Pierre Richard

Pierre Richard, whose real name is Pierre-Richard Defays, born on 16 August 1934 in Valenciennes (Nord), is a French actor, director, screenwriter, and producer.

Having become a comic star of French cinema in the early 1970s, he achieved his greatest successes by playing burlesque, daydreaming, and clumsy characters from his very first appearances on the big screen, following several years in cabaret and television. Supported by Yves Robert, he revealed his talent by writing and directing his own films, including Le Distrait (1970), Les Malheurs d'Alfred (1972), and Je sais rien, mais je dirai tout (1973). Beneath the fantasy, his cinema captures the rebellious spirit of the post-May 68 era by mocking the foundations of modern society.

Yves Robert brought him international fame with The Tall Blond Man with One Black Shoe (1973). He subsequently worked with other great names in comedy, such as Gérard Oury, Georges Lautner, and Claude Zidi. Having already co-written previous films with Pierre Richard, Francis Veber took his first steps as a director by directing him in The Toy (1976) and later paired him with Gérard Depardieu in La Chèvre (1981), Les Compères (1983), and Les Fugitifs (1986). The actor thus repeatedly played characters named "François Pignon" or "François Perrin" in films written or directed by Francis Veber.

Pierre Richard enjoys great popularity throughout Europe, as well as in the former Soviet Union and South America, much like Gérard Depardieu, Jean-Paul Belmondo, and Alain Delon. Recognized as a major figure in French comedy cinema, he received an honorary César in 2006 and an honorary Magritte in 2015. On stage, he was awarded the Molière for best one-man show at the 2020 Molières ceremony.