Jean-Pierre Cassel

Jean-Pierre Cassel (born Jean-Pierre Crochon; 27 October 1932 – 19 April 2007) was a French actor and dancer. A popular star of French cinema, he was initially known for his comedy film appearances, though he also proved a gifted dramatic actor, and accrued over 200 film and television credits in a career spanning over 50 years.
He worked with many notable directors, including Luis Buñuel, Abel Gance, Jean Renoir, Claude Chabrol, Sidney Lumet, Joseph Losey, Chantal Akerman and Robert Altman. He was nominated for a César Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in La Cérémonie (1995).
Cassel was also the father of actor Vincent Cassel, actress/singer Cécile Cassel, and rapper Mathias Cassel.
Early life
Cassel was born Jean-Pierre Crochon in the 13th arrondissement of Paris, the son of Louise-Marguerite (née Fabrègue), an opera singer, and Georges Crochon, a doctor. Cassel was discovered by Gene Kelly as he tap danced on stage, and later cast in the 1957 film The Happy Road.
Career
Cassel gained prominence in the late 1950s as a hero in comedies by Philippe de Broca such as Male Companion and through his role as 'Jean François Jardie' in the famous French resistance piece L' Armée des ombres.
During the 1960s and 1970s, he worked with Claude Chabrol (The Breach), Luis Buñuel (as Stéphane Audran's husband in The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie 1972), Ken Annakin (as the Frenchman in Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines 1965), Gérard Brach (as Claude Jade's lover in The Boat on the Grass), Richard Lester (as Louis XIII of France in The Three Musketeers 1973 and its sequel The Four Musketeers 1974), Sidney Lumet (as Pierre in Murder on the Orient Express) and Joseph Losey (with Isabelle Huppert in The Trout). He also made an appearance in Oh! What a Lovely War as a French military officer singing 'Belgium put the Kibosh on the Kaiser'. In later years, he appeared in Robert Altman's Prêt-à-Porter (1994) and also as Dr. Paul Gachet for Vincent & Theo (1990).
In 2006, at the age of 74, he returned to the stage for a retrospective of Serge Gainsbourg, Jean-Pierre Cassel chante et danse Gainsbourg Suite. This homage to an old friend (he knew Gainsbourg in the 1950s) featured various songs of the French composer among which three unpublished songs named "Top à Cassel" – "Cliquediclac", "Ouh ! Là là là là", and "Viva la pizza" – all of which were intended for a television show aired in 1964.
In 2007, Cassel appeared in dual roles (as Père Lucien and the Lourdes souvenir vendor) in Julian Schnabel's film The Diving Bell and the Butterfly.
During his career, Cassel starred in more than 110 films, fifty stage plays, and many musical theatre performances and television shows.
Personal life
Cassel is the father of Vincent Cassel, Mathias Cassel (also known as Rockin' Squat, leader of the French rap crew Assassin), and Cécile Cassel. He was "very close" to his children and his daughter-in-law, Monica Bellucci.
Death
On 19 April 2007, Cassel died of cancer at age 74.
Selected filmography
Pigalle-Saint-Germain-des-Prés (1950, directed by André Berthomieu) as Un figurant
Saluti e baci (1953, directed by Maurice Labro and Giorgio Simonelli) (uncredited)
Act of Love (1953, directed by Anatole Litvak) as Un danseur (uncredited)
La Famille Anodin (1956, TV Series) as Jean Lou Anodin
The Happy Road (1957, directed by Gene Kelly) as Young lover at the Guinguette (uncredited)
Comme un cheveu sur la soupe (1957, directed by Maurice Régamey) as Un journaliste (uncredited)
La peau de l'ours (1957, directed by Claude Boissol) as Le fils Duquenne
On Foot, on Horse, and on Wheels (1957, directed by Maurice Delbez) as Mariel
Le désordre et la nuit (1958, directed by Gilles Grangier) as Un jeune militaire (uncredited)
Sacrée jeunesse (1958, directed by André Berthomieu) as Un jeune dans la boîte (uncredited)
