Christian Clavier
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.
Known For
Sacrée soirée
1987
Champs-Elysées
1982
Vivement dimanche
1998
Les Rendez-vous du dimanche
1975
C à vous
2009
Numéro un
1975
Nulle part ailleurs
1987
0Faut Voir - L'Hebdo cinéma
2023
Ciné regards
1978
Stars 90
1990
Les Nuls, l'émission
1990
Asterix & Obelix: Mission Cleopatra
2002
Filmography
Sacrée soirée
as Self · 1987
Champs-Elysées
as Self · 1982
Vivement dimanche
as Self · 1998
Les Rendez-vous du dimanche
as Self · 1975
C à vous
as Self - Guest · 2009
Numéro un
as Self · 1975
Nulle part ailleurs
as Self · 1987
Faut Voir - L'Hebdo cinéma
as Self - Guest · 2023
Ciné regards
as Self · 1978
Stars 90
as Self · 1990
Les Nuls, l'émission
as Self · 1990
Asterix & Obelix: Mission Cleopatra
as Astérix · 2002
Asterix: The Secret of the Magic Potion
as Astérix (voice) · 2018
The Visitors
as Jacquouille la Fripouille / Jacques-Henri Jacquard · 1993
Asterix and Obelix Take On Caesar
as Astérix · 1999
Napoleon
as Napoléon Bonaparte · 2002
Just Visiting
as Andre · 2001
Les Misérables
as Thénardier · 2000
Samedi Sébastien
as Self - Guest · 2021
Serial (Bad) Weddings
as Claude Verneuil · 2014
Merci Bernard
as Professor Kottich · 1982
Il était une fois Champs-Élysées
as Self (archive footage) · 2022
La Méthode Cauet
as Self - Guest · 2003
Palace
as Chef Briffaud · 1988
Serial (Bad) Weddings 2
as Claude Verneuil · 2019
The Visitors: Bastille Day
as Jacquouille la Fripouille/Antoine-Claude Jacquouillet/Edmond Jacquart · 2016
The Visitors II: The Corridors of Time
as Jacquouille la Fripouille / Jacques-Henri Jacquard / Prosper le Purineur / Jacouillet · 1998
Asterix: The Kingdom of Nubia
as Astérix (voice) · 2026
A Bag of Marbles
as Docteur Rosen · 2017
Babysitting 2
as Alain · 2015
With Open Arms
as Jean-Etienne Fougerole · 2017
The Corsican File
as Rémi François, aka Jack Palmer · 2004
Serial (Bad) Weddings 3
as Claude Verneuil · 2021
L'Opération Corned Beef
as Jean-Jacques Granianski, le pigeon manipulé · 1991
Kronprinz Rudolf
as Graf Taaffe · 2006
If I Were a Boy
as Docteur PACE · 2017
Million Dollar Madness
as Hippolyte · 2025
Cocorico 2
as Frédéric Bouvier-Sauvage / Mehmet Suleymanoglu · 2026
Not Without My Shrink
as Olivier Béranger · 2024
Santa Claus Is a Stinker
as Jean-Jacques dit « Katia » · 1982
French Fried Vacation 2
as Jérôme Tarayre · 1979
Do You Do You Saint-Tropez
as Jean Boulin · 2021
French Fried Vacation
as Jérôme Tarayre · 1978
Employee of the Month
as Michel Gougnat, syndicaliste · 2022
Kaamelott: The Second Chapter (Part I)
as Le Jurisconsulte · 2025
Cocorico
as Frédéric Bouvier Sauvage · 2024
The Red Inn
as Pierre Martin · 2007
Kaamelott: The Second Chapter (Part II)
as Le Jurisconsulte · 2027
Gramps Is in the Resistance
as Michel Taupin · 1983
Rire et sourire : Le Splendid
as Jean-Jacques Dangle, le présentateur · 1978
Guardian Angels
as Père Hervé Tarain / La « mauvaise conscience » · 1995
French Fried Vacations 3: Friends Forever
as Jérôme Tarayre · 2006
Ibiza
as Philippe · 2019
The Bottom Line
as Café-theater actor (uncredited) · 1976
Do Not Disturb
as Michel Leproux · 2014
Finding Momo
as Alain Prioux · 2017
You Don't Choose Your Family
as César · 2011
Dead Tired
as Christian Clavier · 1994
Let's Make a Dirty Movie
as Un flic · 1976
Meet the Malawas
as Julien Gosset-Grainville · 2019
Serial Teachers 3
as Cutiro / Tirocu · 2027
Spirou & Fantasio's Big Adventures
as Comte de Champignac · 2018
Kaamelott: The First Chapter
as Le Jurisconsulte · 2021
Loris Giuliano en balade
as Self - Guest · 2024
Mr. Putifar's Wacky Plan
as Robert Poutifard · 2023
Wide Load
as Foster · 2019
Twist Again in Moscow
as Iouri · 1986
Let Joy Reign Supreme
as The servant of the inn · 1975
L'Âge d'or de la pub
as Self (archive footage) · 2023
The Debauched Life of Gerard Floque
as Edouard · 1987
L'Entente cordiale
as François de La Conche · 2006
The Restroom Robbery
as L'agent de sécurité homosexuel (uncredited) · 1975
A Day in the Life of French Cinema
as Self · 2002
The Secret of Arkandias
as Agenor Arkandias · 2014
You Won't Have Alsace-Lorraine
as Le conteur (voice) · 1977
Les cigognes n'en font qu'à leur tête
as le petit chef de la DDASS · 1989
The Thirst for Gold
as Urbain Donnadieu · 1993
Spoiled Children
as Le réalisateur TV · 1977
How we made Asterix & Obelix: Mission Cleopatra
as Self - Actor · 2002
The Price to Pay
as Jean-Pierre Ménard · 2007
Rat Race
as Jérôme Osendron · 1980
The Rookie Guide
as Karol Kowalski · 2025
Lovely Rita
as Edgar Lamarck · 2003
Un fil à la patte
as Fernand de Bois d'Enghien · 1989
Avis de tempête
as André Malraux · 2026
Christmas with the Tuches
as Le Père Noël · 2021
Quand tu seras débloqué... fais-moi signe !
as Antoine Bonfils · 1981
This Sweet Sickness
as François · 1977
Heroes Are Not Wet Behind the Ears
as Man in the couple with the 2CV · 1979
Double mixte
as Bob Smith · 1989
Clara and the Why Notes
as Charles · 1981
Cédric
as Pépé
Revenge of a Blonde
as Gérard Bréha · 1994
Rock and Torah
as Isaac Stern · 1983
The Year 01
as A debate viewer · 1973
Christian Clavier: La Vis Comica
· 2025
The Antidote
as Jacques-Alain Marty « JAM » · 2005
Elle voit des nains partout !
as le fourbe · 1982
Fantôme sur l'oreiller
as Brice Michaud · 1989
Les gens ne sont pas forcément ignobles
as Pierre · 1991
Bitter Victory
as Vincent Cluzel · 2009
Les Sœurs Soleil
as Un spectateur · 1997
Le Chat du rabbin
as Le rabbin
La Cage aux folles
as Georges · 2011
Des Bronzés au Père Noël, la folle histoire du Splendid
as Self / Various characters · 2014
The Devil in the Box
as Renaud · 1977
The Suspects
as A photojournalist at Bernard Vauquier's wife's house · 1974
The Imaginary Invalid
as Argan · 2008
Slices of Life
as L'ami du dragueur / Charles-Henri / L'amant anti-chien · 1985
Il était une fois... « Le père Noël est une ordure »
as Self · 2011
Un bol d'air
as Christian · 1975
Le Bœuf clandestin
as monsieur Berthaud · 2013
The Professional Secrets of Dr. Apfelgluck
as L'avocat · 1991
Like a Turtle on Its Back
as un fêtard dans la voiture · 1978
Les affaires sont les affaires
as Le marquis de Porcellet · 2013
F as in Fairbanks
as Le serveur · 1976
My Best Pals
as Jean-Michel Tuilier · 1989
Les Visiteurs revisités
as Self · 2005
Qu'est-ce qu'ils ont fait au bon Dieu ?
as Self · 2021
L'Été 36
as Alexis · 1986
Albert est méchant
as Patrick Lechat · 2004
Le Bourgeois gentilhomme
as Monsieur Jourdain · 2009
Cocktail Molotov
as Le Beatnick · 1980
Mieux vaut courir
as Simon · 1989
Panique au Plazza
as Jean-Louis Bonnot, Mr. Coïk's secretary · 1996
Bonne présentation exigée
as Le chauffagiste · 1974
Serial Teachers
as Cutiro / Tirocu · 2013
Santa Claus Is a Stinker
as Katia · 1985