Philippe Léotard
Encyclopedia
Philippe Léotard was a French actor, poet, and singer.
He was born in Nice
, one of seven children - four girls, then three boys, of which he was the oldest - and was the brother of politician François Léotard
. His childhood was normal except for an illness (rheumatic fever
) which struck him and forced him to spend days in bed during which time he read a great many books. He was particularly fond of the poets - Baudelaire, Rimbaud, Lautréamont, Blaise Cendrars
. He met Ariane Mnouchkine
at the Sorbonne
and in 1964 they formed the théâtre du soleil.
He played Philippe, the tormented son of a women with terminal illness, in the 1974
drama film
La Gueule ouverte
, by the controversial director
Maurice Pialat
. He won a César Award for Best Actor
for his role in the 1982 movie La Balance
.
One of his few English-language roles was a cameo in the 1973 thriller The Day of the Jackal
and he co-starred as "Jacques" in the 1975 John Frankenheimer movie French Connection II
which starred Gene Hackman and Fernando Rey, (sequel to The French Connection
).
Léotard died in 2001 of respiratory failure
in Paris at the age of 60. He was interred at the Père Lachaise Cemetery
in Paris.
He was born in Nice
Nice
Nice is the fifth most populous city in France, after Paris, Marseille, Lyon and Toulouse, with a population of 348,721 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Nice extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of more than 955,000 on an area of...
, one of seven children - four girls, then three boys, of which he was the oldest - and was the brother of politician François Léotard
François Léotard
François Gerard Marie Léotard is a retired French politician. The late singer and actor Philippe Léotard was his brother....
. His childhood was normal except for an illness (rheumatic fever
Rheumatic fever
Rheumatic fever is an inflammatory disease that occurs following a Streptococcus pyogenes infection, such as strep throat or scarlet fever. Believed to be caused by antibody cross-reactivity that can involve the heart, joints, skin, and brain, the illness typically develops two to three weeks after...
) which struck him and forced him to spend days in bed during which time he read a great many books. He was particularly fond of the poets - Baudelaire, Rimbaud, Lautréamont, Blaise Cendrars
Blaise Cendrars
Frédéric Louis Sauser , better known as Blaise Cendrars, was a Swiss novelist and poet naturalized French in 1916. He was a writer of considerable influence in the modernist movement.-Early years:...
. He met Ariane Mnouchkine
Ariane Mnouchkine
Ariane Mnouchkine is a world-renowned French stage director. She founded the Parisian avant-garde stage ensemble Théâtre du Soleil in 1964. She has written and directed 1789 and Molière , and in 1989, she directed La Nuit Miraculeuse...
at the Sorbonne
Sorbonne
The Sorbonne is an edifice of the Latin Quarter, in Paris, France, which has been the historical house of the former University of Paris...
and in 1964 they formed the théâtre du soleil.
He played Philippe, the tormented son of a women with terminal illness, in the 1974
1974 in film
The year 1974 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*February 7 - Blazing Saddles is released in the USA.*August 7 - Peter Wolf, lead singer of The J...
drama film
Drama film
A drama film is a film genre that depends mostly on in-depth development of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes. Dramatic themes such as alcoholism, drug addiction, infidelity, moral dilemmas, racial prejudice, religious intolerance, poverty, class divisions, violence against women...
La Gueule ouverte
La Gueule ouverte
The Mouth Agape is a 1974 French drama film directed by Maurice Pialat. It depicts, in a cinematic realist fashion, a woman going through a terminal illness and also dealing with the tumorous lives of her husband and son. It was one of the least commercially successful of Pilat's films. It was...
, by the controversial director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
Maurice Pialat
Maurice Pialat
Maurice Pialat was a French film director, screenwriter and actor noted for the rigorous and unsentimental style of his films...
. He won a César Award for Best Actor
César Award for Best Actor
This is the list of winners and nominees of the César Award for Best Actor .-1970s:-1980s:-1990s:-2000s:-2010s:...
for his role in the 1982 movie La Balance
La Balance
La Balance is a 1982 French film directed by Bob Swaim and starring Nathalie Baye, Philippe Léotard, Tchéky Karyo, Maurice Ronet and Jean-Paul Comart...
.
