Christian Clavier
Born: 1952-05-06 in Paris, France
Known For: Acting
Biography
Christian Clavier is a French actor, screenwriter, film producer and film director. He is the brother of French film director Stéphane Clavier. After his high class studies at the Neuilly Lycée Pasteur—though asserted here and there, he never studied at Institut d'Études Politiques de Paris (Sciences Po) —he started his actor career with the comedic theater troupe Splendid, which had hits with films like Les Bronzés font du ski and Le Père Noël est une ordure. His most notable success without the Splendid group, and by far his biggest hit to date, was in the 1993 film les Visiteurs, where he played a character known as Jacquouille la fripouille; the character's cry of "Okkkayyy!!" became a popular exclamation after the movie's success. After les Visiteurs he was a certified star, participating in big-budget films like Astérix et Obélix contre César, Astérix & Obélix: Mission Cléopâtre, and the sequel and remake of Visiteurs. He also played several dramatic roles on television, including M. Thénardier in Les Misérables (2000 television version) and Napoléon in a biographical television film. Clavier has played in notable duos with: Jean Reno in les Visiteurs (the Visitors) and the US remake, Just Visiting, L'Opération Corned-Beef and L'Enquête corse (The Corsican investigation). Gérard Depardieu in Astérix et Obélix (Asterix and Obelix) and Les anges gardiens. He also runs a production company, Ouille Production. He was made Chevalier (Knight) of the Ordre national du Mérite on 13 June 1998, and promoted Officier (Officer) in 2005. He was made Chevalier (Knight) of the Légion d'honneur in 2008. He is a friend of former French président Nicolas Sarkozy, and recently emigrated to England as a result of Francois Hollande's punitive tax policy, mirrored in his Astérix co-star Gérard Depardieu's self-imposed exile to Belgium.
Filmography
2026
- Asterix: The Kingdom of Nubia as Astérix (voice)
- Kaamelott: The Second Chapter (Part II) as Le Jurisconsulte
- Cocorico 2 as Frédéric Bouvier Sauvage
2025
- The Rookie Guide as Karol Kowalski
- Kaamelott: The Second Chapter (Part I) as Le Jurisconsulte
- Million Dollar Madness as Hippolyte
2024
- Not Without My Shrink as Olivier Béranger
- Cocorico as Frédéric Bouvier-Sauvage
- Loris Giuliano en balade as Self - Guest
2023
- Faut Voir - L'hebdo cinéma as Self - Guest
- Les Vengeances de Maître Poutifard as Robert Poutifard
- L'Âge d'or de la pub as Self (archive footage)
2022
- Employee of the Month as Michel Gougnat, syndicaliste
- Il était une fois Champs-Élysées as Self (archive footage)
2021
- Serial (Bad) Weddings 3 as Claude Verneuil
- Christmas with the Tuches as Le Père Noël
- Kaamelott: The First Chapter as Le Jurisconsulte
- Do You Do You Saint-Tropez as Jean Boulin
- Qu'est-ce qu'ils ont fait au bon Dieu ? as Self
- Samedi Sébastien as Self - Guest
- Papy fait de la résistance ... (Theatre Play)
2019
- Ibiza as Philippe
- Serial (Bad) Weddings 2 as Claude Verneuil
- Meet the Malawas as Julien Gosset-Grainville
- Wide Load as Foster
2018
- Asterix: The Secret of the Magic Potion as Astérix (voice)
- Spirou & Fantasio's Big Adventures as Comte de Champignac
2017
- With Open Arms as Jean-Etienne Fougerole
- Finding Momo as Alain Prioux
- A Bag of Marbles as Docteur Rosen
- If I Were a Boy as Docteur PACE
2016
- The Visitors: Bastille Day as Jacquouille la Fripouille/Antoine-Claude Jacquouillet/Edmond Jacquart
2015
- Babysitting 2 as Alain
2014
- Serial (Bad) Weddings as Claude Verneuil
- The Secret of Arkandias as Agenor Arkandias
- Do Not Disturb as Michel Leproux
- Des Bronzés au Père Noël, la folle histoire du Splendid as Self / Various characters
2013
- Le Bœuf clandestin as monsieur Berthaud
- Serial Teachers as Cutiro / Tirocu
- Les affaires sont les affaires as Le marquis de Porcellet
2011
