Biography for
Jean Rochefort More at IMDbPro »

Date of Birth

29 April 1930, Dinan, Cote-d'Armor, France

Birth Name

Jean Raoul Robert Rochefort

Nickname

Mon petit Jeannot (coined by Delphine Seyrig)
Jeannot (coined by Delphine Seyrig)

Height

5' 11¼" (1.81 m)

Mini Biography

French character star Jean Rochefort expressed an interest in acting early in life. Born in 1930, he trained at the Paris Conservatoire but had to halt his studies due to military service. Relocating to Paris, he developed a minor name for himself in cabaret and stage plays. He also worked with the Grenier-Hussenot company at this time and acted in TV drama. Throughout his career Rochefort would return sporadically to the theatre as both actor and director. Films took his immediate focus in the late 50s and he became an audience favorite in roguish costumers and adventure films, particularly those of director Philippe De Broca, including Cartouche (1962), Up to His Ears (1965) and The Devil by the Tail (1969). By the 70s, Rochefort's reputation as a comedy star of sex farces and black comedies was firmly established, culminating with his classic roles in The Tall Blond Man with One Black Shoe (1972), Conspiratia (1972), The Phantom of Liberty (1974), Ugly, Dirty and Bad (1976) and Pardon Mon Affaire (1976). He won the Cesar Award (French equivalent of the `Oscar') for best supporting actor in The Clockmaker of St. Paul (1974) and the best actor trophy for _Crabe-tambour, Le (1977)_. Though he branched out internationally in later years, he earned more kudos for his work in French-made films, especially those directed by Patrice Leconte: Tandem (1987), The Hairdresser's Husband (1990) and the Oscar-nominated Ridicule (1996). Most recently he won praise co-starring as a retired teacher of poetry opposite actor Johnny Hallyday in Man on the Train (2002). Despite his obvious comedic electricity, he has touched audiences as well playing dying naval captains, paraplegics, and timorous, elderly dreamers, often drawing both humor and pathos simultaneously from his characters. Not as well known by America's standards, his sunken, weary features, ever-searching eyes, ever-present moustache and prominent nose are unmistakable in the over 80 films he's graced. A lifetime dream was to play Don Quixote on film and his wish was nearly fulfilled until he took seriously ill and the project had to be indefinitely shelved after only a few days of filming. Rochefort received a special life's achievement Cesar award in 1999.

IMDb Mini Biography By: Gary Brumburgh / gr-home@pacbell.net

Spouse

Alexandra Mosava	(16 June 1960 - ?) 2 children
Francoise Vidal	(? - present) 2 children

Trivia

Member of jury Festival International de Cannes 2003

Was cast as Don Quixote, but became seriously ill during the ill-fated making of a failed movie that was going to be called "The Man Who Killed Don Quixote". That and other circumstances led to the production being halted and the abandoning of director Terry Gilliam's film. A documentary was made about these occurrences, called Lost in La Mancha (2002) .

His other passion is horses. In 2004 he became a consultant on horseback riding for French TV.

Has five children: Marie, Julien, Pierre, Clémence and Louise.

He has a son, Pierre, born 1981, from his relationship with actress Nicole Garcia.

Former student of CNSAD.

He learned English seven months before the start of the production "The Man who Killed Don Quixote".