Michel Piccoli

Born: 1925-12-27 in Paris, Ile-de-France, France

Died: 2020-05-12

Known For: Acting

Biography

Michel Jacques Daniel Piccoli was 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.

Filmography

2025

The Life of Mirrors

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)
La TV des 70's : Quand Giscard était président as Self (archive footage)
Romy, A Free Woman as archive footage

2021

Marx Can Wait as Agostino (archive footage) (uncredited)
François Mitterrand & Anne Pingeot: Pieces of a Love Story as Self (archive footage)

2019

Claude Chabrol, the Maverick as Self - Actor (archive footage)

2018

Dios de monoambiente as Self (archive footage)

2009

2008

The Beaches of Agnès as Self (archive footage)
The Dust of Time as Spyros
2 x 50 Years of French Cinema as Self
On War as Le grand Hou

2007

To Each His Own Cinema as Nikita Kruschev (segment "Rencontre unique")
Boxes as Daddy
The Duchess of Langeais as Vidame de Pamiers
Rencontre Unique as Nikita Khrouchtchev
Beneath the Rooftops of Paris as Marcel
Le Roi Lear as Le roi Lear

2006

Belle Toujours as Henri Husson
Magic Mirror as Prof. Heschel
C'est pas tout à fait la vie dont j'avais rêvé ... (Director)
Otar Iosseliani, le merle siffleur as Self
Gardens in Autumn as Marie, la mère de Vincent

2005

Everything's Connected as Narrator

2004

Un divertissement et Michel Piccoli as Self

2003

Raining Cats and Frogs as Ferdinand (voice)
Little Lili as acteur qui joue Simon
A Man, a Real One as Michel Piccoli
That Day as Harald

2002

Romy Schneider, étrange étrangère as Self
Brook by Brook as Self
Il bambino di Betlemme

2001

I’m Going Home as Gilbert Valence
The Black Beach ... (Director)

2000

Actors as Michel Piccoli
Speaking of Buñuel as Self
Everything's Fine, We're Leaving as Louis
Kiarostami in Close up as as Self

1999

París-Tombuctú as Michel des Assantes
The Happiest Place on Earth as Récitant (voice)
Libero Burro as Zio Tony
Nothing About Robert as Lord Ariel Chatwick-West

1998

Vivement dimanche as Self
Les paradoxes de Buñuel as Self

1997

Genealogies of a Crime as Georges Didier
Alors voilà, ... (Director)
Passion in the Desert as Jean-Michel Venture de Paradis

1996

Party as Michel
Ousmane Sow as Narrateur
Tykho Moon as Mac Bee / frère Mac Bee
Beaumarchais the Scoundrel as Prince de Conti
Traveling Companion as Cosimo

1995

One Hundred and One Nights as Simon Cinéma
The World of Jacques Demy as Self
Tödliches Geld as Paul Belmont

1994

The Black Angel as Georges Feuvrier
The Emigrant as Adam - Ram's father
Bête de scène
Berau, sur les traces de Joseph Conrad as Presenter
Train de nuit

1993

Loonies at Large as Henri Toussaint
The Young Girls Turn 25 as Self (archive footage)
Rupture(s) as Paul
Archipel as Leonard Wilde

1992

Le Bal des casse-pieds as Désiré, l'homosexuel
From Time to Time as Jules Verne
La Belle Noiseuse: Divertimento as Edouard Frenhofer
The Supper as Chateaubriand (voice)

1991

La Belle Noiseuse as Edouard Frenhofer
The Children Thief as Mr. Armand
Lest We Forget as Self (segment "Pour Nasrin Rasooli, Iran")
The Fate of Baron Leisenbohg as Le baron de Leisenbohg
Walking a Tightrope as Marcel Spadice

1990

May Fools as Milou
Martha and I as Ernst

1989

Les Grandes Familles as Noël Schoudler
The Monkey Folk

1988

How Good the Whites Are as Père Jean-Marie
La Ruelle au clair de lune as Pierre Willer
Un coupable as L'avocat
Blanc de Chine as Batz