One of his few English-language roles was a cameo in the 1973 thriller The Day of the Jackal
The Day of the Jackal (film)
The Day of the Jackal is a 1973 Anglo-French film, set in August 1963 and based on the novel of the same name by Frederick Forsyth. Directed by Fred Zinnemann, it stars Edward Fox as the assassin known only as "the Jackal" who is hired to assassinate Charles de Gaulle.- Synopsis :The film opens...
and he co-starred as "Jacques" in the 1975 John Frankenheimer movie French Connection II
French Connection II
French Connection II is a 1975 crime drama film starring Gene Hackman and directed by John Frankenheimer. It is a fictional sequel to the initially true story of the 1971 Academy Award winning picture The French Connection...
which starred Gene Hackman and Fernando Rey, (sequel to The French Connection
The French Connection
The French Connection or French Connection may refer to:* French Connection, an infamous 1960s-70s drug trafficking scheme* The French Connection , a 1969 non-fiction book about the drug trafficking scheme...
).
Léotard died in 2001 of respiratory failure
Respiratory failure
The term respiratory failure, in medicine, is used to describe inadequate gas exchange by the respiratory system, with the result that arterial oxygen and/or carbon dioxide levels cannot be maintained within their normal ranges. A drop in blood oxygenation is known as hypoxemia; a rise in arterial...
in Paris at the age of 60. He was interred at the Père Lachaise Cemetery
Père Lachaise Cemetery
Père Lachaise Cemetery is the largest cemetery in the city of Paris, France , though there are larger cemeteries in the city's suburbs.Père Lachaise is in the 20th arrondissement, and is reputed to be the world's most-visited cemetery, attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors annually to the...
in Paris.
Selected filmography
- Bed and BoardBed and BoardBed and board may refer to:* Bed and Board, 1970 French film Domicile Conjugal* Divorce from bed and board, a marital arrangement where spouses live apart but do not legally dissolve the marriage...
(1970) - Two English GirlsTwo English GirlsTwo English Girls , is a 1971 French romantic drama film directed by François Truffaut and based on a 1956 novel by Henri-Pierre Roché...
(1971) - Such a Gorgeous Kid Like MeSuch a Gorgeous Kid Like MeSuch a Gorgeous Kid Like Me is a 1972 French film directed by François Truffaut, starring Bernadette Lafont. It is based on Henry Farrell's 1967 novel Such a Gorgeous Kid Like Me. The film had a total of 684,539 admissions in France. -Plot:...
(1972) - KamouraskaKamouraska (film)Kamouraska is a 1973 Québécois film directed by Claude Jutra, based on the novel by Anne Hébert, who also worked as screenwriter.-Synopsis:The film is set in rural Québec in the 1830s....
(1973) - Le chocLe chocLe choc is a 1982 crime thriller film directed by Robin Davis and featuring Alain Delon and Catherine Deneuve.-Cast:* Alain Delon - Martin Terrier / Christian* Catherine Deneuve - Claire* Philippe Léotard - Félix* François Perrot - Cox...
(1982) - So Long, StoogeSo Long, StoogeSo Long, Stooge is a 1983 film directed by Claude Berri. It is based on a novel by Alain Page.Coluche, the main actor, won the "Best Actor" award in 1984 César Award.-Plot:...
(1983) - Adieu Blaireau (1985)
- SurSur (film)Sur is an Argentine drama film written and directed by Fernando E. Solanas. The film features Susú Pecoraro, Miguel Ángel Solá, Philippe Léotard, Lito Cruz, Ulises Dumont among others....
(1988) - The AbyssThe Abyss (1988 film)The Abyss is a 1988 drama film directed by André Delvaux. It was entered into the 1988 Cannes Film Festival. It is based on the novel of the same name by Marguerite Yourcenar.-Cast:* Gian Maria Volonté – Zénon* Sami Frey – Prieur des Cordeliers...
(1988) - Il y a des jours... et des lunesIl y a des jours... et des lunes-Cast and roles:* Gérard Lanvin - Truck driver* Patrick Chesnais - Doctor* Annie Girardot - Lone woman* Marie-Sophie L. - Sophie* Francis Huster - Priest* Vincent Lindon - Innkeeper* Philippe Léotard - Singer* Gérard Darmon - Policeman...
(1990) - Les MisérablesLes Misérables (1995 film)Les Misérables is a 1995 film written and directed by Claude Lelouch. Set in France during World War II, it concerns a poor and illiterate man Henri Fortin who is introduced to Victor Hugo's classic novel Les Misérables and begins to see parallels between it and his own life.-Plot:The film starts...
(1995)