Luc Picard (born 24 September 1961) is a

French Canadian French Canadians (referred to as Canadiens mainly before the twentieth century; french: Canadiens français, ; feminine form: , ), or Franco-Canadians (french: Franco-Canadiens), refers to either an ethnic group who trace their ancestry to Fre ...

actor An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek term is (), lit ...

, director and

comedian A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting foolish (as in slapstick), or employing prop comedy. A comedian who addresses an audienc ...

. He was born on September 24, 1961, in Lachine,

Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirte ...

, Canada. He has played numerous characters in diverse roles.

Early life and education

Picard was born in

Lachine, Quebec Lachine () is a borough (''arrondissement'') within the city of Montreal on the Island of Montreal in southwestern Quebec, Canada. It was an autonomous city until the municipal mergers in 2002. History Lachine, apparently from the French term ' ...

. He trained at the

Conservatoire d'art dramatique de Montréal The Conservatoire d'art dramatique de Montréal is a Canadian government-funded dramatic school founded in 1954. The first director was Jan Doat. He was succeeded by Jean Valcourt in 1955 on the condition that a branch also be opened in Quebec Ci ...

, and quickly became a favourite with Quebec audiences with his frequent appearances on television.

Career

During the 1990s, following his debut performance in ''

Letters of Transit "Letters of Transit" is the nineteenth episode of the fourth season of the Fox science-fiction drama television series, ''Fringe'', and the series' 84th episode overall. It is set in the future, where the Observers have taken control of human so ...

(Les Sauf-conduits)'' he slowly developed as a film star with character roles in a variety of films, especially those by

Pierre Falardeau Pierre Falardeau (December 28, 1946 – September 25, 2009) was a Québécois film and documentary director, pamphleteer and noted activist for Quebec independence. Falardeau wrote at least one book, ''Rien n'est plus précieux que la liberté ...

. In 2002, Picard scored a double triumph with a

Genie Award The Genie Awards were given out annually by the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television to recognize the best of Canadian cinema from 1980–2012. They succeeded the Canadian Film Awards (1949–1978; also known as the "Etrog Awards," for sc ...

for his performance as the psychotic cult leader in '' Savage Messiah'' and a Prix Jutra for ''

The Collector ''The Collector'' is a 1963 thriller novel by English author John Fowles, in his literary debut. Its plot follows a lonely, psychotic young man who kidnaps a female art student in London and holds her captive in the cellar of his rural farmhous ...

'', directed by

Jean Beaudin Jean Beaudin (6 February 1939 – 18 May 2019) was a Canadian film director and screenwriter. He directed 20 films since 1969. His film '' J.A. Martin Photographer'', was entered into the 1977 Cannes Film Festival, where Monique Mercure won the ...

. In 2005, he directed his first feature, ''

Audition An audition is a sample performance by an actor, singer, musician, dancer or other performer. It typically involves the performer displaying their talent through a previously memorized and rehearsed solo piece or by performing a work or piece giv ...

'', which was followed by ''

Babine {{Infobox ethnic group , group=Nadot'en , image= , image_caption= , poptime= , popplace={{Flag, Canada ({{Flag, British Columbia) , langs=English, Babine-Witsuwit'en , rels=Christianity, Animism , related= Wet'suwet'en, Dakelh In its broader sen ...

'' in 2008, ''

Ésimésac ''Ésimésac'' is a Canadian fantasy drama film, directed by Luc Picard and released in 2012. Although an unofficial sequel to the 2008 film ''Babine'', unlike the earlier film ''Ésimésac'' was not directly based on Fred Pellerin's previously p ...

'' in 2012, ''9'' in 2016, and '' Cross My Heart'' in 2017. He is most commonly known for his portrayal of the infamous

Michel Chartrand Michel Chartrand (20 December 1916 – 12 April 2010) was a Canadian trade union leader from Quebec. Born in Outremont and trained as a typography and print worker, Chartrand became involved in union activism in the 1940s. During the '' Grande ...

in the

biographical A biography, or simply bio, is a detailed description of a person's life. It involves more than just the basic facts like education, work, relationships, and death; it portrays a person's experience of these life events. Unlike a profile or c ...

TV series '' Simmone et Chartrand'', where he was nominated for

Gemini Award The Gemini Awards were awards given by the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television between 1986–2011 to recognize the achievements of Canada's television industry. The Gemini Awards are analogous to the Emmy Awards given in the United States ...

s. His acting film credits also include ''

A Sunday in Kigali ''A Sunday in Kigali'' (original French title: ''Un dimanche à Kigali'') is a 2006 Canadian feature film set during the Rwandan genocide. It is directed by Robert Favreau based on the novel '' A Sunday at the pool in Kigali'' by Gil Courtemanch ...

'' (''Un dimanche a Kigali''), ''

Cap Tourmente The Cap Tourmente National Wildlife Area is a National Wildlife Area (NWA) located on the north shore of the Saint Lawrence River in the National Provincial Capital Region of Quebec, established on 28 April 1978. It is one of the critical habit ...

'', ''

The Woman Who Drinks ''The Woman Who Drinks'' (french: La Femme qui boit) is a Canadian drama film, released in 2001. Written and directed by Bernard Émond, the film stars Élise Guilbault as a woman struggling with alcoholism. Synopsis The film's cast also include ...

'' (''La Femme qui boit''), '' The Last Breath'' (''Le Dernier souffle''), '' Detour'' (''Détour''), '' Night Song'', '' Isla Blanca'' and '' Bad Seeds'' (''Les Mauvaises herbes''). In 2016, he directed a segment of the collective film '' 9''. He both directed and stars in the 2021 film ''

Confessions of a Hitman ''Confessions of a Hitman'' (french: Confessions) is a Canadian crime drama film, directed by Luc Picard and released in 2021. Based on ''Gallant: confessions d’un tueur à gages'', a 2015 non-fiction book written by Éric Thibault and Félix S� ...

'' about Canadian contract killer Gerald Gallant.

Personal life

He was formerly married to actress

Isabel Richer Isabel Richer (born June 14, 1966) is a Canadian film and television actress from Quebec. Career Richer's television roles have included ''Les Invincibles'', '' Les Soeurs Elliot'', Jasmine (1996) and ''Trauma'', and her films have included '' ...

, until they announced their split in 2013. Their son Henri Picard is an actor.Michèle Lemieux
"Henri Picard dévoile les conseils qu’il a reçus de ses parents"
''7 Jours'', November 2, 2021.

Filmography

Film

Television

References

External links

* 1961 births Living people Canadian male film actors Canadian male stage actors Film directors from Montreal Male actors from Montreal Writers from Montreal Université du Québec à Montréal alumni People from Lachine, Quebec Best Actor Genie and Canadian Screen Award winners Canadian screenwriters in French 20th-century Canadian male actors 21st-century Canadian male actors Best Actor Jutra and Iris Award winners Best Supporting Actor Jutra and Iris Award winners {{Canada-film-actor-stub