1987

Nulle part ailleurs as Self
Malady of Love as Raoul Bergeron
The Veiled Man as Kassar
La Rumba as Damien Malleville
The Distant Land as Friedrich Hofreiter

1986

Mauvais Sang as Marc
My Brother-in-law Killed My Sister as Étienne Sembadel
The Nonentity as der Tölpel
The Prude as Pierre

1985

Going and Coming Back as Simon Lerner
Death in a French Garden as Graham Tombsthay
Adieu Bonaparte as Caffarelli - كافاريللي
La Lune

1984

Success Is the Best Revenge as French Official
Dangerous Moves as Akiva Liebskind
Long Live Life as Michel Perrin
Le Matelot 512 as Narrator (voice)

1983

The Prize of Peril as Frédéric Mallaire
The General of the Dead Army as Benetandi

1982

Champs-Elysées as Self
That Night of Varennes as King Louis XVI (uncredited)
The Passerby as Max Baumstein
Spy, Stand Up as Jean-Paul Chance
A Room in Town as Edmond Leroyer
Will the High Salaried Workers Raise Their Hands! as José Viss
Beyond the Door as Mr. Mutti
Godard's Passion as Michel Boulard
The Eyes, the Mouth as Tío Agostino
Scénario du film Passion as Self
La Cerisaie as Léonid

1981

Wetten, dass..? as Self
The Prodigal Daughter as Le père
Strange Affair as Bertrand Malair
Confused Feelings as Professor
Du crime considéré comme un des beaux-arts. as Morrand

1980

Atlantic City as Joseph
Docteur Teyran as Jean Teyran
A Leap in the Dark as Mauro Ponticelli
The Price of Survival as René Winterhalter

1979

The Bit Between the Teeth as Pierre Chazerand
Atrocious Tales of Love and Death as Victor Navarro
Le Divorcement as Philippe

1978

Ciné regards as Self
Chili Impressions as Self - Le lecteur des écrits d'A. Pinochet (voice)
Little Girl in Blue Velvet as Conrad Brukner
Fire's Share as Robert Hansen
The Savage State as Orlaville
Sugar as Grezillo
Strauberg ist da as Strauberg

1977

That Obscure Object of Desire as Mathieu Faber (voice) (uncredited)
Rene the Cane as Ispettore Marchand
Spoiled Children as Bernard Rougerie
The Accuser as Saint-Ramé

1976

Henry James Stories as Captain Roger
The Last Woman as Michel
One Way or Another as Him
Mado as Simon Léotard
F as in Fairbanks as Etienne

1975

Midi Première as Self
Apostrophes as Self
Les Rendez-vous du dimanche as Self
Seven Deaths by Prescription as Dr Losseray
Weak Spot as L'enquêteur
Leonor as Richard

1974

Spécial cinéma as Self
The Phantom of Liberty as Police Prefect #2
Vincent, Francois, Paul and the Others as François, médecin
Don't Touch the White Woman! as Buffalo Bill
Loving in the Rain as Mr. Dellerue (voice)
The Infernal Trio as Georges Sarret
The Voyage Into the Whirlpool Has Begun
Life Size as Michel

1973

La Grande Bouffe as Michel
Themroc as Themroc
The Woman in Blue as Pierre
Wedding in Blood as Pierre Maury
Far West as Indian chief

1972

Midi trente as Self
The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie as Interior Minister
Cesar and Rosalie as Narrator (voice)
The Assassination as Colonel Kassar
Liza as Giorgio's friend
The Audience as Padre Amerin

1971

Samedi soir as Self
V.I.P. Schaukel as Self
Max and the Junkmen as Max, inspector
Touch and Go as Valentin
Ten Days' Wonder as Paul Regis

1970

Treffpunkte as Self
The Things of Life as Pierre Bérard
Invasion as Marcello

1969

Topaz as Jacques Granville
The Milky Way as Marquis de Sade
Dillinger Is Dead as Glauco
The Uninvited as François Desailly

