Jacques Perrin

Jacques Perrin (born Jacques André Simonet on 13 July 1941 in Paris, France) was a distinguished French actor and producer whose career spanned more than six decades, from his first un‑credited appearance in 1946 to his final projects in 2022. Raised in a theatrical family—his father Alexandre Simonet managed the Comédie‑Française and his mother Marie Perrin was an actress—he adopted his mother’s surname as his stage name, thereby honoring his artistic lineage. After leaving school at fifteen and working various jobs, he entered the Conservatoire National Supérieur d'Art Dramatique, where his talent caught the eye of Italian director Valerio Zurlini, leading to his first leading role in La Ragazza con la valigia (1960). Perrin quickly became a favored collaborator of Zurlini, appearing in Cronaca Familiare (1962), and later worked with renowned directors such as Henri‑Georges Clouzot, Mauro Bolognini, and Pierre Schoendoerffer, delivering memorable performances in The Truth (1960), The Young Girls of Rochefort (1967), and Le Crabe‑tambour (1977). At the age of twenty‑seven he founded his own production company, producing the politically charged thriller Z (1969), which won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, and later supporting Costa‑Gavras on État de Siège (1973) and Section spéciale (1975). His production credits also include the Oscar‑winning Black and White in Color (1976) and the celebrated nature documentaries Microcosmos (1995), Winged Migration (2001), Oceans (2009) and Seasons (2015). In front of the camera he is perhaps best remembered for his adult portrayal of Salvatore in Cinema Paradiso (1988) and the poignant narration of Pierre Morhange in Les Choristes (2004), a film in which his son Maxence also appeared. Over his lifetime Perrin received numerous honors, including the Commander of the Legion of Honour, the Commander of the National Order of Merit, and the Prix du Cinéma René Clair, reflecting his lasting impact on French and international cinema. His personal life was marked by two marriages—first to Chantal Bouillaut, with whom he had a son Mathieu, and later to Valentine Perrin, mother of his sons Maxence and Lancelot—underscoring a legacy that extends both on and off the screen.