In Case of Adversity (1958, directed by Claude Autant-Lara) as Le trompettiste (uncredited)
And Your Sister? (1958, directed by Maurice Delbez) (uncredited)
La Marraine de Charley (1959, directed by Pierre Chevalier) as Claude
The Love Game (1960, directed by Philippe de Broca) as Victor
The Joker (1960, directed by Philippe de Broca) as Édouard Berlon
Candide ou l'optimisme au XXe siècle (1960, directed by Norbert Carbonnaux) as Candide
Five Day Lover (1961, directed by Philippe de Broca) as Antoine
Goodbye Again (1961, directed by Anatole Litvak, Cameo) as Dancer (uncredited)
Napoleon II, the Eagle (1961, directed by Claude Boissol) as Gustav von Neipperg
The Dance (1962, directed by Norbert Carbonnaux) as Albert
The Seven Deadly Sins (1962) as Raymond (segment "Avarice, L'")
The Elusive Corporal (1962, directed by Jean Renoir) as Le caporal / The Corporal
(1962, directed by Édouard Molinaro) as Gérard Dagmar
High Infidelity (1964) (Anthology film) as Tonino (segment "La Sospirosa")
Les plus belles escroqueries du monde (1964) (Anthology film) as Alain des Arcys (segment "L'homme qui vendit la Tour Eiffel")
Cyrano et d'Artagnan (1964, directed by Abel Gance) as Monsieur d'Artagnan, de la Compagnie des Mousquetaires du Roy
Male Companion (1964, directed by Philippe de Broca) as Antoine Mirliflor
Nunca pasa nada (1965, directed by Juan Antonio Bardem) as Juan
Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines (1965, directed by Ken Annakin) as Pierre Dubois
The Lace Wars (1965, directed by René Clair) as Jolicoeur
Is Paris Burning? (1966, directed by René Clément) as Lieutenant Henri Karcher
The Killing Game (1967, directed by Alain Jessua) as Pierre Meyrand
Anyone Can Play (1968, directed by Luigi Zampa) as Aldo, Luisa's husband
Oh! What a Lovely War (1969, directed by Richard Attenborough) as French Colonel
Army of Shadows (1969, directed by Jean-Pierre Melville) as Jean François Jardie
L'Ours et la Poupée (1970, directed by Michel Deville) as Gaspard
The Breach (1970, directed by Claude Chabrol) as Paul Thomas
The Boat on the Grass (1971, directed by Gérard Brach) as David
Malpertuis (1971, directed by Harry Kümel) as Lampernisse
The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (1972, directed by Luis Buñuel) as Henri Sénéchal
Il magnate (1973, directed by Giovanni Grimaldi) as Gianni
Baxter! (1973, directed by Lionel Jeffries) as Roger Tunnell
The Three Musketeers (1973, directed by Richard Lester) as King Louis XIII
Le Mouton enragé (1974, directed by Michel Deville) as Claude Fabre
The Four Musketeers (1974, directed by Richard Lester) as Louis XIII
Murder on the Orient Express (1974, directed by Sidney Lumet) as Pierre
That Lucky Touch (1975, directed by Christopher Miles) as Leo
Docteur Françoise Gailland (1976, directed by Jean-Louis Bertucelli) as Daniel Letessier
Scrambled Eggs (1976, directed by Joël Santoni) as Le représentant du dirigeant italien
The Twist (1976, directed by Claude Chabrol) as Jacques Lavolet, l'éditeur
Who Is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe? (1978, directed by Ted Kotcheff) as Kohner
Les Rendez-vous d'Anna (1978, directed by Chantal Akerman) as Daniel
From Hell to Victory (1979, directed by Umberto Lenzi) as Dick Sanders
Grandison (1979, directed by Achim Kurz) as Oppenheimer
Je te tiens, tu me tiens par la barbichette (1979, directed by Jean Yanne) as Jean-Marcel Grumet
La ville des silences (1979, directed by Jean Marboeuf) as Le privé
Le soleil en face (1980, directed by Pierre Kast) as Marat
5% de risque (1980, directed by ) as Henri Tanin
Love in a Cold Climate (1980, TV Mini-Series) as Fabrice, Duc de Sauveterre
Superman II (1980, directed by Richard Lester) as French Officer at the White House (uncredited)
La vie continue (1981, directed by Moshé Mizrahi) as Pierre
Portrait of a Woman, Nude (1981, directed by Nino Manfredi) as Pireddu
Alice (1982, directed by Jacek Bromski and ) as Rabbit