1968

Danger: Diabolik as Inspector Ginko
Woman in Chains as L'invité pressé au vernissage (uncredited)
The Diary of an Innocent Boy as Count Philippe
Heartbeat as Charles
Délire à deux as Him

1967

Belle de Jour as Henri Husson
The Young Girls of Rochefort as Simon Dame
Shock Troops as L'homme de trop
The Dinosaur and the Baby as Paul Javal (archive footage)
My Love, My Love as Marrades
Romy: Anatomy of a Face as Self

1966

Is Paris Burning? as Edgar Pisani
The War Is Over as Inspector #1
The Creatures as Edgar Piccoli
La Voleuse as Werner Kreuz
Le Coup de grâce as Capri / Bruno
The Devil's Tricks as L'antiquaire
The Game Is Over as Alexandre Saccard
Elsa the Rose as Narrator (voice)

1965

Dom Juan as Dom Juan
The Sleeping Car Murders as René Cabourg, l'employé besogneux (Victime #2)
Masquerade as Georges Sarrassin
Lady L as Lecoeur

1964

Diary of a Chambermaid as Monsieur Monteil
Bardot et Godard as Self
Paparazzi as Texte dit par (voice)
Chance at Love as Philippe Decharme (segment "Lucky la chance")
All About Loving as Raoul
L'Été en hiver as Jean, the Reporter
Luis Buñuel : Un cinéaste de notre temps as Narrator (voice)
Marie Soleil as Kafka
Café tabac as Récitant (voice)

1963

Contempt as Paul Javal
The Day and the Hour as Antoine
Hello Cubans as Narrator (voice)

1962

Adieu Philippine as Izquierdo dans l'émission de télévision 'Montserrat' (uncredited)
Le Doulos as Nuttheccio
Climates of Love as François
Parisienne... Parisiennes as Récitant (voice)
Le Temps des assassins as Récitant (voice)

1961

Amazons of Rome as Console Publicola
Hauteclaire as Serlon de Savigny
La Chevelure as L'homme
Rendezvous as Paul
Quarante fontaines as Récitant (voice)
Fumée, histoire et fantaisie

1960

Danger in the Middle East as Brian Cannon
La dragée haute as Hugo Barsac
Le Rendez-vous de Noël
Les Joueurs as Chvokhniev

1959

Beast at Bay as Commissioner Jacques Guimard
La Nuit de Tom Brown as Tom Brown, jeune
Le Chalet sous la neige as Robert

1958

Sinners of Paris as L'inspecteur Vardier, de la P.J.
Tabarin as Jacques Forestier

1957

The Witches of Salem as James Putnam
Nathalie as Franck Marchal
Sunday Buddies as Le directeur de l'aéro-club
Le Quadrille des diamants as Richard Burke
Le Plus Heureux des trois as Pianist

1956

Death in the Garden as Father Lizzardi
La France romane as Récitant (voice)

1955

The Grand Manoeuvre as Officer (uncredited)
French Cancan as Le Capitaine Valorgueil
Bad Liaisons as un inspecteur
Ernst Thälmann – Leader of the Working Class as Maurice Rouger
Price of Love as Georges
Croissance de Paris as Récitant (voice)

1954

Saint-Tropez, devoirs de vacances as Gérard
Tout chante autour de moi as Reverdier
Daughters of Destiny as Pasquerel (segment "Jeanne")

1953

Horizons... as un ouvrier

1952

Torticola versus Frankensberg as Torticola

1951

German Film Award as Self
Without Leaving an Address as Un journaliste aux archives (uncredited)
Chicago Digest as Slim Spring
La Leçon d'humour dans un parc
Terreur en Oklahoma as Tommy Goudchote

1949

The Mark of the Day as Georges Gohelle
The Perfume of the Lady in Black as Lebel

1945

The Bellman as Un villageois