1951-02-06 Tours, Indre-et-Loire, France
Jacques Villeret (6 February 1951 – 28 January 2005) was a French actor, best known internationally for his role as François Pignon in the comedy Le Dîner de Cons. During his career, he earned many awards including the prestigious medal and title of Chevalier de la Légion d'Honneur. Villeret was born Jacky Boufroura in Loches, Indre-et-Loire, France, to an Algerian father and a French mother. He studied at the Conservatoire de Paris (CNSAD) in the same class as Louis Seigner, the grandfather of Emmanuelle Seigner and Mathilde Seigner. 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 – he 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. Tassarov 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 in 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. Source: Article "Jacques Villeret" from Wikipedia in English, licensed under CC-BY-SA 3.0.
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Jacques Villeret, drôlement tragique | Self (archive footage) (uncredited) | 2025-01-28 |
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L'Âge d'or de la pub | Self (archive footage) | 2023-06-02 |
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La TV des 70's : Quand Giscard était président | Self (archive footage) | 2022-01-07 |
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La Folle Histoire de François Pignon - De La chèvre au Dîner de cons | Self | 2015-01-24 |
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Les Parrains | lucien | 2005-10-19 |
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L'Antidote | André Morin | 2005-03-30 |
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Iznogoud | Haroun El Poussah | 2005-01-19 |
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Les Âmes grises | Le juge Mierck | 2005-09-28 |
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Malabar Princess | Gaspard | 2004-03-03 |
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Vipère au poing | Jacques Rézeau | 2004-10-06 |
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Le Furet | le Furet | 2003-10-29 |
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Effroyables Jardins | Jacques Pouzay | 2003-03-26 |
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Un crime au Paradis | Jojo Braconnier | 2001-02-28 |
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Un aller simple | Jean-Pierre | 2001-05-30 |
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Les Acteurs | Jacques Villeret | 2000-04-05 |
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Les enfants du marais | Henri Pignol, aka Riton | 1999-03-03 |
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Le Dîner de cons | François Pignon | 1998-04-15 |
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Mookie | Frère Benoît | 1998-12-09 |
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Le Dernier Été | Georges Mandel | 1997-05-14 |
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Georges Dandin de Molière | Georges Dandin | 1997-02-07 |
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Golden Boy | Antoine Bonvoisin | 1996-02-21 |
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Parano | Le pompiste | 1994-06-08 |
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Le fils du Mékong | Durieux | 1992-04-08 |
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Le batteur du Boléro | Le batteur | 1992-05-15 |
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Le Bal des casse-pieds | Jérôme, le présentateur de la météo | 1992-02-12 |
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588 rue Paradis | Alexandre Pagès | 1992-01-14 |
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Les Secrets professionnels du Docteur Apfelglück | Martineau | 1991-04-24 |
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The Favour, the Watch and the Very Big Fish | Lingerie Man | 1991-05-01 |
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Trois années | Alexandre Guillermen | 1990-08-29 |
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Un fil à la patte | Bouzin | 1989-10-02 |
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Mangeclous | Salomon | 1988-06-06 |
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La Petite Amie | Guillaume Bertin | 1988-09-14 |
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L'été en pente douce | Maurice Leheurt aka Mo | 1987-04-29 |
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Dernier été à Tanger | Marcus | 1987-04-22 |
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Soigne ta droite | Individual | 1987-12-30 |
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C'est encore mieux l'après-midi | Georges Pigier | 1987-02-06 |
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Les Folles Années du Twist | M'sieur John Wayne | 1986-02-26 |
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Black Mic Mac | Michel Le Gorgues | 1986-04-23 |
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La Galette du roi | Utte de Danemark | 1986-01-29 |
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Les Frères Pétard | Momo | 1986-10-15 |
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Drôle de samedi | Maurice, the butcher | 1985-04-01 |
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Hold-up | Jeremie Blanchet, taxi driver | 1985-10-23 |
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Dialogue de sourds | The blind | 1985-01-01 |
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Les Morfalous | Brigadier Béral | 1984-03-28 |
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Garçon ! | Gilbert, Alex's friend | 1983-11-09 |
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Papy fait de la résistance | Maréchal Ludwig von Apfelstrudel | 1983-10-26 |
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Circulez y a rien à voir ! | Pelissier | 1983-04-20 |
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Edith et Marcel | Jacques Barbier | 1983-01-01 |
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Prénom Carmen | The Man Who Eats Yogurt | 1983-12-01 |
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Effraction | Valentin Tralande, truand violent | 1983-04-06 |
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Danton | François-Joseph Westermann | 1983-01-12 |
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Le Grand Frère | Inspecteur Coleau | 1982-09-08 |
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Les uns et les autres | Jacques | 1981-05-27 |
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Malevil | Momo | 1981-05-13 |
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La Soupe aux choux | L'Oxien (La Denrée) | 1981-12-02 |
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Rien ne va plus | Henri Fisserman / Paul Flantier / Bouli / Dr. Delomien, ... | 1979-12-12 |
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Confidences pour confidences | Sitting student | 1979-01-03 |
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Bête, mais discipliné | Jacques Cardot | 1979-08-21 |
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À nous deux | Tonton Musique | 1979-05-23 |
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Mon premier amour | Jacques Labrousse | 1978-08-30 |
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Le Rabat-joie | Léon | 1978-01-01 |
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Passe montagne | Georges | 1978-11-08 |
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Un Balcon en forêt | Gourcuff | 1978-05-16 |
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Robert et Robert | Robert Villiers | 1978-06-13 |
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Un autre homme, une autre chance | Customer | 1977-09-28 |
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Le Bon et les Méchants | Jacques | 1976-01-19 |
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Nono Nénesse | Nono | 1976-12-31 |
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Si c'était à refaire | L'agent immobilier | 1976-09-30 |
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Les Naufragés de l'ile de la Tortue | Petit Nono | 1976-10-06 |
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Dupont Lajoie | Gérald | 1975-02-26 |
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Sérieux comme le plaisir | Le gendarme | 1975-01-15 |
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La Gueule ouverte | (uncredited) | 1974-05-08 |
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Un amour de pluie | Guillaume | 1974-01-10 |
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R.A.S. | Soldat Girot | 1973-08-15 |
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Detective Story | Le photographe | 1972-10-30 |
