Christian Jean-Marie Clavier (; born 6 May 1952) is a French actor, screenwriter, film producer and director. A co-founder of Le Splendid in the 1970s, a Parisian café-théâtre company which soon garnered success, he became widely popular after starring in two hit comedy series: Patrice Leconte's Les Bronzés and Jean-Marie Poiré's Les Visiteurs.
Clavier later furthered his popularity by taking the role of Asterix in screen adaptations of the renowned comic books by Albert Uderzo and René Goscinny. In 2023, President Emmanuel Macron saluted Clavier's work, stating: "You have been all the faces of the families of France, the infatuated son-in-law, the bewildered uncle, the pretentious cousin, the jealous husband, the cantankerous father. We have grown and aged with you and our children will grow and age with you".
He is the brother of director Stéphane Clavier.
Life and career After his high class studies at the Neuilly Lycée Pasteur (he is often mistakenly claimed to have studied at Institut d'Études Politiques de Paris (Sciences Po), which he never attended.) 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 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. In 2018, he returned to the character of Asterix, this time by providing the character's voice in the animated film Asterix: The Secret of the Magic Potion. Succeeding the character's original voice actor, Roger Carel, it was his first role in an animated movie.
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 in 2012 emigrated to the United Kingdom. He denies this was as a result of Francois Hollande's punitive tax policy.
In April 2025, he told Brut that the use of AI in cinema continues the tradition of early visual effects pioneered by Georges Méliès, saying that "cinema was already magical when it began."
Filmography
Actor Year Title Role Director Notes1973 L'An 01 Viewer Jacques Doillon1974 Les suspects Photographer Michel Wyn Bonne présentation exigée Heating Engineer Charles Nemes Short1975 Let Joy Reign Supreme Valet Bertrand Tavernier C'est pas parce qu'on a rien à dire qu'il faut fermer sa gueule... Gay Cop Jacques Besnard Le bol d'air Christian Charles Nemes (2) Short1976 F comme Fairbanks Waiter Maurice Dugowson Attention les yeux! Cop Gérard Pirès1977 This Sweet Sickness François Claude Miller Spoiled Children TV director Bertrand Tavernier (2) Vous n'aurez pas l'Alsace et la Lorraine Narrator Coluche Le diable dans la boîte Renaud Pierre Lary L'amour en herbe Christian's friend Roger Andrieux1978 Les Bronzés Jerome Tarere Patrice Leconte La tortue sur le dos Luc Béraud1979 Les Bronzés font du ski Jerome Tarere Patrice Leconte (2) Heroes Are Not Wet Behind the Ears 2CV Man Charles Nemes (3)1980 Cocktail Molotov Beatnick Diane Kurys Je vais craquer!!! Jérôme Ozendron François Leterrier1981 Les Babas Cool Antoine Bonfils François Leterrier (2) Clara et les Chics Types Charles Jacques Monnet1982 Le Père Noël est une ordure Katia Jean-Marie Poiré Elle voit des nains partout! The treacherous man Jean-Claude Sussfeld1983 Papy fait de la résistance Michel Taupin Jean-Marie Poiré (2) Rock 'n Torah Isaac Stern Marc-André Grynbaum Merci Bernard TV series (1 Episode)1985 Tranches de vie Charles-Henri François Leterrier (3) Le père Noël est une ordure Katia Philippe Galland TV movie1986 Twist again à Moscou Iouri Jean-Marie Poiré (3) L'été 36 Alexis Yves Robert TV movie1987 La vie dissolue de Gérard Floque Edouard Georges Lautner1988 Palace Louis Jean-Michel Ribes TV series (1 Episode) Sueurs froides Henri Descouet Josée Dayan TV series (1 Episode)1989 My Best Pals Jean-Michel Tuilier Jean-Marie Poiré (4) Les cigognes n'en font qu'à leur tête DDASS's chief Didier Kaminka Fantômes sur l'oreiller Brice Pierre Mondy TV movie Mieux vaut courir Simon Élisabeth Rappeneau TV movie Double mixte Bob Smith Georges Folgoas TV movie Si Guitry m'était conté Yves-André Hubert TV series (1 Episode)1991 Les secrets professionnels du Dr Apfelglück Lawyer Thierry Lhermitte, Alessandro Capone, ... L'Opération Corned-Beef Jean-Jacques Granianski Jean-Marie Poiré (5) Les gens ne sont pas forcément ignobles Pierre Bernard Murat TV movie1992 Un fil à la patte Fernand du Bois d'Enghien Marion Sarraut TV movie1993 Les Visiteurs Jacquouille la Fripouille Jean-Marie Poiré (6) Nominated – César Award for Best ActorNominated – César Award for Best Original Screenplay or Adaptation La Soif de l'or Urbain Donnadieu Gérard OuryHomeward Bound: The Incredible JourneyChance (voice)Duwayne DayneFrench dub1994 La Vengeance d'une blonde Gérard Bréha Jeannot Szwarc Grosse Fatigue Himself Michel Blanc1995 Les Anges gardiens Father Hervé Tarain Jean-Marie Poiré (7)1996 Panique au Plazza Jean-Marie Poiré (7) TV movie1997 Les Soeurs Soleil Spectator Jeannot Szwarc (2)1998 The Visitors II: The Corridors of Time Jacquouille la Fripouille Jean-Marie Poiré (8)1999 Asterix & Obelix Take On CaesarAsterix Claude Zidi2001 Just Visiting Andre Jean-Marie Poiré (9)2002 Asterix & Obelix: Mission Cleopatra Asterix Alain Chabat Napoléon Napoleon Yves Simoneau TV Mini-Series Les Misérables Monsieur Thénardier Josée Dayan TV Mini-Series2003 Lovely Rita, sainte patronne des cas désespérés Edgar Lamarck Stéphane Clavier2004 The Corsican File Rémi François Alain Berbérian Albert est méchant Patrick Lechat Hervé Palud2005 L'Antidote JAM Vincent De Brus2006 Les Bronzés 3: Amis pour la vie Jerome Tarere Patrice Leconte (3) L'Entente Cordiale François de La Conche Vincent De Brus (2) The Crown Prince Prime Minister Taaffe Robert Dornhelm TV miniseries2007 L'Auberge rouge Pierre Martin Gérard Krawczyk Le prix à payer Jean-Pierre Ménard Alexandra Leclère Kaamelott The Jurisconsult Alexandre Astier TV series (7 Episodes)2008 Le malade imaginaire Argan Christian de Chalonge TV movie2009 La sainte Victoire Vincent Cluzel François Favrat Le bourgeois gentilhomme Monsieur Jourdain Christian de Chalonge (2) TV movie2011 On ne choisit pas sa famille César Borgnoli Christian Clavier La cage aux folles Georges Dominique Thiel TV movie Les affaires sont les affaires The Marquis de Porcellet Philippe Bérenger TV movie2013 Serial Teachers Serge Cutiro Pierre-François Martin-Laval Le Boeuf clandestin M. Berthaud Gérard Jourd'hui TV movie2014 Serial (Bad) Weddings Claude Verneuil Philippe de Chauveron Do Not Disturb Michel Leproux Patrice Leconte (4) Le grimoire d'Arkandias Agénor Arkandias Alexandre Castagnetti & Julien Simonet2015 Babysitting 2 Alain Nicolas Benamou & Philippe Lacheau2016 Les Visiteurs: La Révolution Jacquouille la Fripouille Jean-Marie Poiré (10)2017 Un sac de billes Doctor Rosen Christian Duguay With Open ArmsJean-Étienne Fougerole If I Were a BoyDr. Pace Audrey Dana2018Asterix: The Secret of the Magic PotionAsterixLouis Clichy & Alexandre Astier (2)Voice role, replacing Roger Carel2019 Serial (Bad) Weddings 2 Claude Verneuil Convoi exceptionnelFoster 2021Kaamelott: The First ChapterThe JurisconsultAlexandre Astier
Producer Les Visiteurs 2 : Les Couloirs du temps (1998) Les Visiteurs en Amérique (2001) Le Cœur sur la main (2001) Lovely Rita, sainte patronne des cas désespérés (2003)
Box-office Movies starring Christian Clavier with more than a million of admissions in France.
FilmsDirectorYearFrance (entries)1 Asterix & Obelix: Mission Cleopatra Alain Chabat 2002 2 Les Visiteurs Jean-Marie Poiré 1993 3 Serial (Bad) Weddings Philippe de Chauveron 2014 4 Les Bronzés 3: Amis pour la vie Patrice Leconte 2006 5 Asterix & Obelix Take On Caesar Claude Zidi 1999 6 The Visitors II: The Corridors of Time Jean-Marie Poiré (2) 1998 7 Les Anges gardiens Jean-Marie Poiré (3) 1995 8 Papy fait de la résistance Jean-Marie Poiré (4) 1983 9 Les profs Pierre-François Martin-Laval 2013 10 L'Enquête Corse Alain Berbérian 2004 11 Les Bronzés Patrice Leconte (2) 1978 12 La Vengeance d'une blonde Jeannot Szwarc 1994 13 Grosse fatigue Michel Blanc 1994 14 Le Père Noël est une ordure Jean-Marie Poiré (5) 1982 15 Les Bronzés font du ski Patrice Leconte (3) 1979 16 La Soif de l'or Gérard Oury 1993 17 L'opération Corned Beef Jean-Marie Poiré (6) 1991 18 Le prix à payer Alexandra Leclère 2007 19 Twist again à Moscou Jean-Marie Poiré (7) 1986 20 Just Visiting Jean-Marie Poiré (8) 2001 21 Let Joy Reign Supreme Bertrand Tavernier 1975 22 Je vais craquer!!! François Leterrier 1980 23 Do Not Disturb Patrice Leconte (4) 2014
Honoring in modern art and media culture
References
External links