Michel Piccoli
Michel Jacques Daniel Piccoli is the son of Henri Piccoli, violinist and Marcelle Expert-Bezançon (1892-1990), pianist and daughter of the French industrialist and politician Charles Expert-Bezançon. In 1954, Michel Piccoli married actress Éléonore Hirt with whom he had a daughter, Anne-Cordélia Piccoli. In 1966, he married the singer Juliette Gréco, then in 1978 the screenwriter Ludivine Clerc, with whom he adopted two children of Polish origin, Inord and Missia. Placed in an establishment for problem children, the commitments of the young Piccoli, are made in opposition to his maternal grandfather, senator of the Third Republic, financier of the Radical Party, and important industrial painter, accused by the trade union left and by Georges Clemenceau, of having intoxicated his workmen through lead white which causes lead poisoning. Michel Piccoli then trained as an actor first with Andrée Bauer-Théraud and then during Simon. After an appearance as an extra in "Sortilèges" by Christian-Jaque in 1945, Michel Piccoli made his film debut in "Le Point Du Jour" by Louis Daquin. In the theater he distinguished himself with the Renaud-Barrault and Grenier-Hussot companies as well as at the Théâtre de Babylone. Noticed in the film "French Cancan" in 1954, he continued on stage and worked with directors Jacques Audiberti, Jean Vilar, Jean-Marie Serreau, Peter Brook, Luc Bondy, Patrice Chéreau and André Engel, and became also know in popular TV movies. Having become an atheist after a family bereavement, he met Luis Buñuel in 1956, and ironically took on the role of a priest in "La Mort En Ce Jardin". In 1959, he shot "Le Rendez-Vous De Noël", a short film by André Michel based on the short story by Malek Ouary "Le Noël Du Petit Cireur", in Algiers. The 1960s sounded his consecration, noticed in "Le Doulos" by Jean-Pierre Melville, he was revealed internationally with "Le Mépris" by Jean-Luc Godard alongside Brigitte Bardot. From then on, he toured with the greatest French and international filmmakers such as Alfred Hitchcock, Luis Buñuel, Youssef Chahine, Manoel de Oliveira... He began the 1980s with the interpretation prize at the Cannes festival in 1980, with "Le Saut Dans Le Vide" by Marco Bellocchio, and that of the Berlin festival in 1982, with "Une Étrange Affaire" by Pierre Granier-Deferre. . He worked with Jacques Doillon, Leos Carax, before trying his hand at directing. In 2001 he received the IX Europe Prize for Theatre. He was part of the jury of the 60th Cannes Film Festival in 2007, chaired by Stephen Frears. In 2011, he played in "Habemus Papam" by Nanni Moretti. The last film in which Michel Piccoli appears is the film "Le Goût Des Myrtilles", by Thomas de Thiers in 2013. Politically committed to the left, member of the Peace Movement (communist), Michel Piccoli distinguished himself by his positions against the National Front, and mobilized for Amnesty International. Michel Piccoli died on May 12, 2020 following a stroke in his mansion in Saint-Philbert-sur-Risle in Eure. His funeral takes place in Évreux on May 19, 2020, where he is cremated, his ashes are scattered within the family property.
Known For
Credits
- 2024 · It’s Not Me as (archive footage)
- 2023 · Godard by Godard as Self (archive footage)
- 2022 · Il était une fois Champs-Élysées as Self (archive footage)
- 2022 · La TV des 70's : Quand Giscard était président as Self (archive footage)
- 2021 · Marx Can Wait as Agostino (archive footage) (uncredited)
- 2021 · François Mitterrand & Anne Pingeot: Pieces of a Love Story as Self (archive footage)
- 2019 · Claude Chabrol, the Maverick as Self - Actor (archive footage)
- 2017 · Coming Apart as (archive footage)
