Personal Info
Known For:
Acting
Birthday:
May 6, 1952
Place of Birth:
Paris, France
Social Media
Christian Clavier
Biography
Christian Clavier is a French actor, screenwriter, film producer and film director. He is the brother of French film director Stéphane Clavier.
After his high class studies at the Neuilly Lycée Pasteur—though asserted here and there, he never studied at Institut d'Études Politiques de Paris (Sciences Po) —he started his actor career with the comedic theater troupe Splendid, which had hits with films like Les Bronzés font du ski and Le Père Noël est une ordure.
His most notable success without the Splendid group, and by far his biggest hit to date, was in the 1993 film les Visiteurs, where he played a character known as Jacquouille la fripouille; the character's cry of "Okkkayyy!!" became a popular exclamation after the movie's success.
After les Visiteurs he was a certified star, participating in big-budget films like Astérix et Obélix contre César, Astérix & Obélix: Mission Cléopâtre, and the sequel and remake of Visiteurs. He also played several dramatic roles on television, including M. Thénardier in Les Misérables (2000 television version) and Napoléon in a biographical television film.
Clavier has played in notable duos with: Jean Reno in les Visiteurs (the Visitors) and the US remake, Just Visiting, L'Opération Corned-Beef and L'Enquête corse (The Corsican investigation). Gérard Depardieu in Astérix et Obélix (Asterix and Obelix) and Les anges gardiens. He also runs a production company, Ouille Production.
He was made Chevalier (Knight) of the Ordre national du Mérite on 13 June 1998, and promoted Officier (Officer) in 2005. He was made Chevalier (Knight) of the Légion d'honneur in 2008.
He is a friend of former French président Nicolas Sarkozy, and recently emigrated to England as a result of Francois Hollande's punitive tax policy, mirrored in his Astérix co-star Gérard Depardieu's self-imposed exile to Belgium.
Known For
Filmography
| Year | Movie | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Cocorico 2 | Frédéric Bouvier Sauvage |
| 2026 | Kaamelott: The Second Chapter (Part II) | Le jurisconsulte |
| 2025 | The Rookie Guide | Karol Kowalski |
| 2025 | Kaamelott: The Second Chapter (Part I) | Le jurisconsulte |
| 2024 | Not Without My Shrink | Olivier Béranger |
| 2024 | Cocorico | Frédéric Bouvier Sauvage |
| 2023 | L'Âge d'or de la pub | Self (archive footage) |
| 2023 | Les Vengeances de Maître Poutifard | Robert Poutifard |
| 2022 | Employee of the Month | Michel Gougnat, syndicaliste |
| 2021 | Qu'est-ce qu'ils ont fait au bon Dieu ? | Self |
| 2021 | Kaamelott: The First Chapter | Le Jurisconsulte |
| 2021 | Christmas with the Tuches | Le Père Noël |
| 2021 | Serial (Bad) Weddings 3 | Claude Verneuil |
| 2021 | Do You Do You Saint-Tropez | Jean Boulin |
| 2019 | Serial (Bad) Weddings 2 | Claude Verneuil |
| 2019 | Ibiza | Philippe |
| 2019 | Wide Load | Foster |
| 2019 | Meet the Malawas | Julien Gosset-Grainville |
| 2018 | Spirou & Fantasio's Big Adventures | Comte de Champignac |
| 2018 | Asterix: The Secret of the Magic Potion | Astérix (voice) |
| 2017 | A Bag of Marbles | Docteur Rosen |
| 2017 | With Open Arms | Jean-Etienne Fougerole |
| 2017 | If I Were a Boy | Docteur PACE |
| 2017 | Finding Momo | Alain Prioux |
| 2016 | The Visitors: Bastille Day | Jacquouille la Fripouille/Antoine-Claude Jacquouillet/Edmond Jacquart |
| 2016 | Cédric | Pépé |
| 2015 | Babysitting 2 | Alain |
| 2014 | Serial (Bad) Weddings | Claude Verneuil |
| 2014 | The Secret of Arkandias | Agenor Arkandias |
| 2014 | Do Not Disturb | Michel Leproux |
| 2014 | Des Bronzés au Père Noël, la folle histoire du Splendid | Self / Various characters |
| 2013 | Serial Teachers | Cutiro / Tirocu |
| 2013 | Les affaires sont les affaires | Le marquis de Porcellet |
| 2013 | Le Bœuf clandestin | monsieur Berthaud |
| 2011 | You Don't Choose Your Family | César |
| 2011 | La Cage aux folles | Georges |
| 2011 | Il était une fois... « Le père Noël est une ordure » | Self |
| 2009 | Bitter Victory | Vincent Cluzel |
| 2009 | Le Bourgeois gentilhomme | Monsieur Jourdain |
| 2008 | The Imaginary Invalid | Argan |
| 2007 | The Price to Pay | Jean-Pierre Ménard |
| 2007 | The Red Inn | Pierre Martin |
| 2006 | French Fried Vacations 3: Friends Forever | Jérôme Tarayre |
| 2006 | L'Entente cordiale | François de La Conche |
| 2005 | Les Visiteurs revisités | Self |
| 2005 | The Antidote | Jacques-Alain Marty « JAM » |
| 2004 | The Corsican File | Rémi François, aka Jack Palmer |
| 2004 | Albert est méchant | Patrick Lechat |
| 2003 | Lovely Rita | Edgar Lamarck |
| 2002 | Asterix & Obelix: Mission Cleopatra | Astérix |
| 2002 | How we made Asterix & Obelix: Mission Cleopatra | Self |
| 2002 | A Day in the Life of French Cinema | Self |
| 2001 | Just Visiting | Andre |
| 1999 | Asterix & Obelix Take on Caesar | Astérix |
| 1998 | The Visitors II: The Corridors of Time | Jacquouille la Fripouille / Jacques-Henri Jacquard / Prosper le Purineur / Jacouillet |
| 1997 | Les Sœurs Soleil | Un spectateur |
| 1996 | Panique au Plazza | |
| 1995 | Guardian Angels | Père Hervé Tarain / La « mauvaise conscience » |
| 1994 | Revenge of a Blonde | Gérard Bréha |
| 1994 | Dead Tired | Christian Clavier |
| 1993 | The Visitors | Jacquouille la Fripouille / Jacques-Henri Jacquard |
| 1993 | The Thirst for Gold | Urbain Donnadieu |
| 1991 | L'Opération Corned Beef | Jean-Jacques Granianski, le pigeon manipulé |
| 1991 | The Professional Secrets of Dr. Apfelgluck | L'avocat |
| 1991 | Les gens ne sont pas forcément ignobles | Pierre |
| 1989 | My Best Pals | Jean-Michel Tuilier |
| 1989 | Les cigognes n'en font qu'à leur tête | le petit chef de la DDASS |
| 1989 | Mieux vaut courir | Simon |
| 1989 | Fantôme sur l'oreiller | Brice Michaud |
| 1989 | Un fil à la patte | Fernand de Bois d'Enghien |
| 1987 | The Debauched Life of Gerard Floque | Edouard |
| 1986 | Twist Again in Moscow | Iouri |
| 1986 | Double mixte | Bob Smith |
| 1986 | L'été 36 | Alexis |
| 1985 | Slices of Life | L'ami du dragueur / Charles-Henri / L'amant anti-chien |
| 1985 | Santa Claus Is a Stinker | Jean-Jacques dit « Katia » |
| 1983 | Gramps Is in the Resistance | Michel Taupin |
| 1983 | Rock and Torah | Isaac Stern |
| 1982 | Santa Claus Is a Stinker | Jean-Jacques dit « Katia » |
| 1982 | Elle voit des nains partout ! | le fourbe |
| 1981 | Clara and Chics Types | Charles |
| 1981 | Quand tu seras débloqué... fais-moi signe ! | Antoine Bonfils |
| 1980 | Rat Race | Jérôme Osendron |
| 1980 | Cocktail Molotov | Le Beatnick |
| 1979 | French Fried Vacation 2 | Jérôme Tarayre, general practitioner |
| 1979 | Heroes Are Not Wet Behind the Ears | Man in the couple with the 2CV |
| 1978 | French Fried Vacation | Jérôme Tarayre, bad general practitioner |
| 1978 | Like a Turtle on Its Back | un fêtard dans la voiture |
| 1977 | Tell Her That I Love Her | François |
| 1977 | The Devil in the Box | Renaud |
| 1977 | You Won't Have Alsace-Lorraine | Le conteur (voice) |
| 1977 | Spoiled Children | Le journaliste télé |
| 1976 | The Bottom Line | comédien en répétition (non crédité) |
| 1976 | Let's Make a Dirty Movie | Un flic |
| 1976 | F as in Fairbanks | Le serveur |
| 1975 | The Restroom Robbery | L'agent de sécurité homosexuel (uncredited) |
| 1975 | Un bol d'air | Christian |
| 1975 | Let Joy Reign Supreme | The servant of the inn |
| 1974 | Bonne présentation exigée | Le chauffagiste |
| 1974 | The Suspects | Photographer |
| 1973 | The Year 01 | A debate viewer |
| Le Chat du rabbin | Le rabbin | |
| Le million | Hippolyte |
| Year | TV Show | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Loris Giuliano en balade | Self - Guest |
| 2023 | Faut Voir - L'hebdo cinéma | Self - Guest |
| 2022 | Il était une fois Champs-Élysées | Self (archive footage) |
| 2021 | Samedi Sébastien | Self - Guest |
| 2006 | Kronprinz Rudolf | Graf Taaffe |
| 2002 | Napoleon | Napoléon Bonaparte |
| 2000 | Les Misérables | Thénardier |
| 1998 | Vivement dimanche | Self |
| 1990 | Les Nuls, l'émission | Self |
| 1990 | Stars 90 | Self |
| 1988 | Palace | Chef Briffaud |
| 1987 | Nulle part ailleurs | Self |
| 1987 | Sacrée soirée | Self |
| 1982 | Merci Bernard | Professor Kottich |
| 1982 | Champs-Elysées | Self |
| 1978 | Rire et sourire : Le Splendid | Jean-Jacques Dangle, le présentateur |
| 1975 | Les Rendez-vous du dimanche | Self |
| 1975 | Numéro un | Self |