Acting · Reggio Emilia, Italy · Born May 2, 1922
Serge Reggiani (2 May 1922 – 23 July 2004) was an Italian-born French singer and actor. He was born in Reggio Emilia, Italy and moved to France with his parents at the age of eight. For many years, he struggled with alcoholism, caused in part by the 1980 suicide of his son Stephan. After acting school (Conservatoire des arts cinématographiques) he was discovered by Jean Cocteau and appeared in a wartime production of Les Parents terribles ("The Terrible Parents"). During World War II, he left Paris to join the French resistance. His first feature film came in 1946 with his role in Les portes de la nuit ("The Doors of the Night"). He later went on to perform in 80 films including Casque d'or, Les Misérables (1958),Tutti a casa, Le Doulos, Il Gattopardo, La terrazza, The Pianist (1998). In spite of never quite reaching the peak with his acting career, he did triumph in the theatre in 1959 with his performance in Jean-Paul Sartre’s play Les Séquestrés d'Altona. In the meantime, though, in 1965 he began a second career, that of a singer (at the age of 43), with the help of Simone Signoret and her husband Yves Montand and later with great assistance of the French diva Barbara. Reggiani became one of the most acclaimed performers of French "Chanson" ("song") and although he was in his 40s, his bad-boy rugged image made him popular with both young and older listeners. His best known songs include Les loups sont entrés dans Paris ("The Wolves Have Entered Paris") and Sarah (La femme qui est dans mon lit) ("The Woman Who Is In My Bed"), the latter written by Georges Moustaki. However, one of his regular songwriters throughout his career was Boris Vian (Le Déserteur, Arthur où t'as mis le corps, La Java des bombes atomiques). His new young fans identified with his left-wing ideals and antimilitarism, most notably during the 1968 student revolts in France. With age he became more and more acclaimed as one of the best interpreters of the French chanson also bringing the poetry of Rimbaud, Apollinaire and Prévert closer to his audience. In 1995, he made a comeback to the singing stage, giving a few concerts despite his deteriorated health and personal distress, the last one being held as late as in the year of his death, in spring of 2004. In later life he became a painter and gave a number of exhibitions of his artwork. Serge Reggiani died in Paris of a heart attack at the age of 82, one day after the death of another well known French singer Sacha Distel. He is interred in Montparnasse Cemetery.
MovieLa TV des 70's : Quand Giscard était président
2022
as Self (archive footage)
MovieLes Enfoirés - Les Enfoirés en chœur de 1985 à aujourd'hui
2014
MovieIl était une fois... Vincent, François, Paul et les autres
2011
as Self (archive footage)
MovieThey Saw Inferno
2010
as Self
MovieHenri-Georges Clouzot's Inferno
2009
as Marcel (archive footage)
TVVivement dimanche
1998
as Self
MovieThe Pianist
1998
as Rossell mayor
MovieHeroines
1997
as monsieur Montgolfier
MovieLes Enfoirés 1995 - Les Enfoirés à l'Opéra-Comique
1995
MovieThe Little Boy
1995
as Germain
MovieSerge Reggiani - Palais des congrès
1993
as Self
Rosen-Emil
1993
as Dr. Levy
De force avec d'autres
1993
as Sergio
MovieI Hired a Contract Killer
1990
as Vic
MoviePlein fer
1990
as Emilio
MovieThere Were Days... and Moons
1990
as Le père de Sophie
MovieCoupe franche
1989
as Mathieu
MovieLet Sleeping Cops Lie
1988
as Le Stéphanois
L'écho
1988
as Marius
TVLe monde est à vous
1987
as Self
TVSacrée soirée
1987
as Self
MovieMauvais Sang
1986
as Charlie
MovieThe Beekeeper
1986
as Sick Man
TVVictoires de la musique
1985
as Self
TVCinecittà Cinecittà
1985
as Serge Reggiani
TVLa Chance aux chansons
1984
as Self
TVChamps-Elysées
1982
as Self
MovieFantastica
1980
as Euclide Brown
MovieThe Imprint of Giants
1980
as Fouldroule
MovieThe Terrace
1980
as Sergio Stifler
TVCiné regards
1978
as Self
MovieSolemn Communion
1977
as Le récitant chanteur (voice)
MovieViolette & Francois
1977
as M. Levene
MovieUne fille cousue de fil blanc
1977
as Jérôme
MovieThe Good and the Bad
1976
as le chef de la résistance
TV30 millions d'amis
1976
as Self
MovieCat and Mouse
1975
as Lechat
TVNuméro un
1975
as Self
TVLes Rendez-vous du dimanche
1975
as Self
MovieVincent, Francois, Paul and the Others
1974
as Paul, écrivain, journaliste
MovieDon't Touch the White Woman!
1974
as The Mad Indian
MovieThe Big Shots
1972
as Thia
Movie3000 Million Without an Elevator
1972
as Pierrot
TVMidi trente
1972
as Self
TVLe Grand Échiquier
1972
as Self
Samedi soir
1971
as Self
Movie36, le grand tournant
1970
as Narrator (voice)
MovieCountdown to Vengeance
1970
as François Nolan
MovieArmy of Shadows
1969
as Le barbier
MovieFrance, Song
1969
as Himself
TVÀ bout portant
1968
as Self
MovieThe Day of the Owl
1968
as Parrinieddu
MovieThe Seven Cervi Brothers
1968
as Ferrari, antifascista in carcere
MovieLa Plaie et le Couteau, Charles Baudelaire
1967
as Un récitant
MovieThe 25th Hour
1967
as Trajan Koruga
MovieThe Last Adventure
1967
as the pilot
MovieThe Threatening Sky
1966
as Narrator
MovieBestiary of Love
1965
as Narrator (voice)
MovieThe Blue Panther
1965
as Ivanov
MovieThe Leopard
1963
as Ciccio Tumeo
MovieLe Doulos
1962
as Maurice Faugel
MovieWarriors Five
1962
as Libero
Pueblo en armas
1961
as Narrator (voice)
MovieCuba, a People Armed
1961
as Narrator
MovieParis Blues
1961
as Michel 'Gypsy' Devigne
MovieMad Years
1960
as Récitant / Narrator (voice)
MovieEverybody Go Home!
1960
as Geniere Assunto Ceccarelli
MovieMarie-Octobre
1959
as Antoine Rougier
TVDiscorama
1959
as Self
MovieThe Stowaway
1958
as Alfred Mougins
MovieLes Misérables
1958
as Enjolras
MovieNot Delivered
1958
as Bastien Sassey
MovieThe Seine Meets Paris
1957
as Speaker
Overseas Press Club - Exclusive!
1957
as Sgt. Jean Renaud
MovieÉlisa
1957
as Bernard Voisin
MovieThe Doll that Took the Town
1957
as Mario Grimaldi
TVUne enquête du commissaire Prévôt
1956
as Le commissaire Prévôt
TVCinépanorama
1956
as Self
MovieThe Wicked Go to Hell
1955
as Rudel
MovieNapoleon
1955
as Lucien Bonaparte
MovieAct of Love
1953
as Claude Lacaud
MovieStorms
1953
as Sergio Parnell
MovieThe Curious Adventures of Mr. Wonderbird
1953
as Chimney Sweep (voice)
MovieThe World Condemns Them
1953
as André
MovieRed Shirts - Anita Garibaldi
1952
as Lantini
MovieCasque d'Or
1952
as Georges
MovieSecret People
1952
as Louis Balan
MovieGood Enough to Eat
1951
as Jean-Loup aka 'Loup'
MovieOn the Set of 'Casque D'Or'
1951
as Self (Archive Footage)
MovieLa Ronde
1950
as Franz, le soldat
MovieThe Elders of Saint-Loup
1950
as Abbot Paul Forestier
MovieThe Perfume of the Lady in Black
1949
as Joseph "Rouletabille"
MovieThe Sinners
1949
as Pierre
MovieReturn to Life
1949
as Louis (segment "Le retour de Louis")
MovieThe Mystery of the Yellow Room
1949
as Joseph Rouletabille
MovieManon
1949
as Léon Lescaut
MovieThe Lovers of Verona
1949
as Angelo (Romeo)
MovieLe Dessous des cartes
1948
as Manu
MovieCoïncidences
1947
as Jean Ménétrier
MovieGates of the Night
1946
as Guy Sénéchal
MovieStar Without Light
1946
as Gaston Lansac
MovieFrançois Villon
1945
as François Villon
MovieChildren of Chaos
1944
as Joris
MovieLe Voyageur de la Toussaint
1943
as Bob Éloi
MovieNight in December
1941
as (uncredited)
MovieSaturnin de Marseille
1941
MovieBoys' School
1938
as Un élève
