Jean Edmond Dujardin (; born 19 June 1972) is a French actor and comedian. He began his career as a stand-up comedian in

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...

before guest starring in comedic television programmes and films. He first came to prominence with the cult TV series ''

Un gars, une fille ''Un gars, une fille'' (, ''A Guy, A Girl'') is a Canadian comedy television series created by and starring Guy A. Lepage and broadcast on Radio-Canada, as well as the title of its French adaptation on France 2. It was one of the most successf ...

'', in which he starred alongside his lover Alexandra Lamy, before gaining success in film with movies such as ''

Brice de Nice ''Brice de Nice'' (, ) is a 2005 French surreal comedy-drama film directed by James Huth, written by Huth, Jean Dujardin, and Karine Angeli, and starring Dujardin. It is set in France, centering on the character Brice from Nice ("Brice de Nice") o ...

'',

Michel Hazanavicius Michel Hazanavicius ( lt, Hazanavičius; born 29 March 1967) is a French film director, screenwriter, editor, and producer. He is best known for his 2011 film, '' The Artist'', which won the Academy Award for Best Picture at the 84th Academy Aw ...

's '' OSS 117: Cairo, Nest of Spies'' and its sequel '' OSS 117: Lost in Rio'', as well as ''

99 Francs ''99 Francs'' is a 2000 novel by French writer Frédéric Beigbeder. The book was released in France on August 2000 through Grasset & Fasquelle and has since been re-released under the titles ''€ 14.99'' and ''€ 5.90''. Shortly after the book ...

''. Dujardin garnered international fame and widespread acclaim with his performance of George Valentin in the 2011 award-winning silent movie '' The Artist''. The role won him numerous awards, including the Academy Award for Best Actor (the first for a French actor), the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy, the

BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role Best Actor in a Leading Role is a British Academy Film Award presented annually by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) to recognize an actor who has delivered an outstanding leading performance in a film. Superlatives Note: ...

, the

Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role The Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role in a Motion Picture is an award given by the Screen Actors Guild to honor the finest acting achievements in film. Winners and nominees 1990s 2000s 2 ...

and the Cannes Film Festival Best Actor. He later appeared in

Martin Scorsese Martin Charles Scorsese ( , ; born November 17, 1942) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter and actor. Scorsese emerged as one of the major figures of the New Hollywood era. He is the recipient of many major accolades, inclu ...

's 2013 black comedy '' The Wolf of Wall Street'' and George Clooney's 2014 historical drama, ''

The Monuments Men ''The Monuments Men'' is a 2014 war film directed by George Clooney and written and produced by Clooney and Grant Heslov. The film stars an ensemble cast including Clooney, Matt Damon, Bill Murray, John Goodman, Jean Dujardin, Bob Balaban, Hug ...

''.

Early life

Jean Dujardin was born on 19 June 1972 in Paris and raised in

Rueil-Malmaison Rueil-Malmaison () is a commune in the western suburbs of Paris, in the Hauts-de-Seine department, Île-de-France region. It is located from the centre of Paris. In 2017, it had a population of 78,152. It is one of the wealthiest suburbs of P ...

, Hauts-de-Seine,

Île-de-France The Île-de-France (, ; literally "Isle of France") is the most populous of the eighteen regions of France. Centred on the capital Paris, it is located in the north-central part of the country and often called the ''Région parisienne'' (; en, Pa ...

, a

commune A commune is an alternative term for an intentional community. Commune or comună or comune or other derivations may also refer to: Administrative-territorial entities * Commune (administrative division), a municipality or township ** Communes of ...

in the western suburbs of Paris. After attending high school, he went to work for the construction company of his father, Jacques Dujardin. Dujardin began contemplating a career in acting while serving his

mandatory military service Conscription (also called the draft in the United States) is the state-mandated enlistment of people in a national service, mainly a military service. Conscription dates back to antiquity and it continues in some countries to the present day un ...

a few years later.