- 2017 · Claude Sautet, Romy, Yves, Michel et les autres as Self (archive footage)
- 2017 · The Incredible Mr. Piccoli as Self - Actor (archive footage)
- 2017 · Marco Ferreri: Dangerous But Necessary as Self (archive footage)
- 2015 · Our Lady of Hormones as Narrator
- 2014 · The Taste of Blueberries as Michel
- 2012 · Lines of Wellington as Leópold Scheitzer
- 2012 · You Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet as Le père
- 2012 · Holy Motors as Man with the Wine Stain
- 2011 · Agnès Varda: From Here to There as Himself
- 2011 · Agnès Varda: From Here to There as Self
- 2011 · Agnès Varda: From Here to There as Self
- 2011 · Il était une fois... Vincent, François, Paul et les autres as
- 2011 · We Have a Pope as Melville
- 2010 · Portrait Of My Father as Self
- 2009 · Le Bel Âge as Maurice Reverdy
- 2009 · Once Upon a Time… Contempt as Self
- 2008 · The Beaches of Agnès as Self (archive footage)
- 2008 · The Dust of Time as Spyros
- 2008 · On War as Le grand Hou
- 2007 · To Each His Own Cinema as Nikita Kruschev (segment "Rencontre unique")
- 2007 · Le Roi Lear as Le roi Lear
- 2007 · Beneath the Rooftops of Paris as Marcel
- 2007 · Boxes as Papa
- 2007 · The Duchess of Langeais as Vidame de Pamiers
- 2006 · Belle Toujours as Henri Husson
- 2006 · Gardens in Autumn as Marie, la mère de Vincent
- 2006 · Magic Mirror as Prof. Heschel
- 2006 · Otar Iosseliani, le merle siffleur as Himself
- 2005 · Everything's Connected as Narrator
- 2003 · Raining Cats and Frogs as Ferdinand (voice)
- 2003 · Little Lili as acteur qui joue Simon
- 2003 · That Day as Harald
- 2003 · A Man, a Real One as Michel Piccoli
- 2002 · Romy Schneider, étrange étrangère as Self
- 2002 · Il bambino di Betlemme as
- 2001 · I’m Going Home as Gilbert Valence
- 2000 · Everything's Fine, We're Leaving as Louis
- 2000 · Speaking of Buñuel as Self
- 2000 · Actors as Self
- 2000 · Kiarostami in Close up as as Self
- 1999 · Libero Burro as Uncle Tony
- 1999 · París-Tombuctú as Michel des Assantes
- 1999 · The Happiest Place on Earth as Récitant (voice)
- 1999 · Nothing About Robert as Lord Ariel Chatwick-West
- 1998 · Vivement dimanche as Self
- 1997 · Passion in the Desert as Jean-Michel Venture de Paradis
- 1997 · Genealogies of a Crime as Georges Didier
- 1996 · Tykho Moon as Mac Bee / frère Mac Bee
- 1996 · Party as Michel
- 1996 · Traveling Companion as Cosimo
- 1996 · Beaumarchais the Scoundrel as Prince de Conti
- 1995 · The World of Jacques Demy as Self
- 1995 · 2 x 50 Years of French Cinema as Himself
- 1995 · One Hundred and One Nights as Simon Cinéma
- 1995 · Tödliches Geld as Paul Belmont
- 1994 · The Black Angel as Georges Feuvrier
- 1994 · The Emigrant as Adam - Ram's father
- 1994 · Train de nuit as
- 1994 · Berau, sur les traces de Joseph Conrad as Presenter
- 1994 · Bête de scène as
- 1993 · Rupture(s) as Paul
- 1993 · Loonies at Large as Henri Toussaint
- 1993 · The Young Girls Turn 25 as Self (archive footage)
- 1993 · Archipel as Leonard Wilde
- 1992 · The Supper as Chateaubriand (voice)
- 1992 · Le bal des Casse-pieds as Désiré, l'homosexuel
- 1992 · La Belle Noiseuse : Divertimento as Edouard Frenhofer
- 1991 · Against Oblivion as Self
- 1991 · The Children Thief as Mr. Armand
- 1991 · La Belle Noiseuse as Edouard Frenhofer
- 1991 · Walking a Tightrope as Marcel Spadice
- 1991 · The Fate of Baron Leisenbohg as Le baron de Leisenbohg
- 1990 · Martha and I as Ernst
- 1990 · Star Life as Self (archive footage)
- 1990 · May Fools as Milou
- 1989 · The Monkey Folk as
- 1988 · Un coupable as L'avocat
- 1988 · La Ruelle au clair de lune as Pierre Willer
- 1988 · Blanc de Chine as Batz
- 1988 · How Good the Whites Are as Père Jean-Marie
- 1987 · Malady of Love as Raoul Bergeron
