# François Cluzet

François Cluzet (French pronunciation:; born 21 September 1955) is a French film and theatre actor. Cluzet has collaborated with many important European and American directors, including Claude Chabrol, Bertrand Tavernier, Claire Denis, Agnieszka Holland, Robert Altman and Olivier Assayas. In 2007, he won a French César Award after starring as a doctor suspected of double homicide in the thriller Tell No One (original title Ne le dis à personne). Cluzet is best known for his role as Philippe in the film The Intouchables (2011).

## Career

Cluzet grew up in Paris, and made his stage debut in 1976. Three years later, he made his premiere appearance on the big screen in Cocktail Molotov with Diane Kurys. A year later, Cluzet appeared in acclaimed family drama Cheval d'orgueil directed by Claude Chabrol. The two reunited in 1982 for Les Fantômes du chapelier. In 1983, Cluzet acted in L'Été meurtrier with Jean Becker. He was nominated for a César Award for best supporting role of the year, in the same year he made a list for best new male for film Vive la sociale.
Cluzet next collaborated with a number of major name French directors, all of whom had a predilection towards dramatic works: reuniting with Kurys in 1983 for Coup de foudre, reuniting with Bertrand Tavernier (to co-star in jazz film Round Midnight in 1985), Tony Gatlif (Rue du départ, 1985), Claire Denis (Chocolat, 1987), Pierre Jolivet (Force majeure, 1988, and one new César nomination for best second male role), Bertrand Blier (Trop belle pour toi, 1989) and again Robert Enrico (La Révolution française). Next, the actor worked with Claude Chabrol to play a husband tortured by jealousy in L'Enfer (1994) after having filmed with Chabrol in 1988 for Une affaire de femmes.
In 1994, Cluzet tried international cinema, acting in ensemble movie Prêt-à-Porter for director Robert Altman and romance French Kiss with Lawrence Kasdan. He returned to French cinema and comedy in 1995 with Les Apprentis (César nomination for best actor) and Enfants de salaud with Tonie Marshall, following a new Claude Chabrol: Rien ne va plus in 1997. Cluzet has often portrayed a role of the tormented writer: Fin août, début septembre with Olivier Assayas, L'Examen de minuit (1998), and Je suis un assassin (2004). He played the double of John Lennon in Janis et John (2003) and an animator of teleshopping in France Boutique (2004). In 2005, he played in Le Domaine perdu with Raoul Ruiz. The film portrayed the 1973 coup d'état in Chile.
His starring role came in 2006 as a doctor suspected of double homicide in the thriller Tell No One. For his performance, he received the 2007 César for best actor.
Cluzet's biggest role was in Intouchables (known in most English-speaking territories as The Intouchables). Based on a true story, the film chronicles the friendship between a wealthy quadraplegic (Cluzet) and a young caregiver who had recently been released from jail. In March 2012, The Intouchables became the second highest-grossing French film in France.

## Personal life

Cluzet married film producer Chantal Perrin in the 1980's, later divorcing. Cluzet has a son, Paul, with late actress Marie Trintignant. Cluzet was in a long-term relationship with actress Valérie Bonneton, the mother of two of his children. In 2011, he married Narjiss Slaoui-Falcoz, whom he had met six months before filming The Intouchables.

## Filmography

| Year | Title | Role | Director | Notes |
| 1980 | Cocktail Molotov | Bruno | Diane Kurys | |
| 1980 | The Horse of Pride | Pierre-Alain, the father | Claude Chabrol | |
| 1982 | The Hatter's Ghost | the journalist | Claude Chabrol | |
| 1983 | Entre Nous | a soldier | Diane Kurys | |
| 1983 | One Deadly Summer | Mickey | Jean Becker | |
| 1983 | Julien Fontanes, magistrat | Bob Mourèze | Jean-Pierre Decourt | |
| 1985 | Les enragés | Marc, dit 'Teuf-Teuf' | Pierre-William Glenn | |
| 1985 | Elsa, Elsa | Ferdinand, as adult | Didier Haudepin | |
| 1986 | États d'âme | Pierrot | Jacques Fansten | |
| 1986 | Round Midnight | François Borler | Bertrand Tavernier | |
| 1986 | Rue du départ | Paul Triana | Tony Gatlif | |
| 1987 | Association of Wrongdoers | Thierry | Claude Zidi | |
| 1988 | Jaune revolver | Jean-Claude Wielzky | Olivier Langlois | |
| 1988 | Chocolat | Marc | Claire Denis | |
| 1988 | Story of Women | Paul | Claude Chabrol | |
| 1989 | Deux [fr] | Louis | Claude Zidi | |
| 1989 | Un tour de manège | Al | Pierre Pradinas | |
| 1989 | Force majeure | Daniel | Pierre Jolivet | |
| 1989 | La Révolution française | Camille Desmoulins | Robert Enrico | |
| 1989 | Too Beautiful for You | Pascal Chevassu | Bertrand Blier | |
| 1992 | Olivier, Olivier | Serge Duval | Agnieszka Holland | |
| 1992 | Sexes faibles! | Sébastien Sébastian | Serge Meynard | |
| 1992 | À demain | Gilles | Didier Martiny | |
| 1993 | L'Instinct de l'ange | Ernest Devrines | Richard Dembo | |
| 1994 | L'Enfer | Paul Prieur | Claude Chabrol | |
| 1994 | The Wind from Wyoming (Le Vent du Wyoming) | Chester Celine | André Forcier | |
| 1994 | Prêt-à-porter | Nina's assistant | Robert Altman | |
| 1995 | French Kiss | Bob | Lawrence Kasdan | |
| 1995 | The Horseman on the Roof | the doctor | Jean-Paul Rappeneau | |
| 1995 | Les Apprentis | Antoine | Pierre Salvadori | |
| 1996 | Enfants de salaud | Sandro | Tonie Marshall | |
| 1997 | Le déménagement | Claude | Olivier Doran | |
| 1997 | Le silence de Rak | Rak | Christophe Loizillon | |
| 1997 | The Swindle | Maurice Biagini | Claude Chabrol | |
| 1998 | La voie est libre | Jules | Stéphane Clavier | |
| 1998 | Late August, Early September | Adrien | Olivier Assayas | |
| 1998 | Dolce far niente | Stendhal | Nae Caranfil | |
| 1998 | L'examen de minuit | Antoine | Danièle Dubroux | |
| 2002 | The Adversary | Luc | Nicole Garcia | |
| 2003 | Quand je vois le soleil | Pierre | Jacques Cortal | |
| 2003 | Mais qui a tué Pamela Rose? | Gibson | Eric Lartigau | |
| 2003 | Janis et John | Walter Kingkate | Samuel Benchetrit | |
| 2003 | France Boutique | Olivier Mestral | Tonie Marshall | |
| 2004 | The Hook | Ben Castelano | Thomas Vincent | |
| 2005 | Le domaine perdu | Antoine | Raoul Ruiz | |
| 2005 | La cloche a sonné | Jean | | |
| 2006 | Four Stars | Rene | | |
| 2006 | Tell No One | Alexandre Beck | Guillaume Canet | |
| 2007 | Ma place au soleil | Paul | | |
| 2007 | La vérité ou presque | Marc | | |
| 2007 | Game of Four | Lionel | Bruno Dega | |
| 2008 | Paris | Philippe Verneuil | Cédric Klapisch | |
| 2008 | Rivals | Gabriel | Jacques Maillot | |
| 2009 | In the Beginning | Philippe Miller | Xavier Giannoli | |
| 2009 | One for the Road | Hervé Chabalier | Philippe Godeau | |
| 2010 | Blanc comme neige | Maxime | | |
| 2010 | Little White Lies | Max Cantara | Guillaume Canet | |
| 2011 | Mon père est femme de ménage | Michel | | |
| 2011 | The Art of Love | Achille | Emmanuel Mouret | |
| 2011 | A Monster in Paris | Victor Maynott | Bibo Bergeron | Voice |
| 2011 | The Intouchables | Philippe | Éric Toledano and Olivier Nakache | |
| 2012 | Do Not Disturb | Jeff | | |
| 2013 | 11.6 | Toni Musulin | Philippe Godeau | |
| 2013 | Turning Tide | Yann Kermadec | Christophe Offenstein | |
| 2014 | Quantum Love | Pierre | | |
| 2015 | One Wild Moment | Antoine | Jean-François Richet | |
| 2016 | Irreplaceable | Jean-Pierre Werner | Thomas Lilti | |
| 2016 | La Mécanique de l'ombre | Duval | Thomas Kruithof | |
| 2016 | The Other Me | Marcel de Chaffe | Sotiris Tsafoulias | |
| 2017 | L'école buissonnière | Totoche | Nicolas Vanier | |
| 2018 | Naked Normandy | Georges Balbuzard | | |
| 2018 | Le collier rouge | Lantier | | |
| 2019 | Nous finirons ensemble | Max | Guillaume Canet | |
| 2020 | Rose Island | Jean Baptiste Toma | Sydney Sibilia | |
| 2021 | The Man in the Basement | Jacques Fonzic | Philippe Le Guay | |
| 2022 | Masquerade | Simon | Nicolas Bedos | |
| 2022 | Kitchen Brigade, or La Brigade | Lorenzo Cardi | Louis-Julien Petit | |
| 2023 | A Real Job (Un métier sérieux) | Pierre Etchevegaray | Thomas Lilti | |

## Theatre

* 1992: Belgicae by Anita Van Belle, directed by Pierre Pradinas, at the Festival d'Avignon

## Awards

* 1984 : Nominated for César Award for Most Promising Actor for Vive la sociale
* 1984 : Nominated for César Award for Best Supporting Actor for One Deadly Summer
* 1984 : Prix Jean Gabin
* 1990 : Nominated for César Award for Best Supporting Actor for Force majeure
* 1996 : Nominated for César Award for Best Actor for Les Apprentis
* 2003 : Nominated for César Award for Best Supporting Actor for The Adversary
* 2007 : Nominated for César Award for Best Supporting Actor for Quatre étoiles
* 2007 : César Award for Best Actor for Tell No One
* 2007 : Nominated for Lumières Award for Best Actor for Tell No One
* 2007 : Étoile d'or du premier rôle masculin for Tell No One
* 2007 : Globes de Cristal Award for Best Actor for Tell No One
* 2010 : Nominated for César Award for Best Actor for One for the Road
* 2010 : Nominated for César Award for Best Actor for In the Beginning
* 2010 : Nominated for Lumières Award for Best Actor for In the Beginning
* 2010 : Nominated for Globes de Cristal Award for Best Actor for In the Beginning
* 2010 : Étoile d'Or for In the Beginning
* 2011 : Nominated for Globes de Cristal Award for Best Actor for Little White Lies
* 2012 : Nominated for César Award for Best Actor for The Intouchables
* 2012 : Nominated for Globes de Cristal Award for Best Actor for The Intouchables
* 2017 : Nominated for César Award for Best Actor for Irreplaceable