Guillaume Depardieu

Biography: life and films

Guillaume Depardieu was on born in Paris on 7th April 1971, the son of possibly the most well-known French actor in the world, Gérard Depardieu. Like his mother Elisabeth and sister Julie, he too was destined for a career in acting. His short and turbulent life can pretty well be summed up as that of an impetuous rebel struggling to prove himself and emerge from the monolithic shadow of his illustrious father. Although his career was brief, he did succeed in making a name for himself in French cinema and is now regarded as one of the most talented actors of his generation.

It was at the age of 20 that Guillaume Depardieu made his first significant appearance in a French film, in Alain Corneau's Tous les Marins du monde (1991), where he played a character whose older representation was played by his father. In 1996, he was awarded the Most Promising Actor César for his role in Pierre Salvadori's Les Apprentis (1995). Subsequently, he worked with some notable filmmakers: Jean-Pierre Mocky in Alliance cherche doigt (1997), Leos Carax in Pola X (1999), Jacques Rivette in Ne touchez pas la hache (2007) and Bertrand Bonello in De la guerre (2008).

Controversy and crisis marked Guillaume Depardieu's private life, making him a target for unwelcome media attention. He came close to ruining his health through alcohol and drug abuse, and served prison sentences for theft and drugs dealing. In 1995, he had a motorcycle accident which badly injured his knee and which resulted in an amputation in 2003. Yet, in spite of such personal drama, he continued working and winning plaudits for his efforts.

Throughout his life, Guillaume Depardieu had a problematic relationship with his father. In 2004, he published a book entitled "Tout Donner" in which he attributed his rebellious character to his father's neglect of him when he was a child. In 2002, he appeared in a film (Aime ton père) in which he played the maltreated son of a famous writer portrayed by his father - a bizarre case of art imitating real life.

It was whilst working on location filming in Roumania for his last film L'Enfance d'Icare that Guillaume Depardieu contracted severe pneumonia. He was admitted to Garches hospital in France, where he died, on Monday 13th October 2008, aged 37. He is survived by his 7-year-old daughter Louise.

Filmography