juan Pineiro and Alfredo Arias, staging Alfredo Arias, National Dramatic Center of Aubervilliers *1988: ''Une vie de théâtre'' by
David Mamet David Alan Mamet (; born November 30, 1947) is an American playwright, filmmaker, and author. He won a Pulitzer Prize and received Tony nominations for his plays ''Glengarry Glen Ross'' (1984) and '' Speed-the-Plow'' (1988). He first gained cri ...
, adaptation Pierre Laville, staging Michel Piccoli, Théâtre des Mathurins *1988: ''La femme à contre-jour'' by Éric Naggar, staging Jean Rochefort, Théâtre des Mathurins *1988: ''
Histoire du soldat ' (''The Soldier's Tale'') is a theatrical work "to be read, played, and danced" () by three actors and one or several dancers, accompanied by a septet of instruments. Conceived by Igor Stravinsky and Swiss writer C. F. Ramuz, the piece was base ...
'' (The Soldier's Tale) by Igor Stravinsky, staging Jean Rochefort, Théâtre de Paris *1988: '' Le Carnaval des animaux'' musique Camille Saint-Saëns *1989: ''Une vie de théâtre'' by
David Mamet David Alan Mamet (; born November 30, 1947) is an American playwright, filmmaker, and author. He won a Pulitzer Prize and received Tony nominations for his plays ''Glengarry Glen Ross'' (1984) and '' Speed-the-Plow'' (1988). He first gained cri ...
, staging Michel Piccoli *1991: ''
Histoire du soldat ' (''The Soldier's Tale'') is a theatrical work "to be read, played, and danced" () by three actors and one or several dancers, accompanied by a septet of instruments. Conceived by Igor Stravinsky and Swiss writer C. F. Ramuz, the piece was base ...
'' (The Soldier's Tale) by Igor Stravinsky, staging Jean Rochefort *1995: ''Oraison funèbre sur la mort de Condé'' by Jacques Bénigne Bossuet, music Jean-Baptiste Lully, direction
Hervé Niquet Hervé Niquet (born 28 October 1957) is a French conductor, harpsichordist, tenor, and the director of Le Concert Spirituel, specializing in French Baroque music. Biography Born on 28 October 1957, Hervé Niquet was raised at Abbeville in the ...
, Royal Chapel of the
Château de Versailles The Palace of Versailles ( ; french: Château de Versailles ) is a former royal residence built by King Louis XIV located in Versailles, about west of Paris, France. The palace is owned by the French Republic and since 1995 has been managed ...
*1996: ''Le Petit Tailleur'' music Tibor Tibor Harsányi and '' Le Carnaval des animaux'' music Camille Saint-Saëns,
Théâtre du Châtelet The Théâtre du Châtelet () is a theatre and opera house, located in the place du Châtelet in the 1st arrondissement of Paris, France. One of two theatres (the other being the Théâtre de la Ville) built on the site of a ''châtelet'', a ...
, Bruxelles *1998: ''
Art Art is a diverse range of human activity, and resulting product, that involves creative or imaginative talent expressive of technical proficiency, beauty, emotional power, or conceptual ideas. There is no generally agreed definition of wha ...
'' by
Yasmina Reza Yasmina Reza (born 1 May 1959) is a French playwright, actress, novelist and screenwriter best known for her plays Art and ''God of Carnage''. Many of her brief satiric plays have reflected on contemporary middle-class issues. The 2011 blac ...
, staging Patrice Kerbrat, with Pierre Vaneck and
Jean-Louis Trintignant Jean-Louis Xavier Trintignant (; 11 December 1930 – 17 June 2022) was a French actor. He made his theatrical debut in 1951, and went on to be regarded as one of the best French dramatic actors of the post-war era. He starred in many classic fi ...
,
Théâtre Hébertot Théâtre Hébertot () is a theatre at 78, boulevard des Batignolles, in the 17th arrondissement of Paris, France. History The theatre, completed in 1838 and opening as the Théâtre des Batignolles, was later renamed Théâtre des Arts in 190 ...
*2004: ''Heureux ?'' sketches by
Fernand Raynaud André Gustave Fernand Raynaud, best known as Fernand Raynaud (May 19, 1926 – September 28, 1973), was a French stand-up comic star, an actor and a singer. Biography Fernand Raynaud was one of the most renowned standup comedians among French ...
, with Bruno Fontaine, Comédie des Champs-Élysées *2006: ''Mousquetaires de Richelieu'', show of the Puy du Fou *2007: ''Entre autres'', a one-man show with Lionel Suarez playing accordion, in which he pays a tribute to the authors who influenced him, from Roland Barthes to
Jean Yanne Jean may refer to: People * Jean (female given name) * Jean (male given name) * Jean (surname) Fictional characters * Jean Grey, a Marvel Comics character * Jean Valjean, fictional character in novel ''Les Misérables'' and its adaptations * Jea ...
, notwithstanding
Fernandel Fernand Joseph Désiré Contandin (8 May 1903 – 26 February 1971), better known as Fernandel, was a French actor and singer. Born near Marseille, France, to Désirée Bedouin and Denis Contandin, originating in Perosa Argentina, an Occitan t ...
,
Verlaine Verlaine (; wa, Verlinne) is a municipality of Wallonia located in the province of Liège, Belgium. On January 1, 2006, Verlaine had a total population of 3,507. The total area is 24.21 km2 which gives a population density Population d ...
, Boby Lapointe or Primo Levi, Théâtre de la Madeleine *2007 at the Olympia: where he sang " Félicie aussi", a song by
Fernandel Fernand Joseph Désiré Contandin (8 May 1903 – 26 February 1971), better known as Fernandel, was a French actor and singer. Born near Marseille, France, to Désirée Bedouin and Denis Contandin, originating in Perosa Argentina, an Occitan t ...
, during the last three concerts of
Vincent Delerm Vincent Delerm (born 31 August 1976) is a French singer-songwriter, pianist and composer. He is the son of the writer Philippe Delerm and illustrator Martine Delerm. His first album was released in 2002, the second, ''Kensington Square'', in ...
's tour 30 and 31 May 2007 and 1 June 2007


Audio book

* ''Le Pont de la rivière Kwaï'' (''
The Bridge over the River Kwai ''The Bridge over the River Kwai'' (french: Le Pont de la rivière Kwaï) is a novel by the French novelist Pierre Boulle, published in French in 1952 and English translation by Xan Fielding in 1954. The story is fictional but uses the construct ...
'') by
Pierre Boulle Pierre François Marie Louis Boulle (20 February 1912 – 30 January 1994) was a French novelist best known for two works, '' The Bridge over the River Kwai'' (1952) and ''Planet of the Apes'' (1963), that were both made into award-winning films. ...


Notes


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Rochefort, Jean 1930 births 2017 deaths 20th-century French male actors 21st-century French male actors French National Academy of Dramatic Arts alumni Best Actor César Award winners Best Actor Lumières Award winners Best Supporting Actor César Award winners César Honorary Award recipients French documentary filmmakers French male film actors French male stage actors French male television actors French people of Breton descent Lycée Pierre-Corneille alumni Male actors from Paris