- Born
- Died
- Birth nameJean-Claude François Carrière
- Jean-Claude Carrière was born on September 17, 1931 in Colombières-sur-Orb, Hérault, France. He was a writer and actor, known for The Unbearable Lightness of Being (1988), The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (1972) and That Obscure Object of Desire (1977). He was married to Nicole Janin and Nahal Tajadod. He died on February 8, 2021 in Paris, France.
- SpousesNicole Janin (divorced, 1 child)Nahal Tajadod(? - February 8, 2021) (his death, 1 child)
- Children
- Often co-writes his scripts with his directors
- Former president of La Fémis.
- Member of jury at the Cannes Film Festival in 1981
- Invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (writers branch) in 2006.
- He was friends with Delphine Seyrig. They got to know each other when he wrote the play "L'Aide-mémoire" for her. He later brought Luis Buñuel to see her acting on stage. This lead the director to cast the actress in The Milky Way (1969) and then in The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (1972).
- Started as a cartoonist, wrote novels, short stories and plays before a meeting with famed film maker and comic Jacques Tati changed his career path.
- If you want fame, and a beautiful statue made of yourself, don't be a screenwriter. The writer disappears. He works in the shade.
- [on Luis Buñuel] He said he worked with me because he understood my voice. Everything I said was nonsense, but at least he understood.
- [accepting his Honorary Oscar] I would like to say something about the fact that this Oscar goes to a screenwriter. I'm very happy of this, because very often screenwriters are forgotten, or ignored. They are like shadows passing through the history of cinema. Their names do not appear in the reviews. Very sad. But still, they are filmmakers. That's why tonight I'd like to share this priceless little statue with all my colleagues, the ones I know, the ones I don't know, from all over the world. So we all thank you.
- The best way to become a screenwriter is to participate humbly in the making of a film. Then, of course, it is necessary to have ideas. The work of a screenwriter is not only to write a film and to know all about the technical side of things: the sound, the images, the editing. His work, his function, is to look for new ideas. That is very important. To be able to offer a bouquet of different ideas. [interview for "The Storytellers"]
- [on Valmont (1989)] There couldn't be two films with the same title being released around the same time. Besides, it is a loose adaptation, not a literal adaptation of Laclos' book. Valmont is the backbone of the plot - he's on both sides of the story, on the Merteuil side and the Tourvel side. All the narrative threads lead to him.
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