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