La guérilléra (1982, directed by Pierre Kast) as Coronel Larzac
The Trout (1982, directed by Joseph Losey) as Rambert
Ehrengard (1982, directed by Emidio Greco) as Cazotte
T'es heureuse? Moi, toujours... (1983, directed by Jean Marboeuf) (voice)
Vive la sociale! (1983, directed by Gérard Mordillat) as Le camelot
Tranches de vie (1985, directed by François Leterrier) as Le comte de Forcheville
Vado a riprendermi il gatto (1987, directed by Giuliano Biagetti)
Chouans! (1988, directed by Philippe de Broca) as Baron de Tiffauges
Young Toscanini (1988, directed by Franco Zeffirelli) as Comparsa (uncredited)
Mangeclous (1988, directed by Moshé Mizrahi) as De Surville
The Return of the Musketeers (1989, directed by Richard Lester) as Cyrano de Bergerac
The Fatal Image (1990 TV Movie) as Vandelle
Mister Frost (1990, directed by ) as Inspector Corelli
Vincent & Theo (1990, directed by Robert Altman) as Dr. Paul Gachet
The Maid (1990, TV Movie, directed by Ian Toynton) as C.P. Olivier
The Favour, the Watch and the Very Big Fish (1991, directed by Ben Lewin) as Zalman
Between Heaven and Earth (1992, directed by Marion Hänsel) as Le rédacteur en chef
Amor e Dedinhos de Pé (1992, directed by Luís Filipe Rocha) as Gonçalo Botelho
Coup de jeune (1993, directed by Xavier Gélin) as Le ministre
Pétain (1993, directed by Jean Marbœuf) as Hans Roberto
Chá Forte com Limão (1993, directed by António de Macedo) as Tiago
L'oeil écarlate (1993, directed by Dominique Roulet) as Leprince
Métisse (1993, directed by Mathieu Kassovitz) as Gynecologist
Hell (1994, directed by Claude Chabrol) as M. Vernon
Casque bleu (1994, directed by Gérard Jugnot) as Nicolas
Prêt-à-Porter (1994, directed by Robert Altman) as Olivier de la Fontaine
La Cérémonie (1995, directed by Claude Chabrol) as Georges Lelievre
Tatort (1995, German TV-series, Episode: "Camerone") as Bruno Dupeyron
Amores que matan (1996, directed by Juan Manuel Chumilla-Carbajosa) as André
Les Bidochon (1996, directed by Serge Korber) as Le PDG de Canal B
Con rabbia e con amore (1997, directed by Alfredo Angeli) as Gigi
The Ice Rink (1998, directed by Jean-Philippe Toussaint) as Ice Rink's Manager
Trafic d'influence (1999, directed by Dominique Farrugia) as Pierre-Jean Guisard
Le plus beau pays du monde (1999, directed by Marcel Bluwal) as Blondel
Sade (2000, directed by Benoît Jacquot) as Le vicomte de Lancris
The Crimson Rivers (2000, directed by Mathieu Kassovitz) as Dr. Bernard Chernezé
The Wooden Camera (2003, directed by Ntshavheni Wa Luruli) as Mr. Shawn
Michel Vaillant (2003, directed by ) as Henri Vaillant
Narco (2004, directed by and Gilles Lellouche) as Le père de Gus
Dans tes rêves (2005, directed by Denis Thybaud) as Mike
Virgil (2005, directed by Mabrouk El Mechri) as Ernest
Bunker paradise (2005, directed by Stefan Liberski) as Henri Devaux
Congorama (2006, directed by Philippe Falardeau) as Hervé Roy
Call Me Agostino (2006, directed by Christine Laurent) as Adrien Beaudessin
Fair Play (2006, directed by Lionel Bailliu) as Édouard
Mauvaise foi (2006, directed by Roschdy Zem) as Victor Breitmann
Où avais-je la tête? (2007, directed by Nathalie Donnini) as Albert
Contre-enquête (2007, directed by Franck Mancuso) as Le docteur Delmas
J'aurais voulu être un Danseur (2007, directed by Alain Berliner) as Guy adulte
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (2007, directed by Julian Schnabel) as Père Lucien et le Vendeur
Vous êtes de la police ? (2007, directed by Romuald Beugnon) as Simon Sablonnet
Asterix at the Olympic Games'' (2008, directed by Thomas Langmann and Frédéric Forestier) as Panoramix (final film role)
References
External links
Le coin du cinéphage
1932 births
2007 deaths
20th-century French male actors
21st-century French male actors
French male film actors
French male stage actors
French male television actors
Male actors from Paris
French male dancers
Tap dancers
Dancers from Paris
Deaths from cancer in France