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 Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play. Set in Denmark, the play (the ...

, Henry V,

Tartuffe ''Tartuffe, or The Impostor, or The Hypocrite'' (; , ), first performed in 1664, is a theatrical comedy (or more specifically, a farce) by Molière. The characters of Tartuffe, Elmire, and Orgon are considered among the greatest classical theat ...

. 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 Fre ...

in the film of the same name, directed by

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

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

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, and for which he won the César Award for Best Actor 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 Good Friday, also known as Holy Friday, Great Friday, Great and Holy Friday, or Friday of the Passion of the Lord, is a solemn Christian holy day commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus and his death at Calvary (Golgotha). It is observed during ...

service led by Michel Aupetit, Archbishop of Paris, in the Cathedral of

Notre-Dame de Paris Notre-Dame de Paris ( ; meaning "Cathedral of Our Lady of Paris"), often referred to simply as Notre-Dame, is a Medieval architecture, medieval Catholic cathedral on the Île de la Cité (an island in the River Seine), in the 4th arrondissemen ...

, still being rebuilt after the fire a year earlier. All wore protective clothing. During the service, Torreton read

Francis Jammes Francis Jammes (; 2 December 1868, in Tournay, Hautes-Pyrénées, Tournay – 1 November 1938, in Hasparren) was a French and European poet. He spent most of his life in his native region of Béarn and the Northern Basque Country, Basque Country ...

' "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 Male 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 César Award winners Best Actor Lumières Award winners Officiers of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres