Vera Herbert

Gérard Xavier Marcel Depardieu, a French actor born in 1948, has starred in some of the most significant films in both French and world cinema over the past 40 years. In 1964, he went to Paris with his acting student friend Michel Pilorgé. After watching a Molière play, he decided to become an actor. After receiving free lessons at the Théâtre National Populaire, he graduated from the École d'art dramatique directed by Jean-Laurent Cochet in 1966. One of his classmates was Claude Jade. Depardieu met director and screenwriter Marguerite Duras through director Claude Régy, and within a few years, he made four films with her. Among these films, *Nathalie Granger* (1971) and *Les Valseuses* (1973) brought him recognition. In the 1980s, Depardieu became one of the leading French actors. His role in François Truffaut's *La Femme d'à côté* increased his popularity. He won his first César Award for his role in *Le Dernier Métro*. Around 1985, he encouraged, if not discovered, the young Patricia Kaas to start her career. From the early 1990s, he became one of the few French actors who established himself in international productions, often alongside Jean Reno. Among Depardieu's most important works is a series of comedy films with the comedian Pierre Richard: *La Chèvre* (1981), *Les Compères* (1983), and *Les Fugitifs* (1986). In 1971, he married actress Élisabeth Guignot, his only marriage. Their children, Guillaume and Julie Depardieu, also chose acting careers. In 1992, he had a daughter, Roxane, from an extramarital affair with model and actress Karine Silla. He separated from Guignot in 1996 and then began a relationship with actress Carole Bouquet, which lasted until 2005. Afterwards, he started a relationship with Clémentine Igou. During this time, in 2006, he had another son, Jean, with Hélène Bizot. His eldest son, Guillaume, died in 2008 at the age of 37. Depardieu, who lives in Belgium, became a Russian citizen in 2013.