Career

Jean Dujardin began his acting career performing a self-written one-man show in various bars and cabarets in Paris. He first gained attention when he appeared on the French talent show ''

Graines de star ''Graines de star'' () was a French television talent show created by Thierry Ardisson, presented by Laurent Boyer and broadcast on the French TV channel M6 on Friday evenings at 8:50 pm between February 1996 and March 2003. Notable performers ...

'' in 1996 as part of the comedy group ''Nous Ç Nous'', which was formed by members of the ''Carré blanc'' theater. From 1999 to 2003, Dujardin starred in the France production of the originally Canadian comedy series ''

'', alongside his future wife Alexandra Lamy, before transitioning to a career in film. The TV series charted the path of a relationship; each episode was less than ten minutes long. In 2005, he portrayed the titular surfer in the popular comedic film ''

'' and performed on its accompanying soundtrack. In 2006, Dujardin starred as racist, sexist secret agent

Hubert Bonisseur de La Bath OSS 117 is the codename for Hubert Bonisseur de La Bath, a fictional secret agent created by French writer Jean Bruce. Hubert Bonisseur de La Bath is described as being an American Colonel from Louisiana of French descent. After service in the Of ...

in the comedy '' OSS 117: Cairo, Nest of Spies'', a role which earned him an Etoile D'Or Award and a César Award nomination for Best Actor. The film's success spawned a sequel, '' OSS 117: Lost in Rio''. In 2007, directed by

Jan Kounen Jan Kounen (born Jan Coenen; 2 May 1964) is a Netherlands-born French film director and producer. In France, he is mostly known for his films ''Dobermann'' (1997), '' Blueberry, l'experience secrete'' (2004) and '' 99 francs'' (2007). Outside ...

, he starred in the film '' 99F (99 francs)'', a very successful existential parody of an advertising exec, adapted from the eponymous best-seller written by

Frédéric Beigbeder Frédéric Beigbeder (; born 21 September 1965) is a French writer, literary critic and television presenter. He won the Prix Interallié in 2003 for his novel ''Windows on the World'' and the Prix Renaudot in 2009 for his book ''Un roman françai ...

. This same year, he ventured in drama for the first time on the silver screen, playing a tortured father and cop in Franck Mancuso's ''

Contre-enquête ''Counter Investigation'' (french: Contre-enquête) is a 2007 French crime film directed by Franck Mancuso that came out in 2007, with Jean Dujardin in the leading role. From a story by Lawrence Block Lawrence Block (born June 24, 1938) is a ...

''. In 2009, he appeared in ''

A Man and His Dog ''A Man and His Dog'' (''Un Homme et Son Chien'') is a 2008 French film directed by French director Francis Huster, starring Jean-Paul Belmondo, based on the 1952 film '' Umberto D.'' directed by Vittorio De Sica, and written by Cesare Zavattini. ...

'' alongside screen legend

Jean-Paul Belmondo Jean-Paul Charles Belmondo (; 9 April 19336 September 2021) was a French actor and producer. Initially associated with the New Wave of the 1960s, he was a major French film star for several decades from the 1960s onward. His best known credits ...

, with whom he has often been compared. In 2010, he starred alongside

Albert Dupontel Albert Dupontel (; born 11 January 1964) is a French actor, film director and screenwriter. Following his father's path, he studied medicine but eventually switched to theater, disillusioned by hospital life. He started his career as a stand-u ...

, playing his character's cancer in '' The Clink of Ice'', a French black comedy written and directed by

Bertrand Blier Bertrand Blier (; born 14 March 1939) is a French film director and writer. His 1978 film '' Get Out Your Handkerchiefs'' won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film at the 51st Academy Awards. He is the son of famous French actor Bern ...

In 2011, Dujardin starred as movie star George Valentin in the

silent film A silent film is a film with no synchronized Sound recording and reproduction, recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) ...

'' The Artist'', reuniting him with ''OSS 117: Cairo, Nest of Spies'' director

and his co-star in that film,

Bérénice Bejo Bérénice Bejo (; born 7 July 1976) is a French-Argentine actress best known for playing Christiana in ''A Knight's Tale'' (2001) and Peppy Miller in '' The Artist'' (2011). Her work in the latter earned her a nomination for the Academy Award ...

