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[>>]Source: WikipediaThis biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (August 2009)
François Cluzet (born 21 September 1955) is a French film and theatre actor, best known in the English-speaking world for playing the wealthy quadraplegic in the international hit The Intouchables (2011). In 2007 Cluzet won a French César Award after starring as a doctor suspected of double homicide in thriller Tell No One (original title Ne le dis à personne).
Life and career [edit]
Cluzet grew up in Paris, and made his stage debut in 1976. Three years later he made his premiere appearance on the big screen in Cocktail Molotov with Diane Kurys. A year later, Cluzet appeared in acclaimed family drama Cheval d'orgueil directed by Claude Chabrol. The two reunited in 1982 for Les Fantômes du chapelier. In 1983, Cluzet acted in L'Été meurtrier with Jean Becker. He was nominated for a César award for best supporting role of the year, in the same year he made a list for best new male for film Vive la sociale.
Cluzet next collaborated with a number of major name French directors, all of whom had a predilection towards dramatic works: reuniting with Diane Kurys in 1983 for Coup de foudre, reuniting with Bertrand Tavernier (to co-star in jazz film Round Midnight in 1985), Tony Gatlif (Rue du départ, 1985), Claire Denis (Chocolat, 1987), Pierre Jolivet (Force majeure, 1988 and one new César nomination for best second male role), Bertrand Blier (Trop belle pour toi, 1989) and again Robert Enrico (La Révolution française). Next, the actor worked with Claude Chabrol to play a husband tortured by jealousy in L'Enfer (1994) after having filmed with Chabrol in 1988 for Une affaire de femmes.
In 1994, Cluzet tried international cinema, acting in ensemble movie Prêt-à-porter for director Robert Altman and romance French Kiss with Lawrence Kasdan. He returned to French cinema and comedy in 1995 with Les Apprentis (César nomination for best actor) and Enfants de salaud with Tonie Marshall, following a new Claude Chabrol : Rien ne va plus in 1997. Cluzet has often portrayed a role of the tormented writer: Fin août, début septembre with Olivier Assayas, L'Examen de minuit (1998), and Je suis un assassin (2004). He played the double of John Lennon in Janis et John (2003) and an animator of tele-shopping in France Boutique (2004). In 2005, he played in Le Domaine perdu with Raoul Ruiz. The film portrayed the 1973 coup d'état in Chile.
2006 was a big year for Cluzet with his Quatre étoiles role of an over-the-hill F1 champion, touching and naive, paralysed with love for Isabelle Carré. But his starring role as a doctor suspected of double homicide in thriller Tell No One was seen by a wider international audience. For this role he received the 2007 César for best actor.
Cluzet's biggest international hit to date is Intouchable (known in most English-speaking territories as The Intouchables). Based on a true story, the film chronicles the friendship between a wealthy quadraplegic (Cluzet) and a young carer who has been recently released from jail. In March 2012 The Intouchables became the highest-grossing non-English language film yet released (not accounting for inflation).
Cluzet has a son, Paul (son of the late actress Marie Trintignant) as well as three other children: Blanche, Joseph and Marguerite.
In September 2009, during a TV news show, Cluzet openly mentioned his support for Salah Hamouri, a Franco-Palestinian held in an Israeli prison, to the surprise of the TV host and the Member of Parliament present during the show, Jean-François Copé.
[<<]This text is based on a article from the open encyclopedia Wikipedia and stands under GNU license for free documentation. On Wikipedia there is List of the authors Available. Image: Georges Biard
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