Depardieu, Gérard (jĕ'rärd` dəpär'dyö`), 1948–, French actor, b. Châteauroux. He is a versatile, highly successful actor, who has performed on stage and screen in France and also has made a number of English-language films in the United States. A powerfully built leading man, he often portrays characters who combine great physical strength with a gentle nature. His highly acclaimed films include Le Dernier Métro (1980), Mon Oncle d'Amérique (1980), Le Retour de Martin Guerre (1981), Jean de Florette (1986), Cyrano de Bergerac (1990), Tous les Matins du Monde (1992), Colonel Chabert (1994), and Changing Times (2006). Among his films in English are 1900 (1977), Green Card (1990), and 102 Dalmatians (2000). Since the 1980s, Depardieu has also been a film director and producer.

Bibliography

See biographies by M. Gray (1991) and P. Chutkow (1994).

Depardieu, Gérard

(born Dec. 27, 1948, Chateauroux, France) French film actor. He made his film debut in 1965 and played minor parts until his performance in Going Places (1974) brought him a major role in Bernardo Bertolucci's 1900 (1976). He became French cinema's top male star in the 1980s and also made films elsewhere in Europe and in the U.S. Noted for a screen image that combined sensitivity with masculine strength, he delivered compelling performances in The Last Metro (1980), The Return of Martin Guerre (1981), Jean de Florette (1986), Manon of the Spring (1986), Cyrano de Bergerac (1990), and Tous les matins du monde (1992).