- You Don't Choose Your Family as César
- La Cage aux folles as Georges
- Il était une fois... « Le père Noël est une ordure » as Self
2009
- C à vous as Self - Guest
- Bitter Victory as Vincent Cluzel
- Le Bourgeois gentilhomme as Monsieur Jourdain
2008
- The Imaginary Invalid as Argan
2007
- The Red Inn as Pierre Martin
- The Price to Pay as Jean-Pierre Ménard
2006
- French Fried Vacations 3: Friends Forever as Jérôme Tarayre
- L'Entente cordiale as François de La Conche
- Kronprinz Rudolf as Graf Taaffe
2005
- The Antidote as Jacques-Alain Marty « JAM »
- Empire of the Wolves ... (Screenplay)
- Les Visiteurs revisités as Self
2004
- The Corsican File as Rémi François, aka Jack Palmer
- Albert est méchant as Patrick Lechat
2003
- Lovely Rita as Edgar Lamarck
2002
- Asterix & Obelix: Mission Cleopatra as Astérix
- Napoleon as Napoléon Bonaparte
- A Day in the Life of French Cinema as Self
- Le Cœur sur la main ... (Producer)
- How we made Asterix & Obelix: Mission Cleopatra as Self - Actor
2001
- Just Visiting as Andre
2000
- Les Misérables as Thénardier
1999
- Asterix and Obelix vs. Caesar as Astérix
1998
- Vivement dimanche as Self
- The Visitors II: The Corridors of Time as Jacquouille la Fripouille / Jacques-Henri Jacquard / Prosper le Purineur / Jacouillet
1997
- Les Sœurs Soleil as Un spectateur
1996
- Panique au Plazza as Jean-Louis Bonnot, Mr. Coïk's secretary
1995
- Guardian Angels as Père Hervé Tarain / La « mauvaise conscience »
1994
- Dead Tired as Christian Clavier
- Revenge of a Blonde as Gérard Bréha
1993
- The Visitors as Jacquouille la Fripouille / Jacques-Henri Jacquard
- The Thirst for Gold as Urbain Donnadieu
1991
- L'Opération Corned Beef as Jean-Jacques Granianski, le pigeon manipulé
- The Professional Secrets of Dr. Apfelgluck as L'avocat
- Les gens ne sont pas forcément ignobles as Pierre
1990
- Stars 90 as Self
- Les Nuls, l'émission as Self
1989
- My Best Pals as Jean-Michel Tuilier
- Les cigognes n'en font qu'à leur tête as le petit chef de la DDASS
- Un fil à la patte as Fernand de Bois d'Enghien
- Mieux vaut courir as Simon
- Double mixte as Bob Smith
- Fantôme sur l'oreiller as Brice Michaud
1988
- Palace as Chef Briffaud
1987
- Sacrée Soirée as Self
- Nulle part ailleurs as Self
- The Debauched Life of Gerard Floque as Edouard
1986
- Twist Again in Moscow as Iouri
- L'été 36 as Alexis
1985
- Slices of Life as L'ami du dragueur / Charles-Henri / L'amant anti-chien
- Santa Claus Is a Stinker as Jean-Jacques aka 'Katia'
1983
- Gramps Is in the Resistance as Michel Taupin
- Rock and Torah as Isaac Stern
1982
- Champs-Elysées as Self
- Santa Claus Is a Stinker as Jean-Jacques dit « Katia »
- Elle voit des nains partout ! as le fourbe
- Merci Bernard as Professor Kottich
1981
- Clara and Chics Types as Charles
- Quand tu seras débloqué... fais-moi signe ! as Antoine Bonfils
1980
- Cocktail Molotov as Le Beatnick
- Rat Race as Jérôme Osendron
1979
- French Fried Vacation 2 as Jérôme Tarayre, general practitioner
- Heroes Are Not Wet Behind the Ears as Man in the couple with the 2CV
1978
- French Fried Vacation as Jérôme Tarayre, bad general practitioner
- Like a Turtle on Its Back as un fêtard dans la voiture
- Rire et sourire : Le Splendid as Jean-Jacques Dangle, le présentateur
1977
- You Won't Have Alsace-Lorraine as Le conteur (voice)
- Tell Her That I Love Her as François
- Spoiled Children as Le journaliste télé
- The Devil in the Box as Renaud
1976
- Let's Make a Dirty Movie as Un flic
- F as in Fairbanks as Le serveur
- The Bottom Line as Café-theater actor (uncredited)
1975
- Les Rendez-vous du dimanche as Self
- Numéro un as Self
- Let Joy Reign Supreme as The servant of the inn
- The Restroom Robbery as L'agent de sécurité homosexuel (uncredited)
- Un bol d'air as Christian
1974
- The Suspects as Photographer
- Bonne présentation exigée as Le chauffagiste
1973
- The Year 01 as A debate viewer