- 1987 · The Veiled Man as Kassar
- 1987 · Nulle part ailleurs as Self
- 1987 · La Rumba as Damien Malleville
- 1987 · The Distant Land as Friedrich Hofreiter
- 1986 · The Prude as Pierre
- 1986 · Mauvais Sang as Marc
- 1986 · The Nonentity as der Tölpel
- 1986 · My Brother-in-law Killed My Sister as Étienne Sembadel
- 1985 · Adieu Bonaparte as Caffarelli
- 1985 · Going and Coming Back as Simon Lerner
- 1985 · Death in a French Garden as Graham Tombsthay
- 1985 · La Lune as
- 1984 · Le Matelot 512 as Récitant (voice)
- 1984 · Success Is the Best Revenge as French Official
- 1984 · Long Live Life as Michel Perrin
- 1984 · Dangerous Moves as Akiva Liebskind
- 1983 · The General of the Dead Army as Benetandi
- 1983 · The Prize of Peril as Frédéric Mallaire
- 1982 · Will the High Salaried Workers Raise Their Hands! as José Viss
- 1982 · A Room in Town as Edmond Leroyer
- 1982 · The Eyes, the Mouth as Tío Agostino
- 1982 · Beyond the Door as Mr. Mutti
- 1982 · Godard's Passion as Michel Boulard
- 1982 · The Night of Varennes as King Louis XVI (uncredited)
- 1982 · The Passerby as Max Baumstein
- 1982 · La Cerisaie as Léonid
- 1982 · Scénario du film Passion as Self
- 1982 · Espion, lève-toi as Jean-Paul Chance
- 1982 · Champs-Elysées as Self
- 1981 · Strange Affair as Bertrand Malair
- 1981 · Du crime considéré comme un des beaux-arts. as Morrand
- 1981 · Confused Feelings as Professor
- 1981 · The Prodigal Daughter as Le père
- 1981 · Wetten, dass..? as Self
- 1980 · Docteur Teyran as Jean Teyran
- 1980 · Atlantic City as Joseph
- 1980 · The Price of Survival as René Winterhalter
- 1980 · Leap Into the Void as Mauro Ponticelli
- 1979 · The Bit Between the Teeth as Pierre Chazerand
- 1979 · Le divorcement as Philippe
- 1979 · Atrocious Tales of Love and Death as Victor Navarro
- 1978 · Sugar as Grezillo
- 1978 · Little Girl in Blue Velvet as Conrad Brukner
- 1978 · The Savage State as Orlaville
- 1978 · Strauberg ist da as
- 1978 · Fire's Share as Robert Hansen
- 1977 · The Accuser as Saint-Rame
- 1977 · Spoiled Children as Bernard Rougerie
- 1977 · Rene the Cane as Ispettore Marchand
- 1976 · Mado as Simon Léotard
- 1976 · F as in Fairbanks as Etienne
- 1976 · One Way or Another as Lui
- 1976 · The Last Woman as Michel
- 1976 · Nouvelles d'Henry James as Capitaine Roger
- 1975 · Seven Deaths by Prescription as Dr Losseray
- 1975 · Leonor as Richard
- 1975 · Les Rendez-vous du dimanche as Self
- 1975 · Apostrophes as Self
- 1975 · Midi Première as Self
- 1975 · Weak Spot as L'enquêteur
- 1974 · Vincent, Francois, Paul and the Others as François, médecin
- 1974 · Spécial cinéma as Self
- 1974 · The Phantom of Liberty as Le deuxième préfet de police
- 1974 · Life Size as Michel
- 1974 · The Infernal Trio as Georges Sarret
- 1974 · Don't Touch the White Woman! as Buffalo Bill
- 1974 · Un amour de pluie as Mr. Dellerue (voice)
- 1974 · The Voyage Into the Whirlpool Has Begun as
- 1973 · Far West as
- 1973 · La Grande Bouffe as Michel
- 1973 · Wedding in Blood as Pierre Maury
- 1973 · Themroc as Themroc
- 1973 · The Woman in Blue as Pierre
- 1972 · Cesar and Rosalie as Narrator (voice)
- 1972 · The Assassination as Colonel Kassar
- 1972 · The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie as Le Ministre
- 1972 · Liza as Giorgio's friend
- 1972 · The Audience as Padre Amerin
- 1972 · Midi trente as Self
- 1971 · Ten Days' Wonder as Paul Regis
- 1971 · Touch and Go as Valentin
- 1971 · V.I.P. Schaukel as Self
- 1971 · Max and the Junkmen as Max
- 1971 · Samedi soir as Self
- 1970 · Treffpunkte as Self
- 1970 · Invasion as Marcello
- 1970 · The Things of Life as Pierre Bérard
- 1969 · Topaz as Jacques Granville
- 1969 · The Uninvited as François Desailly