. The film premiered at the 2011

Cannes Film Festival The Cannes Festival (; french: link=no, Festival de Cannes), until 2003 called the International Film Festival (') and known in English as the Cannes Film Festival, is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films o ...

, where he received the Best Actor Award. His performance garnered much critical acclaim and he received numerous nominations, including the

Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor The Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Actor is an award given out at the annual Critics' Choice Movie Awards. The awards are presented by the Critics Choice Association (CCA) and was first presented in 1995. There were no official nominees ann ...

and the Screen Actors Guild for Best Actor. On 15 January 2012, Dujardin won a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy. He later went on to win the Screen Actors Guild for Best Actor, and the BAFTA for Best Actor. He was also nominated for the César award of the best actor but lost it to

Omar Sy Omar Sy (, ff, 𞤌𞤥𞤢𞤪 𞤅𞤭, Omar Si; born 20 January 1978) is a French actor, best known in France for his sketches with Fred Testot on the '' Service après-vente des émissions'' television show on Canal+ (2005–2012). He gain ...

for his role in the second most ever viewed movie in France '' Intouchables''. Dujardin went on to win the Best Actor award at the

84th Academy Awards The 84th Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), honored the best films of 2011 in the United States and took place on February 26, 2012, at the Hollywood and Highland Center Theatre in H ...

. In effect he is the fourth French actor to be nominated for an

Oscar Oscar, OSCAR, or The Oscar may refer to: People * Oscar (given name), an Irish- and English-language name also used in other languages; the article includes the names Oskar, Oskari, Oszkár, Óscar, and other forms. * Oscar (Irish mythology) ...

and the first to win the Best Actor. Following his Oscar nomination for his role in ''The Artist'', WME agency signed the actor. French film historian Tim Palmer has analyzed Dujardin's career and rise to success in France, noting how his formative roles were often unredeemable buffoons, very skillful portrayals of childlike men who aggressively and unabashedly reject the responsibilities and compromises of adult life. Dujardin's breakthrough roles as Brice de Nice and OSS 117 exemplified this tendency. In February 2012, Dujardin appeared in '' Les Infidèles'' with co-star and friend

Gilles Lellouche Gilles Lellouche (; born 5 July 1972) is a French actor. He started his career as a director. Lellouche has appeared in more than fifty films since 1995. He was nominated twice for a César Award; in 2006 for Most Promising Actor and in 2011 f ...

. He was invited to join the

Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS, often pronounced ; also known as simply the Academy or the Motion Picture Academy) is a professional honorary organization with the stated goal of advancing the arts and sciences of motio ...

in June 2012 along with 175 other individuals. In 2013, Dujardin starred in

Éric Rochant Éric Rochant (born 24 February 1961) is a French film director and screenwriter. He is an alumnus of the IDHEC ( FEMIS) from the generation of Arnaud Desplechin and Noémie Lvovsky. Rochant is of Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִי� ...

's '' Möbius'' with

Cécile de France Cécile de France (; born 17 July 1975) is a Belgian actress. After achieving success in French cinema hits such as '' L'Art (délicat) de la séduction'' (2001) and ''Irène'' (2002), she gained international attention for her lead roles in ''H ...

and

Tim Roth Timothy Simon Roth (born 14 May 1961) is an English actor and producer. He began acting on films and television series in the 1980s. He was among a group of prominent British actors of the era, the " Brit Pack". He made his television debut ...

. His second film that year was

's '' The Wolf of Wall Street'', playing alongside Leonardo DiCaprio,

Jonah Hill Jonah Hill Feldstein (born December 20, 1983) is an American actor, comedian, and filmmaker. He is known for his comedic roles in films including ''Superbad'' (2007), '' Knocked Up'' (2007), '' 21 Jump Street'' (2012), '' This Is the End'' (201 ...

Matthew McConaughey Matthew David McConaughey ( ; born November 4, 1969) is an American actor. He had his breakout role with a supporting performance in the coming-of-age comedy '' Dazed and Confused'' (1993). After a number of supporting roles, his first succes ...

