Michel Piccoli
Acting
🎂 1925-12-27
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.
Cast credits(264)
Self
1982
Self
1981
Self
1998
Self
1975
Self
1974
Self
1975
Self
1951
Self
1975
Self
1971
Self
1972
Self
2011
Self
1987
Self (archive footage)
2022
Jean Teyran
1980
Capitaine Roger
1976
Self
1971
Henri Husson
1967
Simon Dame
1967
Self
1970
Paul Javal
1963
Edgar Pisani
1966
Interior Minister
1972
Edouard Frenhofer
1991
Melville
2011
Jacques Granville
1969
Man with the Wine Stain
2012
Michel
1973
acteur qui joue Simon
2003
Narrator (voice)
1972
Nikita Kruschev (segment "Rencontre unique")
2007
The Second Police Prefect
1974
(archive footage)
2024
Inspector Ginko
1968
Monsieur Monteil
1964
Giorgio's friend
1972
Nuttheccio
1962
Simon Cinéma
1995
Marquis de Sade
1969
Maurice Rouger
1955
L'enquĂŞteur
1975
Le Capitaine Valorgueil
1955
Pierre BĂ©rard
1970
Marc
1986
Prince de Conti
1996
Max, inspector
1971
Joseph
1980
Adam - Ram's father
1994
King Louis XVI (uncredited)
1982
Izquierdo dans l'émission de télévision 'Montserrat' (uncredited)
1962
Paul Regis
1971
Self
1991
Glauco
1969
Graham Tombsthay
1985
Father Lizzardi
1956
Officer (uncredited)
1955
Self (archive footage)
2008
Mr. Armand
1991
Count Philippe
1968
LeĂłpold Scheitzer
2012
José Viss
1982
Robert Hansen
1978
Ferdinand (voice)
2003
Spyros
2008
Richard
1975
Le père
1981
Michel Piccoli
2000
Bernard Rougerie
1977
Milou
1990
L'invité pressé au vernissage (uncredited)
1968
Caffarelli
1985
Jean-Paul Chance
1982
Max Baumstein
1982
François, médecin
1974
Michel
1974
Console Publicola
1961
Inspector #1
1966
Simon LĂ©otard
1976
Grezillo
1978
Lecoeur
1965
Franck Marchal
1957
Georges Feuvrier
1994
Un villageois
1945
Themroc
1973
Damien Malleville
1987
Daddy
2007
Self (archive footage)
2022
Victor Navarro
1979
Henri Toussaint
1993
Frédéric Mallaire
1983
Mauro Ponticelli
1980
Antoine
1963
Paul
1961
Zio Tony
1999
Michel Perrin
1984
René Cabourg, l'employé besogneux (Victime #2)
1965
Colonel Kassar
1972
Narrator
2015
der Tölpel
1986
Buffalo Bill
1974
Gilbert Valence
2001
Conrad Brukner
1978
Georges Sarret
1974
Michel
1976
Marcello
1970
Jean-Michel Venture de Paradis
1997
Chateaubriand (voice)
1992
Self (archive footage)
2023
Désiré, l'homosexuel
1992
Edmond Leroyer
1982
Le père
2012
James Putnam
1957
Raoul Bergeron
1987
François Desailly
1969
Narrator (voice)
1963
Bertrand Malair
1981
Jacques Forestier
1958
Akiva Liebskind
1984
Mr. Mutti
1982
Michel Boulard
1982
GĂ©rard
1954
Simon Lerner
1985
Mr. Dellerue (voice)
1974
TĂo Agostino
1982
Lui
1976
Agostino (archive footage) (uncredited)
2021
Padre Amerin
1972
Self (archive footage)
2021
L'homme de trop
1967
Le directeur de l'aéro-club
1957
Lord Ariel Chatwick-West
1999
1960
Saint-Ramé
1977
Benetandi
1983
un inspecteur
1955
French Official
1984
Self
2000
Mac Bee / frère Mac Bee
1996
Michel
1996
Slim Spring
1951
Self - Actor (archive footage)
2019
Père Jean-Marie
1988
Maurice Reverdy
2009
Charles
1968
Paul
1993
Orlaville
1978
Alexandre Saccard
1966
Pierre
1986
Lebel
1949
Georges Didier
1997
Pasquerel (segment "Jeanne")
1954
Philippe Decharme (segment "Lucky la chance")
1964
Ispettore Marchand
1977
Étienne Sembadel
1986
Werner Kreuz
1966
Pierre Maury
1973
Etienne
1976
Georges Sarrassin
1965
Self (archive footage)
1993
Kafka
1964
Le grand Hou
2008
Texte dit par (voice)
1964
Vidame de Pamiers
2007
Prof. Heschel
2006
Pierre Chazerand
1979
Professor
1981
Kassar
1987
Self
1995
Louis
2000
Michel
2014
Leonard Wilde
1993
Henri Husson
2006
Dom Juan
1965
Self - Actor (archive footage)
2017
Self
2011
Dr Losseray
1975
Friedrich Hofreiter
1987
Georges
1955
Marcel Spadice
1991
Georges Gohelle
1949
Narrator (voice)
1964
Le baron de Leisenbohg
1991
Torticola
1952
LĂ©onid
1982
Marrades
1967
Narrator (voice)
1984
L'inspecteur Vardier, de la P.J.
1958
Self (archive footage)
2017
as Self
2000
Raoul
1964
Edgar Piccoli
1966
Capri / Bruno
1966
Self
1982
Harald
2003
Self
2010
1994
Batz
1988
Un journaliste aux archives (uncredited)
1951
Un journaliste aux archives
1951
Chvokhniev
1960
Philippe
1979
Michel des Assantes
1999
Edouard Frenhofer
1992
François
1962
Tom Brown, jeune
1959
1960
Paul Belmont
1995
Himself
1995
Cosimo
1996
Valentin
1971
Ernst
1990
RĂ©citant (voice)
1999
Paul Javal (archive footage)
1967
Commissioner Jacques Guimard
1959
(archive footage)
2017
L'avocat
1988
Self
1964
Himself
2006
Marie, la mère de Vincent
2006
Serlon de Savigny
1961
1974
Presenter
1994
1961
Indian chief
1973
Reverdier
1954
1994
Brian Cannon
1960
Self
2004
Pierre
1973
René Winterhalter
1980
Michel Piccoli
2003
1968
Self
2009
L'homme
1961
Self
2011
1985
Pierre Willer
1988
L'antiquaire
1966
Narrator (voice)
1966
1989
RĂ©citant (voice)
1961
Le roi Lear
2007
Self
2002
Self
1967
RĂ©citant (voice)
1964
Robert
1959
Jean, the reporter
1964
Richard Burke
1957
2002
Self (archive footage)
2018
Marcel
2007
Self (archive footage)
2017
Tommy Goudchote
1951
Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev
2007
Footage from La Belle Noiseuse
2025
Pianist
1957
un ouvrier
1953
Narrator
2005
1951
RĂ©citant (voice)
1956
Strauberg
1978
Morrand
1981
RĂ©citant (voice)
1962
RĂ©citant (voice)
1962
RĂ©citant (voice)
1955