- 1969 · The Milky Way as Marquis de Sade
- 1969 · Dillinger Is Dead as Glauco
- 1968 · Délire à deux as
- 1968 · Woman in Chains as L'invité pressé au vernissage (uncredited)
- 1968 · Heartbeat as Charles
- 1968 · Danger: Diabolik as Inspector Ginko
- 1968 · The Diary of an Innocent Boy as Count Philippe
- 1967 · My Love, My Love as Marrades
- 1967 · Belle de Jour as Henri Husson
- 1967 · Shock Troops as L'homme de trop
- 1967 · The Dinosaur and the Baby as Paul Javal (archive footage)
- 1967 · The Young Girls of Rochefort as Simon Dame
- 1967 · Romy: Anatomy of a Face as Self
- 1966 · Is Paris Burning? as Edgar Pisani
- 1966 · Elsa the Rose as Narrator (voice)
- 1966 · The Creatures as Edgar Piccoli
- 1966 · La Voleuse as Werner Kreuz
- 1966 · The Game Is Over as Alexandre Saccard
- 1966 · The Devil's Tricks as L'antiquaire
- 1966 · The War Is Over as Inspector #1
- 1966 · Le coup de grâce as Capri / Bruno
- 1965 · Lady L as Lecoeur
- 1965 · The Sleeping Car Murder as René Cabourg, l'employé besogneux (Victime #2)
- 1965 · Dom Juan as Dom Juan
- 1965 · Masquerade as Georges Sarrassin
- 1964 · Café tabac as Récitant (voice)
- 1964 · Chance at Love as Philippe Decharme
- 1964 · All About Loving as Raoul
- 1964 · Marie Soleil as Kafka
- 1964 · Paparazzi as Texte dit par (voice)
- 1964 · Bardot et Godard as Himself
- 1964 · Cinéastes de notre temps : Luis Buñuel as Narrator (voice)
- 1964 · Diary of a Chambermaid as Monsieur Monteil
- 1964 · L'Été en hiver as Jean, the reporter
- 1963 · Hello Cubans as Narrator (voice)
- 1963 · Contempt as Paul Javal
- 1963 · The Day and the Hour as Antoine
- 1962 · Le Doulos as Nuttheccio
- 1962 · Climates of Love as François
- 1962 · Le Temps des assassins as Récitant (voice)
- 1962 · Parisienne... Parisiennes as Récitant (voice)
- 1961 · Rendezvous as Paul
- 1961 · Fumée, histoire et fantaisie as
- 1961 · Hauteclaire as Serlon de Savigny
- 1961 · Amazons of Rome as Console Publicola
- 1961 · La Chevelure as L'homme
- 1961 · Quarante fontaines as Récitant (voice)
- 1960 · Le Rendez-vous de Noël as
- 1960 · Danger in the Middle East as Brian Cannon
- 1960 · La dragée haute as
- 1960 · Les joueurs as Chvokhniev
- 1959 · Le Chalet sous la neige as Robert
- 1959 · Beast at Bay as Commissaire Jacques Guimard
- 1959 · La Nuit de Tom Brown as Tom Brown, jeune
- 1958 · Tabarin as Jacques Forestier
- 1958 · Sinners of Paris as L'inspecteur Vardier, de la P.J.
- 1957 · Nathalie as Franck Marchal
- 1957 · Le quadrille des diamants as Richard Burke
- 1957 · Le Plus Heureux des trois as Pianist
- 1957 · Sunday Buddies as Le directeur de l'aéro-club
- 1957 · The Witches of Salem as James Putnam
- 1956 · La France romane as Récitant (voice)
- 1956 · Death in the Garden as Father Lizzardi
- 1955 · The Grand Manoeuvre as Un officier (uncredited)
- 1955 · Bad Liaisons as un inspecteur
- 1955 · Ernst Thälmann – Leader of the Working Class as Maurice Rouger
- 1955 · Croissance de Paris as Récitant (voice)
- 1955 · French Cancan as Le Capitaine Valorgueil
- 1955 · Price of Love as Georges
- 1954 · Tout chante autour de moi as Reverdier
- 1954 · Saint-Tropez, devoirs de vacances as Gérard
- 1954 · Daughters of Destiny as Pasquerel (segment "Jeanne")
- 1952 · Torticola versus Frankensberg as Torticola
- 1951 · Chicago Digest as Slim Spring
- 1951 · Terreur en Oklahoma as Tommy Goudchote
- 1951 · La Leçon d'humour dans un parc as
- 1951 · Without Leaving an Address as Un journaliste aux archives (non crédité)
- 1951 · Without Leaving an Address as Un journaliste aux archives
- 1951 · Deutscher Filmpreis as Self
- 1949 · The Perfume of the Lady in Black as Lebel
- 1949 · The Mark Of The Day as Georges Gohelle
- 1945 · The Bellman as Un villageois