PICCOLI, MICHEL

(1925- )

Actor, director, producer, and screen-writer. Michel Piccoli was born Jacques Daniel Michel Piccoli in Paris. His mother was a pianist and his father a violinist. He studied drama under Andrée Bauer-Thérond and René Simon and later worked simultaneously as a stage and film actor. He debuted in cinema with a small role inChristian-Jacque's 1945 filmSortilèges, followed by a more substantial part inLouis Daquin's 1949Le point du jour. Damien cast Piccoli in another film that same year, titledLe parfum de la dame en noir. In the early 1950s, Piccoli appeared in three short films by director Paul Paviot and acted a second time for Christian-Jacque in a segment of the filmDestinées(1954). Piccoli played minor roles in a number of films by major French directors in the mid-1950s, includingJean Renoir'sFrench Cancan(1955),René Clair'sLes Grands Maneouvres(1955),Alexandre Astruc'sLes Mauvaises rencontres(1955),Jean Delannoy'sMarie-Antoinette Reine de France(1955), andRaymond Rouleau'sLes Sorcières de Salem(1956). He played a supporting role in Christian-Jacque's 1957Nathalieand acted for the first time for Louis Bunuel inLa mort en ce jardin(1956).

Piccoli's major performances began in the 1960s with his starring role besideBrigitte BardotinJean-Luc Godard'sLe Mépris(1963). He provided a voiceover for theNouvelle Vagueor New Wave forerunner,Agnès Varda, in herSalut les cubains(1963), and he later delivered leading roles in Varda'sLes Créatures(1966),Roger Vadim'sLa Curée(1966), and Bunuel'sBelle de jour(1967).In 1965, he played the title role in Marcel Bluwal's popular television film,Dom Juan ou le festin de Pierre, a role that increased his popular appeal. In the same decade, Piccoli had supporting roles inConstantin Costa-Gavras'sCompartiment tueurs(1965) andUn homme de trop(1967),Alain Resnais'sLe guerre est finie(1966), Bunuel'sLe journal d'une femme de chambre(1964) andLa Voie lactée(1969),Jacques Demy'sLes Demoiselles de Rochefort(1967), and Alfred Hitchcock'sTopaz(1969). He also starred oppositeCatherine Deneuvein Alain Cavalier'sLa Chamade(1968). He started acting for Italian director Marco Ferreri inDillinger è morto(1969). His fame would later soar with his performance in Ferreri's provocative and challengingLa grande bouffe(1973).

In 1970, Piccoli began another fruitful collaboration with directorClaude SautetinLes choses de la vie(1970), where he costarred withRomy Schneider. In addition, he played significant parts inClaude Chabrol'sLa Décade prodigieuse(1971), Yves Boisset'sL'Attentat(1972),Michel Deville'sLa Femme en bleu(1973), Claude Faraldo'sThemroc(1973), Chabrol'sLes noces rouges(1973), Sautet'sVincent,François,Paul,et les autres(1974), Jacques Ruffio'sSept morts sur ordonnance(1975), Sautet'sMado (1976),Bertrand Tavernier'sDes enfants gatés(1977), and Francis Girod'sL'État sauvage(1978). Piccoli began producing in the 1970s. His films as producer includeThemrocandL'État sauvage. In the same decade, Piccoli published a memoir titledDialogues égoïstes(1976).

In 1980, Piccoli won his first major award for Best Actor at theCannes Film Festival. The award was for his work in Marco Belloccio'sSalto nel vuoto. Also in 1980, Piccoli acted inLouis Malle's American feature,Atlantic City. In 1982, he won a Silver Berlin Bear for his interpretation in Pierre Granier-Deferre'sUne étrange affaire. Piccoli also gave memorable performances in Godard'sPassion(1982) and Demy'sUne chambre en ville(1982). Later in the decade, he played starring roles inClaude Lelouch'sViva la vie! (1984),Leos Carax'sMauvais sang(1986), and Malle'sMilou en mai(1989).

Piccoli also tried his hand at directing, making his debut with a segment for the filmContre l'oubli(1991). He followed with the shortTrain de nuit(1994) and his first feature filmAlors voilà(1997). Also in the 1990s, Piccoli starred inJacques Rivette'sLa Belle Noiseuse(1991). He costarred with Deneuve again in both Raoul Ruiz'sGénéalogies d'un crime(1997) and Manoel de Oliveira'sJe rentre à la maison(2001). Piccoli directed and scriptedLa plage noire(2001), starring Dominique Blanc, andC'est pas tout à fait la vie dont j'avais rêvé(2004). Piccoli is one of France's most inventive and prolific entertainers. His energetic film career includes performances in more than two hundred television and cinema films.