Pierre Richard
Biography
Pierre Richard was born Pierre-Richard Maurice Charles Leopold Defays on August 16, 1934, in Valenciennes, Nord, France, with his grandfather later changing the spelling of the family name. Also known as Pierre-Richard Defays, he is a popular French actor, film director, and occasional singer. He is best known for portraying clumsy daydreamers in comedy films and is considered by contemporaries such as Louis de Funes and Gerard Depardieu to be one of the greatest and most talented French comedians in the last 50 years. His professional credits on the Movie Database include 147 known acting credits. His place of birth is also recorded as Valenciennes, Hauts-de-France, France.
Career overview
Pierre Richard is a popular French actor born on August 16, 1934, in Valenciennes, Nord, France, with his full birth name recorded as Pierre-Richard Maurice Charles Léopold Defays. Known primarily for playing the role of a clumsy daydreamer in comedy films, Richard has established a prominent career in the film industry. Figures such as Louis de Funès and Gérard Depardieu have considered him one of the greatest and most talented French comedians in the last fifty years.
Alongside his prominent acting career, which spans a significant number of known credits on screen, Richard has also worked as a film director and occasional singer. His contributions to cinema are recognized internationally, and he remains a prominent figure in French comedy.
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Career timeline
Full filmography
- Tapis rouge à Groland (2026) as Pierre Richard
- The Man Who Saw the Bear (2025) as Grégoire
- The Man Who Saw the Bear (2025) Director
- The Man Who Saw the Bear (2025) Screenplay
- Kogis, ensemble pour soigner la Terre (2025) as Voice Narrator
- Fêlés (2024) as Pierre
- Sailing Home (2024) as Pierre Choveau
- Beau geste (2023) as Self
- Asterix & Obelix: The Middle Kingdom (2023) as Panoramix
- Jeanne du Barry (2023) as Le Duc de Richelieu
- Umami (2023) as Rufus
- Epic Tails (2023) as Zeus (voice)
- La Plus belle pour aller danser (2023) as Albert
- Sous les nénuphars (2023) as Claude Monet
- Two Words as the Key (2023) as Michel
- Le Late avec Alain Chabat (2022) as Self - Guest
- Je t'aime, filme-moi ! (2022)
- Tricky Old Dogs 2 (2022) as Pierrot
- A Christmas Story (2022) as Himself
- Pierre Richard... en mode Veber (2022) as Self
- Samedi Sébastien (2021) as Self - Guest
- Rabbit's Paw (2021)
- The Angel in the Wall (2021) as Pietro
- Brutus vs Cesar (2020) as Alorix
- For the Ones We Loved (2019) as Orphée
- Tricky Old Dogs (2018) as Pierrot
- Pierre Richard, le discret (2018) as Himself
- Family Is Family (2018) as Joseph Duquesne, Valentine's father
- Overman (2018) as Marcel Lefavre
- Mme Mills, une voisine si parfaite (2018) as Mrs. Mills / Léonard
- On refait les grands duos d'humour (2018) as Self
- Lost in Paris (2017) as Duncan
- Mr. Stein Goes Online (2017) as Pierre Stein
- Little Spirou (2017) as Grand Papy
- À la recherche de... Pierre Richard (2017) as Self (archive footage)
- À la recherche de... Pierre Richard (2017) Thanks
- L'insonne ouverture (2016)
- Dialogue avec Pierre Richard (2016) as Himself
- Agafia (2015) as Dimitri
- Gaumont, en effeuillant la marguerite (2015) as Self
- La Folle Histoire de François Pignon - De La chèvre au Dîner de cons (2015) as Self
- Le Vendredi 13 de Pierre Richard (2014) as Lui même
- Le Vendredi 13 de Pierre Richard (2014) Writer
- The Little Blond Boy with a White Sheep (2013) as La grand-mère
- Paper Souls (2013) as Victor
- Prodavets igrushek (2013)
- Départ immédiat (2012) as Self
- Antoine’s four Seasons (2012) as Le grand-père
- All Together (2012) as Albert
- Mes héros (2012) as Jean, Jacques' old friend
- Platane (2011) as Pierre Richard
- The Great Restaurant (2010) as Le père de Pierre
- C à vous (2009) as Self - Guest
- Cineman (2009) as Self
- A Happy Man (2009) as Pierre
- Victor (2009) as Victor
- Eleanor's Secret (2009) as Adrien (voice)
- King Guillaume (2009) as William Fernand
- Paris 36 (2008) as Max, aka 'Monsieur TSF'
- Mia and the Migoo (2008) as Pedro, le père de Mia
- On n'est pas couché (2006) as Self - Guest
- The Snake (2006) as Cendras
- Pierre et fils (2006) as Pierre père
- Try Me (2006) as Yves-Marie's father
- Le Cactus (2005) as Christian
- Dérives (2005)
- Pierre Richard - Détournement de Mémoire (2005) as Pierre Richard
- Pierre Richard - Détournement de Mémoire (2005) Writer
- Pierre Richard, l'art du déséquilibre (2005) as Self
