CASSEL, JEANPIERRE

(1932- )

Actor. Jean-Pierre Cassel was born Jean-Pierre Crochon in Paris, the son of a doctor and an opera singer. His first appearance in film was in Maurice Labro and Giorgio Simonelli'sSaluti e baci(1953). He then played small parts in Anatole Litvak's French- and English-languageUn acte d'amour(1953) and Gene Kelly'sThe Happy Road(1958). He later landed a leading role in Claude Boissol'sLa Peau de l'ours(1957).

It was Cassel's work withPhilippe de Brocathat really launched his career. He appeared in such films asLes jeux de l'amour(1960),Le Farceur(1960),L'Amant de cinq jours(1961), andUn Monsieur de compagnie(1965). In the 1960s, Cassel also played the title role in Norbert Carbonneaux'sCandide,ou l'optimisme au XXe siècle(1960). He starred inJean Renoir'sLe Caporal épingle(1962),Abel Gance'sCyrano et d'Artagnan(1963),René Clair'sLes Fêtes galantes(1965), Alain Jessua'sJeu de massacre(1967), andMichel Deville'sL'ours et la poupée(1969).

In the 1970s, Cassel continued to work with celebrated directors from Europe and the United States. He starred inClaude Chabrol'sLa Rupture(1970), Harry Kumel'sMalpertuis(1971), Deville'sLe Mouton enragé(1974), and Jean-Louis Bertucelli'sDocteur Françoise Gailland(1975). He also appeared in Luis Bunuel'sLe Charme discret de la bourgeoisie(1972), Richard Lester'sThe Three Musketeers(1973) andThe Four Musketeers(1974), Sidney Lumet'sMurder on the Orient Express(1974), Christopher Miles'sThat Lucky Touch(1975), and Chantai Akerman'sLes Rendez-vous d'Anna(1978).

In the early 1980s, Cassel maintained an international presence while landing significant roles in French films.He starred inPierre Kast'sLe Soleil en face(1980), Moshé Mizrahi'sLa Vie continue(1981), Emidio Greco'sEhrengard(1982), Kast'sLa Guérilléra(1982), and Joseph Losey'sLa Truite(1982). He appeared in Lester'sSuperman II(1980) and Nino Manfredi'sNudo di donna(1981). He also acted in several television productions.

In the 1990s, Cassel acted in a variety of international films. He played starring roles in Marion Hansel'sSur la terre comme au ciel(1992) and Jean Marboeuf'sPétain(1993). He also appeared in Philippe Setbon'sMister Frost(1990), Ian Toynton'sThe Maid(1991), Ben Lewin'sThe Favour,the Watch,and the Very Big Fish(1991), Antonio de Macedo'sChâForte com Limâo(1993), Luis Filipe Rocha'sAmor e Dedinhos de Pé(1993), Chabrol'sL'Enfer(1994),Gérard Jugnot'sCasque blue(1994), and Juan Manuel Chumilla'sAmores que matan(1996). Cassel played in two Robert Altman films,Vincent and Theo(1990) andPret à porter(1994). In 1993 he appeared with his son,Vincent Cassel, inMathieu Kassovitz'sMétisse, and in 1996, he was nominated for aCésarfor Best Supporting Actor for his role in Chabrol'sLa Cérémonie(1996).

In the twenty-first century, Cassel still impresses his cinema and television audiences while working on decidedly more international projects. He has played supporting roles inBenoît Jacquot'sSade(2000), Kassovitz'sLes Rivières pourpres(2000), South African director Ntshaveni Wa Luruli'sThe Wooden Camera(2003), Louis-Pascal Couvelaire'sMichel Vaillant(2003), Tristan Aurouet and Gilles Lellouche'sNarco(2004), Denis Thybaud'sDans tes rêves(2005), Mabrouk El Mechri'sVirgil(2005), and Stefan Liberski'sBunker Paradise(2005).