, and

Kyle Chandler Kyle Martin Chandler (born September 17, 1965) is an American actor. Making his screen acting debut in a 1988 television film, '' Quiet Victory: The Charlie Wedemeyer Story'', Chandler's first regular television role was in the ABC drama '' Ho ...

, among others. He appeared in ''

'', directed by George Clooney, and co-starring Clooney,

Matt Damon Matthew Paige Damon (; born October 8, 1970) is an American actor, film producer, and screenwriter. Ranked among ''Forbes'' most bankable stars, the films in which he has appeared have collectively earned over $3.88 billion at the North Ameri ...

, and Cate Blanchett, and starred in the French film ''Le Petit Joueur''. In late 2014, ''

La French ''The Connection'' (french: La French) is a 2014 action crime thriller film directed by Cédric Jimenez and produced by Alain Goldman. The film was inspired by the events of the French Connection in the 1970s, starring Jean Dujardin as police mag ...

'', was released in Europe and subsequently in the United States in early 2015. He plays a French police magistrate who tries to dismantle the

French Connection The French Connection was a scheme through which heroin was smuggled from Indochina through Turkey to France and then to the United States and Canada, sometimes through Cuba. The operation started in the 1930s, reached its peak in the 1960s, and ...

and bring down the

Unione Corse The Unione Corse is a Corsican mafia criminal organization operating primarily out of Corsica and Marseille, France. Members of this organization, along with various other crime families, maintained the French Connection – a heroin trade monop ...

Personal life

Dujardin has been married three times and has four children. His first marriage, to Gaëlle Demars, ended in 2003. They have two sons, born in 2000 and 2001. In 2003, he started dating his on-screen partner Alexandra Lamy of the comedy series ''

''; the two had originally met at the audition, and fell in love while shooting the series. They married in

Anduze Anduze (; oc, Andusa) is a commune in the Gard department in southern France.Anduze", Encyclopædia Britannica, 9th ed., Vol. II, New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1878, p. 24 . The village is at the foot of the Cevennes range, in the limesto ...

on 25 July 2009. In November 2013, it was announced that the couple had separated. He began dating French

ice dancer Ice dance (sometimes referred to as ice dancing) is a discipline of figure skating that historically draws from ballroom dancing. It joined the World Figure Skating Championships in 1952, and became a Winter Olympic Games medal sport in 1976. Ac ...

Nathalie Péchalat Nathalie Péchalat (born 22 December 1983) is a French retired ice dancer and skating official, who served as the president of the Fédération française des sports de glace from 2020 to 2022. During her competitive career with partner Fabi ...

in 2014 after following her to Japan to watch her perform in the world ice skating championships, and they had a daughter who they named Jeanne, in December 2015. They married on 19 May 2018 in a small ceremony. Nathalie Péchalat gave birth to daughter Alice in February 2021

Filmography

Film

Television

Music video

* 2005 : " Le Casse de Brice" (directed by J.G. Biggs) * 2016 : "Pour un pote" featuring

Bigflo & Oli Bigflo & Oli is a French hip-hop duo from Toulouse. The duo is composed of two brothers, Florian "Bigflo" Ordoñez and Olivio "Oli" Ordoñez. Their debut album ''La Cour des grands'' was released in 2015 and received a gold record award in France ...

References

External links

*
Oscar contender Dujardin in ad campaign controversy over new film on RFI English
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dujardin, Jean 1972 births Living people Best Actor Academy Award winners Best Actor BAFTA Award winners Best Actor AACTA International Award winners Best Musical or Comedy Actor Golden Globe (film) winners Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actor winners French male film actors French comedians French television directors People from Rueil-Malmaison French male television actors 20th-century French male actors 21st-century French male actors Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role Screen Actors Guild Award winners Independent Spirit Award for Best Male Lead winners French male screenwriters French screenwriters French male comedians French male voice actors Knights of the Ordre national du Mérite Chevaliers of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres