Christian Clavier

Acting • Born 1952-05-06

Acting1Paris, France

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.

Filmography

127 credits

The Visitors II: The Corridors of Time

Movie • 1998

Jacquouille la Fripouille / Jacques-Henri Jacquard / Prosper le Purineur / Jacouillet

Tell Her That I Love Her

Movie • 1977

François

Asterix & Obelix: Mission Cleopatra

Movie • 2002

Astérix

French Fried Vacation

Movie • 1978

Jérôme Tarayre

French Fried Vacations 3: Friends Forever

Movie • 2006

Jérôme Tarayre

The Visitors

Movie • 1993

Jacquouille la Fripouille / Jacques-Henri Jacquard

L'Entente cordiale

Movie • 2006

François de La Conche

Les Visiteurs revisités

Movie • 2005

Self

Asterix and Obelix vs. Caesar

Movie • 1999

Astérix

French Fried Vacation 2

Movie • 1979

Jérôme Tarayre

The Price to Pay

Movie • 2007

Jean-Pierre Ménard

L'Opération Corned Beef

Movie • 1991

Jean-Jacques Granianski, le pigeon manipulé

The Red Inn

Movie • 2007

Pierre Martin

Santa Claus Is a Stinker

Movie • 1982

Jean-Jacques dit « Katia »

The Year 01

Movie • 1973

A debate viewer

Like a Turtle on Its Back

Movie • 1978

un fêtard dans la voiture

The Corsican File

Movie • 2004

Rémi François, aka Jack Palmer

Gramps Is in the Resistance

Movie • 1983

Michel Taupin

The Antidote

Movie • 2005

Jacques-Alain Marty « JAM »

Clara and the Why Not

Movie • 1981

Charles

Twist Again in Moscow

Movie • 1986

Iouri

The Professional Secrets of Dr. Apfelgluck

Movie • 1991

L'avocat

Guardian Angels

Movie • 1995

Père Hervé Tarain / La « mauvaise conscience »

Lovely Rita

Movie • 2003

Edgar Lamarck

The Thirst for Gold

Movie • 1993

Urbain Donnadieu

Revenge of a Blonde

Movie • 1994

Gérard Bréha

Albert est méchant

Movie • 2004

Patrick Lechat

Bitter Victory

Movie • 2009

Vincent Cluzel

My Best Pals

Movie • 1989

Jean-Michel Tuilier

Rat Race

Movie • 1980

Jérôme Osendron

Les cigognes n'en font qu'à leur tête

Movie • 1989

le petit chef de la DDASS

Quand tu seras débloqué... fais-moi signe !

Movie • 1981

Antoine Bonfils

Elle voit des nains partout !

Movie • 1982

le fourbe

Not Without My Shrink

Movie • 2024

Olivier Béranger

Just Visiting

Movie • 2001

Andre

You Don't Choose Your Family

Movie • 2011

César

Slices of Life

Movie • 1985

L'ami du dragueur / Charles-Henri / L'amant anti-chien

The Imaginary Invalid

Movie • 2008

Argan

La Cage aux folles

Movie • 2011

Georges

Santa Claus Is a Stinker

Movie • 1985

Jean-Jacques aka 'Katia'

Mieux vaut courir

Movie • 1989

Simon

Serial Teachers

Movie • 2013

Cutiro / Tirocu

Cocorico

Movie • 2024

Frédéric Bouvier-Sauvage

Double mixte

Movie • 1989

Bob Smith

Les affaires sont les affaires

Movie • 2013

Le marquis de Porcellet

The Visitors: Bastille Day

Movie • 2016

Jacquouille la Fripouille/Antoine-Claude Jacquouillet/Edmond Jacquart

Serial (Bad) Weddings

Movie • 2014

Claude Verneuil

L'Âge d'or de la pub

Movie • 2023

Self (archive footage)

The Debauched Life of Gerard Floque

Movie • 1987

Edouard

Les Vengeances de Maître Poutifard

Movie • 2023

Robert Poutifard

The Secret of Arkandias

Movie • 2014

Agenor Arkandias

Le Bœuf clandestin

Movie • 2013

monsieur Berthaud

Do Not Disturb

Movie • 2014

Michel Leproux

The Restroom Robbery

Movie • 1975

L'agent de sécurité homosexuel (uncredited)

