JUGNOT, GERARD

(1951- )

Actor, director, screenwriter, and producer. In secondary school Gérard Jugnot befriended Michel Blanc,Christian Clavier, andThierry Lhermitte, with whom he would establish the Troupe du Splendid. He debuted in cinema in Jacques Doillon,Alain Resnais, andJean Rouche'sL'An 01(1973) along-side splendid colleagues Clavier, Lhermitte, andJosiane Balasko. He played a minor role inBertrand Blier'sLes Valseuses(1974), followed by a leading role alongside Balasko in Francis Fehr'sPauline et l'ordinateur(1978).His popularity as a comic actor surged withPatrice Leconte'sLes Bronzés(1978), an adaptation of a play cowritten by the Splendid Group. He subsequently costarred withDaniel Auteuilin Charles Nemes'sLes Héros n'ont pas froid aux oreilles(1979).

Jugnot's talent for comedy was further demonstrated in Leconte's sequel,Les Bronzés font du ski(1979),Edouard Molinaro'sPour cent briques t'as plus rien(1982), where he paired again with Auteuil, and Jean-Marie Poiré'sLe Père Noël est une ordure(1982), another film written by the Splendid group, and Poiré'sPapy fait de la résistance(1983). He directed and played the lead in his first film, the comedyPinot,simple flic, which was released in 1984. He also directed and starred inScout toujours(1985),Sans peur et sans reproche(1988), andUne époque formidable(1991), for which he was nominated for aCésarfor Best Actor,Casque bleu(1994),Fallait pas! (1996),Meilleur Espoir féminin(2000), andMonsieur Batignole(2002).

Although he is well known for his work in comedy, he is an eclectic actor. He was nominated for Césars for Best Actor in Leconte's comedyTandemin 1988, for Best Supporting Actor in Jean-Loup Hubert's war dramaMarthein 1998, and for Best Actor in Christophe Barratier' dramaLes Choristesin 2005. Jugnot directed a remake ofJean Renoir's 1932 classicBoudu sauvé des eaux, which originally starredMichel Simon, Charles Granval, and Marcelle Hainia. Jugnot's film, titledBoudu, was released in 2005 and starsGérard Depardieu, Jugnot, and Catherine Frot. Jugnot also appears in Yves Lavandier'sOui mais. . . (2001), Hubert'sTrois petites filles(2004), Eric Civanyan'sIl ne faut jurer.. .de rien! (2005), and Leconte'sLes Bronzé 3:Amis pour la vie(2006).