Michel Piccoli
Biography
Michel Piccoli was a French actor born on 27 December 1925 in Paris, Île‑de‑France, and he died on 12 May 2020 at the age of 94. He was the son of violinist Henri Piccoli and pianist Marcelle Expert‑Bezançon, herself the daughter of industrialist and politician Charles Expert‑Bezançon. As a youth he was placed in an establishment for problem children, a circumstance that put him at odds with his maternal grandfather, a senator of the Third Republic who financed the Radical Party and was a notable industrial figure. Piccoli married actress Éléonore Hirt in 1954, and they had a daughter, Anne‑Cordélia Piccoli. He later married singer Juliette Gréco in 1966 and screenwriter Ludivine Clerc in 1978, with whom he adopted two Polish children, Inord and Missia. Over his career he accumulated 276 credited performances.
Career overview
Michel Piccoli was born on 27 December 1925 in Paris, Île‑de‑France, France, into a family with artistic and industrial connections. He was the son of Henri Piccoli, a violinist, and Marcelle Expert‑Bezançon (1892‑1990), a pianist and the daughter of Charles Expert‑Bezançon, a French industrialist and politician. His early years included time in an establishment for problem children, a circumstance that placed his personal commitments at odds with his maternal grandfather, a senator of the Third Republic and financier of the Radical Party.
Piccoli pursued a career in acting that spanned several decades and encompassed a broad range of film and television work. According to the Motion Picture Database, he accumulated 276 credited performances, establishing him as a prolific figure in French cinema and television. His extensive body of work contributed to his reputation as a versatile and enduring actor, recognized primarily for his contributions to the screen.
He died on 12 May 2020 at the age of 94. Throughout his life, Piccoli’s personal relationships included marriages to actress Éléonore Hirt in 1954, singer Juliette Gréco in 1966, and screenwriter Ludivine Clerc in 1978, with whom he adopted two children of Polish origin. His legacy remains defined by the substantial number of roles he performed and his lasting presence in the French acting community.
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Frequent co-stars
Career timeline
Full filmography
- The Life of Mirrors (2025)
- It's Not Me (2024) as (archive footage)
- Godard by Godard (2023) as Self (archive footage)
- Il était une fois Champs-Élysées (2022) as Self (archive footage)
- Romy, A Free Woman (2022) as archive footage
- La TV des 70's : Quand Giscard était président (2022) as Self (archive footage)
- Marx Can Wait (2021) as Agostino (archive footage) (uncredited)
- François Mitterrand & Anne Pingeot: Pieces of a Love Story (2021) as Self (archive footage)
- Claude Chabrol, the Maverick (2019) as Self - Actor (archive footage)
- Dios de monoambiente (2018) as Self (archive footage)
- Coming Apart (2017) as (archive footage)
- The Incredible Mr. Piccoli (2017) as Self - Actor (archive footage)
- Claude Sautet, Romy, Yves, Michel et les autres (2017) as Self (archive footage)
- Marco Ferreri: Dangerous But Necessary (2017) as Self (archive footage)
- Our Lady of Hormones (2015) as Narrator
- The Taste of Blueberries (2014) as Michel
- Holy Motors (2012) as Man with the Wine Stain
- Lines of Wellington (2012) as Leópold Scheitzer
- The Bardot mystery (2012)
- You Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet (2012) as Le père
- We Have a Pope (2011) as Melville
- Agnès Varda: From Here to There (2011) as Self
- Agnès Varda: From Here to There (2011) as Self
- Il était une fois... Vincent, François, Paul et les autres (2011) as Self
- Portrait Of My Father (2010) as Self
- Le Bel Âge (2009) as Maurice Reverdy
- Brigitte Bardot: The Icon of France (2009)
- Once Upon a Time… Contempt (2009) as Self
- The Beaches of Agnès (2008) as Self (archive footage)
- The Dust of Time (2008) as Spyros
- On War (2008) as Le grand Hou
- Boxes (2007) as Daddy
- Rencontre Unique (2007) as Nikita Khrouchtchev
- Le Roi Lear (2007) as Le roi Lear
- To Each His Own Cinema (2007) as Nikita Kruschev (segment "Rencontre unique")
- The Duchess of Langeais (2007) as Vidame de Pamiers
- Beneath the Rooftops of Paris (2007) as Marcel
- Otar Iosseliani, le merle siffleur (2006) as Himself
- Magic Mirror (2006) as Prof. Heschel
- Gardens in Autumn (2006) as Marie, la mère de Vincent
- Belle Toujours (2006) as Henri Husson
- C'est pas tout à fait la vie dont j'avais rêvé (2006) Director
- C'est pas tout à fait la vie dont j'avais rêvé (2006) Writer
- Everything's Connected (2005) as Narrator
- Un divertissement et Michel Piccoli (2004) as Self
- Little Lili (2003) as acteur qui joue Simon
- That Day (2003) as Harald
- Raining Cats and Frogs (2003) as Ferdinand (voice)
- A Man, a Real One (2003) as Michel Piccoli
- Romy Schneider, étrange étrangère (2002) as Self
- Il bambino di Betlemme (2002)
- The Black Beach (2001) Director
- The Black Beach (2001) Writer
- I’m Going Home (2001) as Gilbert Valence
- Actors (2000) as Michel Piccoli
- Speaking of Buñuel (2000) as Self
- Everything's Fine, We're Leaving (2000) as Louis
- Kiarostami in Close up (2000) as as Self
- París-Tombuctú (1999) as Michel des Assantes
- Nothing About Robert (1999) as Lord Ariel Chatwick-West
- Libero Burro (1999) as Zio Tony
- The Happiest Place on Earth (1999) as Récitant (voice)
- Vivement dimanche (1998) as Self
- Les paradoxes de Buñuel (1998) as Self
- Alors voilà, (1997) Director
- Alors voilà, (1997) Writer
- Genealogies of a Crime (1997) as Georges Didier
- Passion in the Desert (1997) as Jean-Michel Venture de Paradis
- Party (1996) as Michel
- Beaumarchais the Scoundrel (1996) as Prince de Conti
- Ousmane Sow (1996) as Narrateur
- Traveling Companion (1996) as Cosimo
- Tykho Moon (1996) as Mac Bee / frère Mac Bee
- Tödliches Geld (1995) as Paul Belmont
- The World of Jacques Demy (1995) as Self
- One Hundred and One Nights (1995) as Simon Cinéma
- 2 x 50 Years of French Cinema (1995) as Self
- Train de nuit (1994)
- Train de nuit (1994) Writer
- Train de nuit (1994) Director
- The Black Angel (1994) as Georges Feuvrier
- Bête de scène (1994)
- The Emigrant (1994) as Adam - Ram's father
- Berau, sur les traces de Joseph Conrad (1994) as Presenter
- Archipel (1993) as Leonard Wilde
- Rupture(s) (1993) as Paul
- Loonies at Large (1993) as Henri Toussaint
- The Young Girls Turn 25 (1993) as Self (archive footage)
- Le Bal des casse-pieds (1992) as Désiré, l'homosexuel
- The Supper (1992) as Chateaubriand (voice)
- La Belle Noiseuse: Divertimento (1992) as Edouard Frenhofer
- From Time to Time (1992) as Jules Verne
- La Belle Noiseuse (1991) as Edouard Frenhofer
- The Children Thief (1991) as Mr. Armand
- Walking a Tightrope (1991) as Marcel Spadice
- Lest We Forget (1991) as Self (segment "Pour Nasrin Rasooli, Iran")
- Lest We Forget (1991) Director
- The Fate of Baron Leisenbohg (1991) as Le baron de Leisenbohg
- May Fools (1990) as Milou
- Martha and I (1990) as Ernst
- Les Grandes Familles (1989) as Noël Schoudler
- The Monkey Folk (1989)
- How Good the Whites Are (1988) as Père Jean-Marie
- Blanc de Chine (1988) as Batz
- La Ruelle au clair de lune (1988) as Pierre Willer
- Un coupable (1988) as L'avocat
- Nulle part ailleurs (1987) as Self
- Malady of Love (1987) as Raoul Bergeron
- The Veiled Man (1987) as Kassar
- The Distant Land (1987) as Friedrich Hofreiter
- La Rumba (1987) as Damien Malleville
- Mauvais Sang (1986) as Marc
- The Nonentity (1986) as der Tölpel
- My Brother-in-law Killed My Sister (1986) as Étienne Sembadel
- The Prude (1986) as Pierre
- Going and Coming Back (1985) as Simon Lerner
- Adieu Bonaparte (1985) as Caffarelli
- Death in a French Garden (1985) as Graham Tombsthay
- La Lune (1985)
- Long Live Life (1984) as Michel Perrin
- Dangerous Moves (1984) as Akiva Liebskind
- Le Matelot 512 (1984) as Narrator (voice)
- Success Is the Best Revenge (1984) as French Official
- The Prize of Peril (1983) as Frédéric Mallaire
- The General of the Dead Army (1983) as Benetandi
- The General of the Dead Army (1983) Producer
- Champs-Elysées (1982) as Self
- A Room in Town (1982) as Edmond Leroyer
- The Passerby (1982) as Max Baumstein
- That Night of Varennes (1982) as King Louis XVI (uncredited)
- Spy, Stand Up (1982) as Jean-Paul Chance
- Beyond the Door (1982) as Mr. Mutti
- The Eyes, the Mouth (1982) as Tío Agostino
- Will the High Salaried Workers Raise Their Hands! (1982) as José Viss
- Scénario du film Passion (1982) as Self
- Godard's Passion (1982) as Michel Boulard
- La Cerisaie (1982) as Léonid
- Wetten, dass..? (1981) as Self
- The Prodigal Daughter (1981) as Le père
- Strange Affair (1981) as Bertrand Malair
- Confused Feelings (1981) as Professor
- Du crime considéré comme un des beaux-arts. (1981) as Morrand
- Atlantic City (1980) as Joseph
- A Leap in the Dark (1980) as Mauro Ponticelli
- Docteur Teyran (1980) as Jean Teyran
- The Price of Survival (1980) as René Winterhalter
- The Price of Survival (1980) Producer
- The Bit Between the Teeth (1979) as Pierre Chazerand
- Atrocious Tales of Love and Death (1979) as Victor Navarro
- Le Divorcement (1979) as Philippe
- Ciné regards (1978) as Self
- The Savage State (1978) as Orlaville
- The Savage State (1978) Producer
- Little Girl in Blue Velvet (1978) as Conrad Brukner
- Sugar (1978) as Grezillo
- Fire's Share (1978) as Robert Hansen
- Chili Impressions (1978) as Self - Le lecteur des écrits d'A. Pinochet (voice)
- Strauberg ist da (1978) as Strauberg
- Rene the Cane (1977) as Ispettore Marchand
- That Obscure Object of Desire (1977) as Mathieu Faber (voice) (uncredited)
- Spoiled Children (1977) as Bernard Rougerie
- The Accuser (1977) as Saint-Ramé
- Spoiled Children (1977) Producer
- One Way or Another (1976) as Him
- The Last Woman (1976) as Michel
- Henry James Stories (1976) as Captain Roger
- Mado (1976) as Simon Léotard
- F as in Fairbanks (1976) as Etienne
- Apostrophes (1975) as Self
- Midi Première (1975) as Self
- Les Rendez-vous du dimanche (1975) as Self
- Seven Deaths by Prescription (1975) as Dr Losseray
- Seven Deaths by Prescription (1975) Associate Producer
- Leonor (1975) as Richard
- Leonor (1975) Producer
- Weak Spot (1975) as L'enquêteur
- Weak Spot (1975) Co-Producer
- Spécial cinéma (1974) as Self
- The Phantom of Liberty (1974) as The Second Police Prefect
- Don't Touch the White Woman! (1974) as Buffalo Bill
- Don't Touch the White Woman! (1974) Producer
- The Infernal Trio (1974) as Georges Sarret
- Loving in the Rain (1974) as Mr. Dellerue (voice)
- Life Size (1974) as Michel
- Life Size (1974) Producer
- The Voyage Into the Whirlpool Has Begun (1974)
- Vincent, Francois, Paul and the Others (1974) as François, médecin
- Themroc (1973) as Themroc
- La Grande Bouffe (1973) as Michel
- Wedding in Blood (1973) as Pierre Maury
- Far West (1973) as Indian chief
- The Woman in Blue (1973) as Pierre
- Midi trente (1972) as Self
- The Assassination (1972) as Colonel Kassar
- The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (1972) as Interior Minister
- Cesar and Rosalie (1972) as Narrator (voice)
- Liza (1972) as Giorgio's friend
- The Audience (1972) as Padre Amerin
- Samedi soir (1971) as Self
- V.I.P. Schaukel (1971) as Self
- Max and the Junkmen (1971) as Max, inspector
- Ten Days' Wonder (1971) as Paul Regis
- Touch and Go (1971) as Valentin
- Treffpunkte (1970) as Self
- The Things of Life (1970) as Pierre Bérard
- Invasion (1970) as Marcello
- Topaz (1969) as Jacques Granville
- Dillinger Is Dead (1969) as Glauco
- The Milky Way (1969) as Marquis de Sade
- The Uninvited (1969) as François Desailly
- Woman in Chains (1968) as L'invité pressé au vernissage (uncredited)
- Danger: Diabolik (1968) as Inspector Ginko
- Délire à deux (1968) as Him
- The Diary of an Innocent Boy (1968) as Count Philippe
- Heartbeat (1968) as Charles
- Belle de Jour (1967) as Henri Husson
- The Young Girls of Rochefort (1967) as Simon Dame
- My Love, My Love (1967) as Marrades
- Shock Troops (1967) as L'homme de trop
- The Dinosaur and the Baby (1967) as Paul Javal (archive footage)
- Romy: Anatomy of a Face (1967) as Self
- Is Paris Burning? (1966) as Edgar Pisani
- La Voleuse (1966) as Werner Kreuz
- Le Coup de grâce (1966) as Capri / Bruno
- The Creatures (1966) as Edgar Piccoli
- Elsa the Rose (1966) as Narrator (voice)
- The War Is Over (1966) as Inspector #1
- The Game Is Over (1966) as Alexandre Saccard
- The Devil's Tricks (1966) as L'antiquaire
- Dom Juan (1965) as Dom Juan
- Lady L (1965) as Lecoeur
- The Sleeping Car Murders (1965) as René Cabourg, l'employé besogneux (Victime #2)
- Masquerade (1965) as Georges Sarrassin
- Paparazzi (1964) as Texte dit par (voice)
- Paparazzi (1964) Writer
- All About Loving (1964) as Raoul
- Diary of a Chambermaid (1964) as Monsieur Monteil
- Café tabac (1964) as Récitant (voice)
- Luis Buñuel : Un cinéaste de notre temps (1964) as Narrator (voice)
- Chance at Love (1964) as Philippe Decharme (segment "Lucky la chance")
- L'Été en hiver (1964) as Jean, the Reporter
- Marie Soleil (1964) as Kafka
- Bardot et Godard (1964) as Self
- Contempt (1963) as Paul Javal
- The Day and the Hour (1963) as Antoine
- Hello Cubans (1963) as Narrator (voice)
- Adieu Philippine (1962) as Izquierdo dans l'émission de télévision 'Montserrat' (uncredited)
- Parisienne... Parisiennes (1962) as Récitant (voice)
- Climates of Love (1962) as François
- Le Doulos (1962) as Nuttheccio
- Le Temps des assassins (1962) as Récitant (voice)
- Hauteclaire (1961) as Serlon de Savigny
- Rendezvous (1961) as Paul
- La Chevelure (1961) as L'homme
- Amazons of Rome (1961) as Console Publicola
- Quarante fontaines (1961) as Récitant (voice)
- Fumée, histoire et fantaisie (1961)
- La dragée haute (1960) as Hugo Barsac
- Le Rendez-vous de Noël (1960)
- Danger in the Middle East (1960) as Brian Cannon
- Les Joueurs (1960) as Chvokhniev
- Le Chalet sous la neige (1959) as Robert
- La Nuit de Tom Brown (1959) as Tom Brown, jeune
- Beast at Bay (1959) as Commissioner Jacques Guimard
- Sinners of Paris (1958) as L'inspecteur Vardier, de la P.J.
- Tabarin (1958) as Jacques Forestier
- Nathalie (1957) as Franck Marchal
- Sunday Buddies (1957) as Le directeur de l'aéro-club
- The Witches of Salem (1957) as James Putnam
- Le Quadrille des diamants (1957) as Richard Burke
- Le Plus Heureux des trois (1957) as Pianist
- Death in the Garden (1956) as Father Lizzardi
- La France romane (1956) as Récitant (voice)
- The Grand Manoeuvre (1955) as Officer (uncredited)
- Bad Liaisons (1955) as un inspecteur
- French Cancan (1955) as Le Capitaine Valorgueil
- Price of Love (1955) as Georges
- Ernst Thälmann – Leader of the Working Class (1955) as Maurice Rouger
- Croissance de Paris (1955) as Récitant (voice)
- Tout chante autour de moi (1954) as Reverdier
- Saint-Tropez, devoirs de vacances (1954) as Gérard
- Daughters of Destiny (1954) as Pasquerel (segment "Jeanne")
- Horizons... (1953) as un ouvrier
- Torticola versus Frankensberg (1952) as Torticola
- German Film Award (1951) as Self
- Without Leaving an Address (1951) as Un journaliste aux archives (uncredited)
- Without Leaving an Address (1951) as Un journaliste aux archives
- Chicago Digest (1951) as Slim Spring
- Terreur en Oklahoma (1951) as Tommy Goudchote
- La Leçon d'humour dans un parc (1951)
- The Mark of the Day (1949) as Georges Gohelle
- The Perfume of the Lady in Black (1949) as Lebel
- The Bellman (1945) as Un villageois