- Transit (2004) as Medical examiner
- After We're Gone (2004) as Jean-René
- The Car Keys (2003) as Actor who refuses to film with Laurent
- Robinson Crusoe (2003) as Robinson Crusoe
- The Very Merry Widows (2003) as Maurice Donnay
- Robinson Crusoé (2003) as Robinson Crusoe
- 27 Missing Kisses (2000) as Captain
- Scénarios sur la drogue (2000) as Segment "Les mots attendrot"
- Without Family (2000) as Vitalo Pedrotti
- Sans famille (2000) as Vitalis / Vitalo Pedrotti
- Vivement dimanche (1998) as Self
- Droit dans le mur (1997) as Romain
- Droit dans le mur (1997) Director
- Droit dans le mur (1997) Writer
- A Chef in Love (1996) as Pascal Ichak
- Die Harald Schmidt Show (1995) as Self
- L'Amour conjugal (1995) as Squirrat
- The Chess Game (1994) as Ambroise
- Loonies at Large (1993) as Bertrand Daumale
- Old Rascal (1992) as Charlie
- One Can Always Dream (1991) as Charles De Boylesve
- One Can Always Dream (1991) Director
- One Can Always Dream (1991) Writer
- Welcome Aboard! (1990) as The Hitchhiker
- Promotion canapé (1990) as L'informateur
- Nailcruncher (1988) as Mangeclous
- Door on the Left as You Leave the Elevator (1988) as Yann Ducoudray
- Sacrée soirée (1987) as Self
- Nulle part ailleurs (1987) as Self
- Parlez-moi du Che (1987) as Self
- Parlez-moi du Che (1987) Director
- Parlez-moi du Che (1987) Writer
- The Fugitives (1986) as François Pignon
- Les Rois du gag (1985) as In person at the César Awards ceremony (uncredited)
- Dialogue de sourds (1985) as The paraplegic
- Slices of Life (1985) as Dubois - le commandant de bord (uncredited)
- The Twin (1984) as Matthias Duval / Mathieu Duval
- The ComDads (1983) as François Pignon
- The ComDads (1983) Producer
- Pick Up Your Belongings (1983) as Pierre Cohen
- Pick Up Your Belongings (1983) Producer
- Champs-Elysées (1982) as Self
- Wetten, dass..? (1981) as Self
- La Chèvre (1981) as François Perrin
- Umbrella Coup (1980) as Grégoire Lecomte, acteur à mi-temps, dragueur à plein temps
- It's Not Me, It's Him (1980) as Pierre Renard
- It's Not Me, It's Him (1980) Director
- It's Not Me, It's Him (1980) Screenplay
- Une nuit rêvée pour un poisson banal (1980) as Man who asks for the bill (uncredited)
- Okay (1979) as Self
- Ciné regards (1978) as Self
- Rire et sourire : Le Splendid (1978) as Lui-même dans l'émission « Les Grands Zinzins », 1978
- Out of It (1978) as Jean-Philippe Duroc, Gaulard's Lawyer
- Too Shy to Try (1978) as Pierre Renaud
- Too Shy to Try (1978) Director
- Too Shy to Try (1978) Screenplay
- 30 millions d'amis (1976) as Self
- The Toy (1976) as François Perrin, journalist
- The Toy (1976) Producer
- The Bottom Line (1976) as François Perrin
- The Castaways of Turtle Island (1976) as Jean-Arthur Bonaventure
- Les Rendez-vous du dimanche (1975) as Self
- Trop c'est trop (1975) as Cameo
- The Wild Goose Chase (1975) as Pierre Vidal
- Spécial cinéma (1974) as Self
- Der große Preis (1974) as Self
- Am laufenden Band (1974) as Self - Guest
- The Return of the Tall Blond Man with One Black Shoe (1974) as François Perrin
- I'm Losing My Temper (1974) as Pierre Durois
- I'm Losing My Temper (1974) Writer
- A Cloud in the Teeth (1974) as Prévot
- Juliette et Juliette (1974) as Bob Rozenec
- The Right of the Maddest (1973) as Le gendarme élève motorisé
- I Don't Know Much, But I'll Say Everything (1973) as Pierre Gastié-le-Roy
- I Don't Know Much, But I'll Say Everything (1973) Director
- I Don't Know Much, But I'll Say Everything (1973) Writer
- Midi trente (1972) as Self
- Le Grand Échiquier (1972) as Self
- The Tall Blond Man with One Black Shoe (1972) as François Perrin
- The Troubles of Alfred (1972) as Alfred Dhumonttiey
- The Troubles of Alfred (1972) Director
- The Troubles of Alfred (1972) Writer
- Samedi soir (1971) as Self
- Perrault 70 (1970)
- Distracted (1970) as Pierre Malaquet
- Distracted (1970) Writer
- Distracted (1970) Director
- Agence Interim (1969) as le chef de bande
- Three Men on a Horse (1969) as Painter
- The Fighting Cock (1969) as Pierre
- Ora X Pattuglia Suicida (1969)
- Woman in Chains (1968) as L'artiste qui a besoin de lumière (uncredited)
- Very Happy Alexander (1968) as Colibert
- Idiot in Paris (1967) as Un agent de police
- J'ai les peintres (1966) as Un peintre
- J'ai les peintres (1966) Screenplay
- The Mad Dog (1966)
- Roméos et Jupettes (1966)
- Skin and Bones (1961) as Pierini
- Wasteland (1960)
- The Lovers of Montparnasse (1958) as un étudiant peintre (uncredited)
- Parade nuptiale
- La naissance du Grand Blond as Self
- Josephe