Michel Piccoli
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.
Known for
Midi Première
Self
German Film Award
Self
The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie
Interior Minister
Midi trente
Self
Don't Touch the White Woman!
Buffalo Bill
The Perfume of the Lady in Black
Lebel
Chance at Love
Philippe Decharme (segment "Lucky la chance")
Genealogies of a Crime
Georges Didier
Un amour de pluie
Mr. Dellerue (voice)
Weak Spot
L'enquêteur
Death in a French Garden
Graham Tombsthay
Marco Ferreri: Dangerous But Necessary
Self (archive footage)
Amazons of Rome
Console Publicola
Woman in Chains
L'invité pressé au vernissage (uncredited)
Danger in the Middle East
Brian Cannon
Marx Can Wait
Agostino (archive footage) (uncredited)
Beyond the Door
Mr. Mutti
A Man, a Real One
Michel Piccoli
La Belle Noiseuse
Edouard Frenhofer
The Creatures
Edgar Piccoli
La Nuit de Tom Brown
Tom Brown, jeune
Fire's Share
Robert Hansen
Belle de Jour
Henri Husson
Scénario du film Passion
Self
Everything's Fine, We're Leaving
Louis
La Grande Bouffe
Michel
The Fate of Baron Leisenbohg
Le baron de Leisenbohg
The General of the Dead Army
Benetandi
The Devil's Tricks
L'antiquaire
The Phantom of Liberty
The Second Police Prefect
Holy Motors
Man with the Wine Stain
The Happiest Place on Earth
Récitant (voice)
The War Is Over
Inspector #1
Vincent, Francois, Paul and the Others
François, médecin
Heartbeat
Charles
Loonies at Large
Henri Toussaint
François Mitterrand & Anne Pingeot: Pieces of a Love Story
Self (archive footage)
Le Bal des casse-pieds
Désiré, l'homosexuel
Mauvais Sang
Marc
The Day and the Hour
Antoine
Dom Juan
Dom Juan
The Prize of Peril
Frédéric Mallaire
Ernst Thälmann – Leader of the Working Class
Maurice Rouger
Luis Buñuel : Un cinéaste de notre temps
Narrator (voice)
Portrait Of My Father
Self
Touch and Go
Valentin
The Dust of Time
Spyros
May Fools
Milou
Torticola versus Frankensberg
Torticola
The Black Angel
Georges Feuvrier
One Hundred and One Nights
Simon Cinéma
French Cancan
Le Capitaine Valorgueil
Bardot et Godard
Self
Adieu Bonaparte
Caffarelli
You Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet
Le père
Shock Troops
L'homme de trop
The Things of Life
Pierre Bérard
Les paradoxes de Buñuel
Self
Strange Affair
Bertrand Malair
Ten Days' Wonder
Paul Regis
Rene the Cane
Ispettore Marchand
Death in the Garden
Father Lizzardi
La France romane
Récitant (voice)
The Night of Varennes
King Louis XVI (uncredited)
Dangerous Moves
Akiva Liebskind
Traveling Companion
Cosimo
Raining Cats and Frogs
Ferdinand (voice)
Is Paris Burning?
Edgar Pisani
The Monkey Folk
La Belle Noiseuse: Divertimento
Edouard Frenhofer
My Brother-in-law Killed My Sister
Étienne Sembadel
Confused Feelings
Professor
La Voleuse
Werner Kreuz
The Voyage Into the Whirlpool Has Begun
A Leap in the Dark
Mauro Ponticelli
Claude Sautet, Romy, Yves, Michel et les autres
Self (archive footage)
Il bambino di Betlemme
Tykho Moon
Mac Bee / frère Mac Bee
Kiarostami in Close up
as Self
Le Plus Heureux des trois
Pianist
Délire à deux
Him
The Emigrant
Adam - Ram's father
La TV des 70's : Quand Giscard était président
Self (archive footage)
Godard by Godard
Self (archive footage)
To Each His Own Cinema
Nikita Kruschev (segment "Rencontre unique")
Passion in the Desert
Jean-Michel Venture de Paradis
That Day
Harald
The Grand Manoeuvre
Officer (uncredited)
La Lune
Contempt
Paul Javal
Il était une fois Champs-Élysées
Self (archive footage)
Max and the Junkmen
Max, inspector
The Passerby
Max Baumstein
Once Upon a Time… Contempt
Self
Fumée, histoire et fantaisie
That Obscure Object of Desire
Mathieu Faber (voice) (uncredited)
Tout chante autour de moi
Reverdier
Little Lili
acteur qui joue Simon
I’m Going Home
Gilbert Valence
The Milky Way
Marquis de Sade
The Dinosaur and the Baby
Paul Javal (archive footage)
The Savage State
Orlaville
Strauberg ist da
Strauberg
Beneath the Rooftops of Paris
Marcel
Spy, Stand Up
Jean-Paul Chance
The Game Is Over
Alexandre Saccard
La Cerisaie
Léonid
Long Live Life
Michel Perrin
Leonor
Richard
The Mark of the Day
Georges Gohelle
The Sleeping Car Murder
René Cabourg, l'employé besogneux (Victime #2)
2 x 50 Years of French Cinema
Self
The Life of Mirrors
Life Size
Michel
Wedding in Blood
Pierre Maury
Dillinger Is Dead
Glauco
Diary of a Chambermaid
Monsieur Monteil
Le Quadrille des diamants
Richard Burke
Le Matelot 512
Narrator (voice)
Actors
Michel Piccoli
A Room in Town
Edmond Leroyer
The Duchess of Langeais
Vidame de Pamiers
The Taste of Blueberries
Michel
The Eyes, the Mouth
Tío Agostino
The Woman in Blue
Pierre
The Bit Between the Teeth
Pierre Chazerand
The Young Girls of Rochefort
Simon Dame
Liza
Giorgio's friend
Berau, sur les traces de Joseph Conrad
Presenter
Against Oblivion
Self
Nothing About Robert
Lord Ariel Chatwick-West
Will the High Salaried Workers Raise Their Hands!
José Viss
All About Loving
Raoul
Our Lady of Hormones
Narrator
The World of Jacques Demy
Self
Bad Liaisons
un inspecteur
Topaz
Jacques Granville
Le Rendez-vous de Noël
Coming Apart
(archive footage)
Le Coup de grâce
Capri / Bruno
Atlantic City
Joseph
The Diary of an Innocent Boy
Count Philippe
La Chevelure
L'homme
The Uninvited
François Desailly
The Last Woman
Michel
Walking a Tightrope
Marcel Spadice
Lines of Wellington
Leópold Scheitzer
Sunday Buddies
Le directeur de l'aéro-club
The Children Thief
Mr. Armand
Cesar and Rosalie
Narrator (voice)
We Have a Pope
Melville
Little Girl in Blue Velvet
Conrad Brukner
Going and Coming Back
Simon Lerner
Agnès Varda: From Here to There
Self
Beast at Bay
Commissioner Jacques Guimard
Romy: Anatomy of a Face
Self
Otar Iosseliani, le merle siffleur
Himself
The Beaches of Agnès
Self (archive footage)
Sugar
Grezillo
Romy Schneider, étrange étrangère
Self
Blanc de Chine
Batz
Speaking of Buñuel
Self
La Ruelle au clair de lune
Pierre Willer
The Assassination
Colonel Kassar
Beaumarchais the Scoundrel
Prince de Conti
The Prodigal Daughter
Le père
The Audience
Padre Amerin
Du crime considéré comme un des beaux-arts.
Morrand
Bête de scène
Nathalie
Franck Marchal
My Love, My Love
Marrades
París-Tombuctú
Michel des Assantes
Masquerade
Georges Sarrassin
Themroc
Themroc
Malady of Love
Raoul Bergeron
Le Roi Lear
Le roi Lear
Les Joueurs
Chvokhniev
From Time to Time
Jules Verne
Martha and I
Ernst
Invasion
Marcello
Gardens in Autumn
Marie, la mère de Vincent
Far West
Indian chief
Danger: Diabolik
Inspector Ginko
Success Is the Best Revenge
French Official
La dragée haute
Hugo Barsac
The Prude
Pierre
The Infernal Trio
Georges Sarret
One Way or Another
Lui
Magic Mirror
Prof. Heschel
The Supper
Chateaubriand (voice)
Belle Toujours
Henri Husson
Chicago Digest
Slim Spring
La Leçon d'humour dans un parc
Le Doulos
Nuttheccio
Paparazzi
Texte dit par (voice)
Parisienne... Parisiennes
Récitant (voice)
Mado
Simon Léotard
Elsa the Rose
Narrator (voice)
Agnès Varda: From Here to There
Self
The Nonentity
der Tölpel
Rendezvous
Paul
Croissance de Paris
Récitant (voice)
Sinners of Paris
L'inspecteur Vardier, de la P.J.
Hauteclaire
Serlon de Savigny
Seven Deaths by Prescription
Dr Losseray
Lady L
Lecoeur
Adieu Philippine
Izquierdo dans l'émission de télévision 'Montserrat' (uncredited)
Nouvelles d'Henry James
Capitaine Roger
Everything's Connected
Narrator
Le Chalet sous la neige
Robert
It's Not Me
(archive footage)
Hello Cubans
Narrator (voice)
Godard's Passion
Michel Boulard
The Witches of Salem
James Putnam
Saint-Tropez, devoirs de vacances
Gérard
Docteur Teyran
Jean Teyran
Tödliches Geld
Paul Belmont
Without Leaving an Address
Un journaliste aux archives (uncredited)
Without Leaving an Address
Un journaliste aux archives
The Veiled Man
Kassar
How Good the Whites Are
Père Jean-Marie
The Bellman
Un villageois
Train de nuit
Rupture(s)
Paul
Ousmane Sow
Narrateur
Spoiled Children
Bernard Rougerie
Le Temps des assassins
Récitant (voice)
Atrocious Tales of Love and Death
Victor Navarro
Boxes
Daddy
Party
Michel
Price of Love
Georges
Dios de monoambiente
Self (archive footage)
Les Grandes Familles
Noël Schoudler
Claude Chabrol, the Maverick
Self - Actor (archive footage)
Tabarin
Jacques Forestier
Un divertissement et Michel Piccoli
Self
The Incredible Mr. Piccoli
Self - Actor (archive footage)
The Young Girls Turn 25
Self (archive footage)
Climates of Love
François
Quarante fontaines
Récitant (voice)
On War
Le grand Hou
Libero Burro
Zio Tony
Le Divorcement
Philippe
Le Bel Âge
Maurice Reverdy
Daughters of Destiny
Pasquerel (segment "Jeanne")
F as in Fairbanks
Etienne
Café tabac
Récitant (voice)
The Accuser
Saint-Ramé
Archipel
Leonard Wilde
La Rumba
Damien Malleville
Marie Soleil
Kafka
L'Été en hiver
Jean, the Reporter
The Distant Land
Friedrich Hofreiter
Un coupable
L'avocat
Terreur en Oklahoma
Tommy Goudchote
Il était une fois... Vincent, François, Paul et les autres
Self
Horizons...
un ouvrier
The Price of Survival
René Winterhalter
Apostrophes
Self
Wetten, dass..?
Self
Champs-Elysées
Self
Vivement dimanche
Self
Spécial cinéma
Self
Les Rendez-vous du dimanche
Self
Samedi soir
Self
Nulle part ailleurs
Self
V.I.P. Schaukel
Self
Treffpunkte
Self