Philippe Torreton (born 13 October 1965) is a French actor.

Life and career

Born in Rouen, to a teacher mother, and filling station attendant father, Torreton grew up in a suburb of the city. A student at the lycée Val de Seine de Grand-Quevilly, he discovered there a certain liking for the theater that he nurtured, thanks to his teachers, - he often cites one in particular, - M.Désir. A student of CNSAD, he would return there, this time as a teacher, in October 2008. Torreton entered the

Comédie-Française The Comédie-Française () or Théâtre-Français () is one of the few state theatres in France. Founded in 1680, it is the oldest active theatre company in the world. Established as a French state-controlled entity in 1995, it is the only state ...

in 1990 as a ''pensionnaire'' (salaried actor having no share in the profits) and became a ''sociétaire'' (shareholding member of the Comédie-Française) in 1994. He left in 1999 having played many prestigious roles including Scapin, Lorenzaccio,

Hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...

, Henry V,

Tartuffe ''Tartuffe, or The Impostor, or The Hypocrite'' (; french: Tartuffe, ou l'Imposteur, ), first performed in 1664, is a theatrical comedy by Molière. The characters of Tartuffe, Elmire, and Orgon are considered among the greatest classical thea ...

. He played

Capitaine Conan ''Captain Conan'' (original title: ''Capitaine Conan'') is a 1996 French drama film directed by Bertrand Tavernier. It is based on the 1934 Prix Goncourt-winning novel ''Captain Conan'' (Fr. ''Capitaine Conan'') by Roger Vercel. Plot In the Fren ...

in the film of the same name, directed by

Bertrand Tavernier Bertrand Tavernier (25 April 1941 – 25 March 2021) was a French director, screenwriter, actor and producer. Life and career Tavernier was born in Lyon, France, the son of Geneviève (née Dumond) and René Tavernier, a publicist and writer, s ...

, based on a little-known incident from the time of the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, and for which he won the

César Award for Best Actor This is the list of winners and nominees of the César Award for Best Actor (french: César du meilleur acteur). History Superlatives Winners 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s 2020s Multiple wins and nominations The following indivi ...

1997. And, a politically committed actor, he played the role of the principal of a primary school confronted with social problems in Ça commence aujourd'hui, again directed by Tavernier, in 1998. He was elected in the Municipal council of the 9th arrondissement of Paris. On 10 April 2020, during the coronavirus lockdown, Torreton was one of a handful of people to take part in a Good Friday service led by Michel Aupetit, Archbishop of Paris, in the Cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris, still being rebuilt after the fire a year earlier. All wore protective clothing. During the service, Torreton read Francis Jammes' "Je vous salue, Marie".

Selected filmography

Philippe Torreton at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival.

Decorations

* Officer of the Order of Arts and Letters (2016)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Torreton, Philippe Living people 1965 births Actors from Rouen French male film actors Sociétaires of the Comédie-Française Conservatoire de Paris alumni French male stage actors French National Academy of Dramatic Arts alumni 20th-century French male actors 21st-century French male actors Best Actor Lumières Award winners Officiers of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres