Daniel Auteuil (; born 24 January 1950) is a French actor and director who has appeared in a wide range of film genres, including period dramas, romantic comedies, and crime thrillers. In 1996 he won the Best Actor Award at the

Cannes Film Festival The Cannes Film Festival (; ), until 2003 called the International Film Festival ('), is the most prestigious film festival in the world. Held in Cannes, France, it previews new films of all genres, including documentaries, from all around ...

together with Belgian actor

Pascal Duquenne Pascal Duquenne (born 8 August 1970) is a Belgian actor. He shared the Best Actor Award in the 1996 Cannes Film Festival for his performance as Georges in the movie '' The Eighth Day'', with Daniel Auteuil, who played Harry. He lives in Brussel ...

. He is also the winner of two César Awards for Best Actor, one in 1987 as Ugolin Soubeyran in ''

Jean de Florette ''Jean de Florette'' () is a 1986 period drama film directed by Claude Berri. It was followed by '' Manon des sources'', released the same year. Both are the adaptation of Marcel Pagnol’s 1963 two-part novel '' The Water of the Hills'', with t ...

'' and '' Manon des Sources'' and one for his role in ''

Girl on the Bridge ''The Girl on the Bridge'' () is a 1999 French drama film shot in black and white and directed by Patrice Leconte, starring Daniel Auteuil and Vanessa Paradis. Plot The story centres around knifethrower Gabor (Auteuil) and a young woman c ...

''. For his role in ''

'' he also won the

BAFTA Award The British Academy Film Awards, more commonly known as the BAFTAs or BAFTA Awards, is an annual film award show hosted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) to honour the best British and international contributions to f ...

for Best Actor in a Supporting Role. Auteuil is considered one of France's most respected actors.

Early life

Daniel Auteuil was born on 24 January 1950 in

Algiers Algiers is the capital city of Algeria as well as the capital of the Algiers Province; it extends over many Communes of Algeria, communes without having its own separate governing body. With 2,988,145 residents in 2008Census 14 April 2008: Offi ...

French Algeria French Algeria ( until 1839, then afterwards; unofficially ; ), also known as Colonial Algeria, was the period of History of Algeria, Algerian history when the country was a colony and later an integral part of France. French rule lasted until ...

, the son of opera singers. He grew up in

Avignon Avignon (, , ; or , ; ) is the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of southeastern France. Located on the left bank of the river Rhône, the Communes of France, commune had a ...

and Nancy,

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

. He began his acting career in musical comedy and made his film debut in 1972. At age 16, thanks to André Benedetto, who led a company in

, Auteuil began stage acting in

Chekhov Anton Pavlovich Chekhov (; ; 29 January 1860 – 15 July 1904) was a Russian playwright and short-story writer, widely considered to be one of the greatest writers of all time. His career as a playwright produced four classics, and his b ...

's '' La Demande en mariage''.. To please his parents he began studies in topography, and he worked in a nightclub cloakroom on Saturday nights to earn money. In 1969, after attending high school in Avignon, he went to Paris with his friend Roger Miremont. He enrolled in a theatre course taught by

Cours Florent The Cours Florent is a private drama school in Paris, France, established in 1967 by French theater actor François Florent. The school's facilities are located on three sites in the 19th arrondissement of Paris: Rue Archereau, Rue Mathis, and ...

. Despite several attempts, he was never accepted to the

Conservatoire national supérieur d'art dramatique The Conservatoire national supérieur d'art dramatique (; "National Academy of Dramatic Arts"; abbr. CNSAD) is France's national drama academy, located in Paris and a constituent college of University PSL. It is a higher education institution r ...

Career

In 1970, he made his debut in

théâtre national populaire The (; "People's National Theater") is a theatre now at Villeurbanne, France. It was founded in 1920 by Firmin Gémier in Paris. Today, the TNP has a company of ten resident actors and the building is currently being completely renovated. His ...

in ''Early Morning''. In 1972 and 1973 he appeared in the American musical ''

Godspell ''Godspell'' is a musical in two acts with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and a book by John-Michael Tebelak. The show is structured as a series of parables, primarily based on the Gospel of Matthew, interspersed with music mostly set t ...

''. Partnered with

Edwige Feuillère Edwige Feuillère (born Edwige Louise Caroline Cunatti; 29 October 1907 – 13 November 1998) was a French stage and film actress. Biography She was born Edwige Louise Caroline Cunatti to an Italian architect father and an Alsace-born moth ...

's theatre (''La folle de Chaillot'') and

Maria Pacôme Maria Pacôme (; 18 July 1923 – 1 December 2018) was a French actress and playwright. Biography Born on 18 July 1923 in Paris, Maria Pacôme was the daughter of Maurice Pacôme and Germaine Hivonait. Her father was deported to Buchenwald con ...

's theatre (''Apprends-moi, Céline''), he co-starred with

François Périer François Périer (; born François Pillu; 10 November 1919 – 28 June 2002) was a French actor renowned for his expressiveness and diversity of roles. Career He made over 110 film and TV appearances from 1938 to 1996, with notable excursi ...

in ''Coup de chapeau'', which earned him the 1979 Gérard Philipe prize for the best actor in Parisian theatre of the year. He then appeared in ''Le Garçon d'appartement'', which

Gérard Lauzier Gérard Lauzier (30 November 1932 – 6 December 2008) was a French comics author and movie director, best known as one of the leading authors in the more adult-oriented Franco-Belgian comics, French comics scene of the 1970s and 1980s. Biography ...

adapted for the cinema in 1982 as ''T'empêches tout le monde de dormir''. In 1974, Auteuil made his debut on television under the direction of

Marcel Jullian Marcel Jullian (31 January 1922—28 June 2004) was a French author, screenwriter for French film and television, and occasional director. He was one of the founders of the TV channel Antenne 2, and its first president from January 1975 to Dec ...

in the series ''Les Fargeot'' before continuing next to

Rellys Henri Marius Roger Bourrelly (12 December 190520 July 1991), known by his stage name of Rellys, was a French actor.- Selected filmography * '' Three Sailors'' (1934) * '' Merlusse'' (1935) * '' Happy Arenas'' (1935) * ''That's Sport'' (1938) * '' ...

Jackie Sardou Jackie Sardou (7 April 1919 – 2 April 1998) was a French actress. Personal life She was born Jacqueline Labbé in Paris, and married Fernand Sardou, a singer. She was the mother of singer Michel Sardou Michel Charles Sardou (; born 26 J ...

and

Fernand Sardou Fernand Sardou (18 September 1910 – 31 January 1976La Gloire de Pagnol
p. 235.) was a French singer an ...

in ''Adieu Amélie'' by Jean-Paul Carrère. In 1977, he played the detective Camaret in the six-episode series ''Rendez-vous en noir'', based on the novel by

William Irish Cornell George Hopley Woolrich ( ; December 4, 1903 – September 25, 1968) was an American novelist and short story writer. He sometimes used the pseudonyms William Irish and George Hopley. His biographer, Francis Nevins Jr., rated Woolrich th ...

. In 1975,

Gérard Pirès Gérard Pirès (born 31 August 1942) is a French film director and writer. Filmography * '' Guo bao zong dong yuan'' (''Adventures in the NPM'') (2007) * '' Les Chevaliers du ciel'' (''Sky Fighters'') (2005) * '' Double Zéro'' (2004) * '' Steal ...

offered Auteuil the lead role in ''L'Agression'' with

Catherine Deneuve Catherine Fabienne Dorléac (born 22 October 1943), known professionally as Catherine Deneuve (, , ), is a French actress. She is considered one of the greatest European actresses on film. In 2020, ''The New York Times'' ranked her as one of th ...

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-World War II, war era. He starred in m ...

