Acting · Tours, Indre-et-Loire, France · Born February 6, 1951
Jacques Villeret (6 February 1951 – 28 January 2005) was a French actor, best known internationally for his role as François Pignon in the comedy Le Dîner de Cons. During his career, he earned many awards including the prestigious medal and title of Chevalier de la Légion d'Honneur. Villeret was born Jacky Boufroura in Loches, Indre-et-Loire, France, to an Algerian father and a French mother. He studied at the Conservatoire de Paris (CNSAD) in the same class as Louis Seigner, the grandfather of Emmanuelle Seigner and Mathilde Seigner. While he was most famous for his role as François Pignon in Le Dîner de Cons; both on the stage and in the film, his other celebrated roles included the extra terrestrial in La soupe aux choux, the autistic Mo in L'été en pente douce, and marshal Ludwig von Apfelstrudel in Papy fait de la résistance. At the time of making the film Un aller simple directed by Laurent Heynemann – a film about integration and racism and the clash of generations – he said that watching the young actors in the film, Barbara Schulz and Lorant Deutsch, reminded him of the insouciance he had had as a young man with his friends at the Conservatoire. When his career was at its height, with the success of Le Dîner de Cons, everything collapsed in a tragedy mirroring the plot of the film. Villeret separated from his wife and suffered an enormous financial downfall due to tax issues, plunging him into depression. Villeret turned to alcohol for comfort, and became an alcoholic. He isolated himself and hid away for long periods. He later said: Alcohol is a friend, but a friend who means you harm. Villeret's love of his profession helped to bring his career back from the brink. In an interview in 2001 he spoke of his admiration for performers like Johnny Hallyday and Jacques Brel for their level of commitment, and quoted the author Louis-Ferdinand Céline: When I write, I put my balls on the table. In 1979 Villeret married Irina Tarassov, an actress and writer. They separated in 1998. Tassarov wrote about their life together in her book Un jour, tout ira bien. (One day, everything will go well). In 2002 Villeret met Seny, a Senegalese-French widow descended through her grandfather, Mor Diarra N'Dao, from a long line of Sérès nobles of the ancient Kingdom of Saloum, and they fell instantly and deeply in love. They were partners for three years, and she was about to move to Paris to be with him when he died in Évreux in January 2005 of a liver haemorrhage. Seny wrote a memoir of their life together, Jacques Villeret, mon bébé blanc, which was published in Paris by Le Cherche Midi in 2005. Source: Article "Jacques Villeret" from Wikipedia in English, licensed under CC-BY-SA 3.0.
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2025
as Self (archive footage)
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2023
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2022
as Self (archive footage)
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2022
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2022
as Self (archive footage)
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2015
as Self
MovieThe Do-Gooders
2005
as lucien
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2005
as Le juge Mierck
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2005
as André Morin
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2005
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2004
as Jacques Rézeau
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2004
as Gaspard
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2003
as le Furet
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2003
as Jacques Pouzay
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2001
as Jean-Pierre
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2001
as Jojo Braconnier
MovieActors
2000
as Jacques Villeret
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1999
as Henri Pignol, aka Riton
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1998
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TVVivement dimanche
1998
as Self
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1998
as François Pignon
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1997
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1997
as Georges Dandin
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1996
as Antoine Bonvoisin
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1994
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1992
as Le batteur
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1992
as Durieux
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1992
as Jérôme, le présentateur de la météo
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1992
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1991
as Lingerie Man
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1991
as Martineau
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1990
as Alexandre Guillermen
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1989
as Bouzin
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1988
as Guillaume Bertin
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1988
as Salomon
MovieKeep Your Right Up
1987
as Individual
TVSacrée soirée
1987
as Self
TVNulle part ailleurs
1987
as Self
MovieL'été en pente douce
1987
as Maurice Leheurt aka Mo
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1987
as Marcus
TVMatin Bonheur
1987
as Self
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1987
as Georges Pigier
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1986
as Momo
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1986
as Michel Le Gorgues
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1986
as M'sieur John Wayne
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1986
as Utte de Danemark
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1985
as Jeremie Blanchet, chauffeur de taxi
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1985
as Maurice, the butcher
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1985
as The blind
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1984
as Brigadier Béral
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1983
as The Man Who Eats Yogurt
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1983
as Gilbert, Alex's friend
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1983
as Maréchal Ludwig von Apfelstrudel
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1983
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1983
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1983
as François-Joseph Westermann
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1983
as Jacques Barbier
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1982
as Inspecteur Coleau
TVMerci Bernard
1982
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1982
as Self
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1981
as L'Oxien (La Denrée)
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1981
as Jacques
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1981
as Momo
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1979
as Henri Fisserman / Paul Flantier / Bouli / Dr. Delomien, ...
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1979
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1979
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1979
as Sitting student
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1978
as Georges
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1978
as Jacques Labrousse
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1978
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1978
as Gourcuff
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1978
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1978
as Léon
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1977
as Customer
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1976
as Nono
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1976
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1976
as L'agent immobilier
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1976
as Jacques
TVNuméro un
1975
as Self
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1975
as Gérald
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1975
as Le gendarme
TVLes Rendez-vous du dimanche
1975
as Self
TVMidi Première
1975
as Self
TVSpécial cinéma
1974
as Self
MovieThe Mouth Agape
1974
as (uncredited)
MovieLoving in the Rain
1974
as Guillaume
MovieNothing to Report
1973
as Soldat Girot
MovieDetective Story
1972
as Le photographe
TVLe Grand Échiquier
1972
as Self
TVDiscorama
1959
as Self
