Life and career
Villeret was born Jacky Boufroura in Tours, Indre-et-Loire, France, to an Algerian father and a French mother. He studied at the Conservatoire de Paris (CNSAD), where Louis Seigner, the grandfather of Emmanuelle Seigner and Mathilde Seigner, was one of his teachers. While he was most famous for his role as François Pignon in '' Le Dîner de Cons''; both on the stage and in the film, his other celebrated roles included the extra terrestrial in '' La soupe aux choux'', the autistic Mo in '' L'été en pente douce'', and marshal Ludwig von Apfelstrudel in '' Papy fait de la résistance''. At the time of making the film '' Un aller simple'' directed by Laurent Heynemann – a film about integration and racism and the clash of generations – Villeret said that watching the young actors in the film, Barbara Schulz and Lorant Deutsch, reminded him of the insouciance he had had as a young man with his friends at the Conservatoire. When his career was at its height, with the success of '' Le Dîner de Cons'', everything collapsed in a tragedy mirroring the plot of the film. Villeret separated from his wife and suffered an enormous financial downfall due to tax issues, plunging him into depression. Villeret turned to alcohol for comfort, and became an alcoholic. He isolated himself and hid away for long periods. He later said: "Alcohol is a friend, but a friend who means you harm." Villeret's love of his profession helped to bring his career back from the brink. In an interview in 2001 he spoke of his admiration for performers like Johnny Hallyday and Jacques Brel for their level of commitment, and quoted the author Louis-Ferdinand Céline: "When I write, I put my balls on the table." In 1979 Villeret married Irina Tarassov, an actress and writer. They separated in 1998. Tarassov wrote about their life together in her book ''Un jour, tout ira bien.'' (''One day, everything will go well''). In 2002 Villeret met Seny, a Senegalese-French widow descended through her grandfather, Mor Diarra N'Dao, from a long line of Sérès nobles of the ancient Kingdom of Saloum, and they fell instantly and deeply in love. They were partners for three years, and she was about to move to Paris to be with him when he died in Évreux on 28 January 2005 of a liver haemorrhage. Seny wrote a memoir of their life together, ''Jacques Villeret, mon bébé blanc'', which was published in Paris by Le Cherche Midi in 2005.Filmography
Theatre
* 1990 : ''La Contrebasse'' * 1993 : ''Le Dîner de cons'' * 2000 : ''Jeffrey Bernard est souffrant''Awards
* 1979 : César Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for ''Robert et Robert'' * 1999 : César Award for Best Actor for ''Le Dîner de cons'' * 1999 : Lumière Award for Best Actor for ''Le Dîner de cons'' * Chevalier des Arts et Lettres * Légion d'honneurReferences
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