Le Chat du rabbin

Movie

Le rabbin

Babysitting 2

Movie • 2015

Alain

The Rookie Guide

Movie • 2025

Karol Kowalski

The Devil in the Box

Movie • 1977

Renaud

Panique au Plazza

Movie • 1996

Jean-Louis Bonnot, Mr. Coïk's secretary

Million Dollar Madness

Movie • 2025

Hippolyte

Bonne présentation exigée

Movie • 1974

Le chauffagiste

A Bag of Marbles

Movie • 2017

Docteur Rosen

Kaamelott: The Second Chapter (Part I)

Movie • 2025

Le Jurisconsulte

With Open Arms

Movie • 2017

Jean-Etienne Fougerole

If I Were a Boy

Movie • 2017

Docteur PACE

Spirou & Fantasio's Big Adventures

Movie • 2018

Comte de Champignac

Cédric

Movie

Pépé

Finding Momo

Movie • 2017

Alain Prioux

Dead Tired

Movie • 1994

Christian Clavier

Les gens ne sont pas forcément ignobles

Movie • 1991

Pierre

Les Sœurs Soleil

Movie • 1997

Un spectateur

Fantôme sur l'oreiller

Movie • 1989

Brice Michaud

The Bottom Line

Movie • 1976

Café-theater actor (uncredited)

Un fil à la patte

Movie • 1989

Fernand de Bois d'Enghien

L'été 36

Movie • 1986

Alexis

Serial (Bad) Weddings 2

Movie • 2019

Claude Verneuil

Heroes Are Not Wet Behind the Ears

Movie • 1979

Man in the couple with the 2CV

Asterix: The Secret of the Magic Potion

Movie • 2018

Astérix (voice)

Ibiza

Movie • 2019

Philippe

Le Bourgeois gentilhomme

Movie • 2009

Monsieur Jourdain

Wide Load

Movie • 2019

Foster

Des Bronzés au Père Noël, la folle histoire du Splendid

Movie • 2014

Self / Various characters

Un bol d'air

Movie • 1975

Christian

Let's Make a Dirty Movie

Movie • 1976

Un flic

Cocktail Molotov

Movie • 1980

Le Beatnick

Qu'est-ce qu'ils ont fait au bon Dieu ?

Movie • 2021

Self

Meet the Malawas

Movie • 2019

Julien Gosset-Grainville

Kaamelott: The First Chapter

Movie • 2021

Le Jurisconsulte

Christmas with the Tuches

Movie • 2021

Le Père Noël

F as in Fairbanks

Movie • 1976

Le serveur

Serial (Bad) Weddings 3

Movie • 2021

Claude Verneuil

You Won't Have Alsace-Lorraine

Movie • 1977

Le conteur (voice)

Employee of the Month

Movie • 2022

Michel Gougnat, syndicaliste

Let Joy Reign Supreme

Movie • 1975

The servant of the inn

Il était une fois... « Le père Noël est une ordure »

Movie • 2011

Self

Do You Do You Saint-Tropez

Movie • 2021

Jean Boulin

The Suspects

Movie • 1974

Photographer

A Day in the Life of French Cinema

Movie • 2002

Self

Cocorico 2

Movie • 2026

Frédéric Bouvier-Sauvage

Rock and Torah

Movie • 1983

Isaac Stern

How we made Asterix & Obelix: Mission Cleopatra

Movie • 2002

Self - Actor

Kaamelott: The Second Chapter (Part II)

Movie • 2026

Le Jurisconsulte

Avis de tempête

Movie • 2026

André Malraux

Asterix: The Kingdom of Nubia

Movie • 2026

Astérix (voice)

C'est pas Parce qu'on n'a Rien à dire qu'il faut fermer sa Gueule...

Movie

le CRS homosexuel dans les toilettes

Spoiled Children

Movie • 1977

Le réalisateur TV