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Gérard Dépardieu is regarded as one of the leading male actors in France.

Gérard Dépardieu has starred in more than 120 films, produced not just in France, but in the USA, Britain, Germany and Italy. He is known, not for his good looks, but for his ordinary face and large nose. He is a very clever and highly successful actor, who is able to play a great variety of roles from "bad guy" to hero, tragedy to comedy. Gérard is a big man and the characters which he portrays on film often combine gentleness with great physical strength.
	Gérard Dépardieu was born in 1948, in Châteauroux, in France. His parents were not wealthy. Gérard was often in trouble with the police and left school at the age of 12. His movie, Green Card, retells some of his escapades during this time. He left home and became a wanderer, but in Paris, met up with a friend from his early years who had become an actor. He was given the chance to try out. He discovered that he had acting talent, and began his highly successful acting career without any formal lessons.
He has appeared as the hero in many French films and is extremely popular in France and around the world. While he has acted in one or two plays, Gérard's preferred media are film and television. The French government thinks so highly of his abilities that they have awarded him the highest French title: 'Chevalier du Légion d'Honneur' or Knight of the Legion of Honour. Gérard also makes wine in his spare time and is well known for the quality of his wines.
	Dépardieu received an Oscar nomination for his portrayal of Cyrano in the 1990 film "Cyrano de Bergerac". This is a story about an ugly man called Cyrano de Bergerac, who has a big nose (which everyone makes fun of). Cyrano might be ugly, but he has a heart of gold, and a wonderful way with words. Cyrano falls in love with a beautiful girl who makes fun of his ugliness. She is in loves Cyrano's best friend who is very good looking but who can't really express himself very well. When the two men are sent as soldiers to war, Cyrano writes his friend's love letters for him and ..... well, I guess you'll just have to see the movie to find out the ending!

Some other films in which Gérard Dépardieu has starred are:
My Father, the Hero.
A Comedy in which Gérard Dépardieu as the father, takes his daughter on holiday. The story tells about the adventures both have trying to make their holidays a success.
Jean de Florette and Manon des Sources.
These are serious, dramatic stories. Gérard Dépardieu is a hunchback who is trying to win back land stolen from his parents. The two films tell the story of his fight to do this over many years.
Green Card
is a comedy and tells how a Frenchman (Gérard Dépardieu) who wanted to emigrate to, and live in, America finally succeeds. He marries an American just to obtain his "Green Card" or permission to stay. The plan is that he will divorce her straight after - but a complication happens, they fall in love. For this he won the Golden Globe award for the Best Performance by an Actor in a Comedy film.

The Man In The Iron Mask.
Gérard Dépardieu played one of the three musketeers, called Porthos. The man in the iron mask is the twin brother of the King of France, called Louis XIV.
Le Fugitif.
Dépardieu plays an ex-convict who has decided to reform. Unfortunately, he becomes involved as an innocent bystander in a bank robbery which goes wrong. He is taken as a hostage by the robber who is desperately trying to steal enough money to escape the country with his little girl. The child is mute since her mother's death, and Social Services want to put her in a home. The movie explores how the trio work together to evade the police and cross the frontier.
Bon Voyage
This movie explores the chaos surrounding the Nazi invasion of France during World War II and the escape of the scientist with the secret of "heavy water" and the keys to making an atomic bomb.

Le Placard.
Dépardieu is a homophobic rugby coach who is required to change his attitudes to fit new company policy. A great comedy.
Tais-Toi.
As a not so bright small time crook who never knows when to stop talking, Dépardieu is rejected by every cell mate in the prison. However, he pals up with "Ruby" a smart big time criminal, and the two are thrown together in an escape bid. The film recounts the hilarious adventures of the two convicts as they escape and try to avoid recapture by the police.
Les Misérables
Dépardieu stars as the escaped convict Jean Valjean in this classic tale by Victor Hugo. This was a very popular tele-movie.

Tais-toi

A scene from "Tais-toi".

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