. Auteuil's starring role in the

historical drama A historical drama (also period drama, period piece or just period) is a dramatic work set in the past, usually used in the context of film and television, which presents history, historical events and characters with varying degrees of fiction s ...

film ''

'' (1986) and its sequel '' Manon des Sources'' (1986) brought him international recognition. Auteuil has since become one of the best-known, best-paid and most popular actors in France. Through his appearances in films including the

swashbuckler A swashbuckler is a genre of European adventure literature that focuses on a heroic protagonist stock character who is skilled in swordsmanship, acrobatics, and guile, and possesses chivalrous ideals. A "swashbuckler" protagonist is heroic, ...

'' Le bossu'' (1997), the

comedy Comedy is a genre of dramatic 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. Origins Comedy originated in ancient Greec ...

The Closet ''Closeted'' and ''in the closet'' are metaphors for LGBTQ people who have not disclosed their sexual orientation or gender identity and aspects thereof, including sexual identity and sexual behavior. This metaphor is associated and sometimes ...

'' (2001), the

romantic comedy Romantic comedy (also known as romcom or rom-com) is a sub-genre of comedy and Romance novel, romance fiction, focusing on lighthearted, humorous plot lines centered on romantic ideas, such as how true love is able to surmount all obstacles. Ro ...

'' After You...'' (2003), the

thriller Thriller may refer to: * Thriller (genre), a broad genre of literature, film and television ** Thriller film, a film genre under the general thriller genre Comics * ''Thriller'' (DC Comics), a comic book series published 1983–84 by DC Comics i ...

'' Caché'' (2005) and the

'' My Best Friend'' (2006), he has since gained greater international recognition. In 2013, Auteuil was selected as a member of the main competition jury at the

2013 Cannes Film Festival The 66th Cannes Film Festival took place from 15 to 26 May 2013. American filmmaker Steven Spielberg was the Jury President for the main competition. French actress Audrey Tautou hosted the opening and closing ceremonies. The French film ''Blu ...

Personal life

Auteuil has two daughters:

Aurore Auteuil Aurore Auteuil (; born 28 March 1981) is a French actress and the eldest daughter of Anne Jousset and Daniel Auteuil Daniel Auteuil (; born 24 January 1950) is a French actor and director who has appeared in a wide range of film genres, inclu ...

with his former partner, Anne Jousset, and Nelly from a ten-year relationship with actress

Emmanuelle Béart Emmanuelle Béart (born 14 August 1963)
''Tecinema.jeuxactu.com''. Retrieved 21 April 2020. is a F ...

, his co-star in the films ''

A Heart in Winter ''A Heart in Winter'' () is a 1992 French romantic drama film co-written and directed by Claude Sautet. It stars Daniel Auteuil, Emmanuelle Béart and André Dussollier. It was chosen to compete at the 49th Venice International Film Festival, ...

'' and '' Manon des Sources'' (1986). He married Aude Ambroggi, a Corsican sculptor born in 1977, on 22 July 2006 in

Porto-Vecchio Porto-Vecchio (, ; or ; , , or (South)) is a commune in the French department of Corse-du-Sud, on the island of Corsica. Porto-Vecchio is a medium-sized port city placed on a good harbor, the southernmost of the marshy and alluvial east ...

Corsica Corsica ( , , ; ; ) is an island in the Mediterranean Sea and one of the Regions of France, 18 regions of France. It is the List of islands in the Mediterranean#By area, fourth-largest island in the Mediterranean and lies southeast of the Metro ...

Selected filmography

As actor

As filmmaker

Awards and nominations

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Auteuil, Daniel 1950 births 20th-century French male actors 21st-century French male actors Pieds-noirs Cours Florent alumni Best Supporting Actor BAFTA Award winners Best Actor César Award winners Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actor winners David di Donatello winners European Film Award for Best Actor winners Best Actor Lumières Award winners French male film actors French male stage actors Occitan-language actors French male television actors Living people People from Algiers Male actors of Algerian descent