Pierre Richard, the famous French actor who gave up being a dancer and became a movie legend, is 92 years old.

The famous French actor Pierre Richard, who gave up his dancing career and became a legend of the world of cinema, is 92 years old.

On August 16, 2026, the great French actor Pierre Richard turned 92. Uzbek viewers know him well for his roles in such films as “The Unlucky Ones”, “The Black-Shoe-Bearing Man”, “The Toy”, “The Fathers”, “The Runaways”.

It is difficult to explain how Pierre Richard, who originally came from a wealthy family and grew up in a real castle, became such a beloved actor. He was neither handsome nor stylish, on the contrary, he always looked absurd and funny. His comedic talent was noticed in his school years. After his father left the family, he was raised by his strict grandfather (on his paternal side). His maternal grandfather was a sailor and a hooligan, and was always delighted with the unexpected actions of his grandson - they both loved fishing.

The film "Toy", which became a favorite of Uzbek viewers, was not very successful in France, and the box office results were mediocre. Perhaps, the film about a boy buying an adult man and turning him into his living toy seemed too serious to them.

The film perfectly depicts the helplessness of a small person in the face of a large company and big money. Although Richard played brilliantly in "Toy", he himself played the role with the courage of a man who had never been anyone's puppet and had nothing to lose.

Patience, a smile in the face of difficulties, the hope of victory... All this contributed to his success. For example, he was a wonderful dancer. He was even invited to join Maurice Béjart's troupe. But at that time, the actor preferred to perform as a comedian in Parisian bars. Therefore, he refused the troupe's offer.

His characters were unforgettable. Interestingly, in the finale of the comedy "The Redhead in the Black Shoes", the hero of Richard was supposed to die at the airport. But Francois Pierre, the personification of bad luck, living in an apartment with a portrait of Rachmaninoff on the wall and Russian nesting dolls on the shelf, manages to win over even the scriptwriters: they will not kill him, they will make a sequel for him.

Of course, it is impossible not to recall his roles with Gerard Depardieu. By the way, they could not have been partners. Initially, Lino Ventura was supposed to participate in "The Unlucky Ones". He searched for a partner for a long time and finally stopped at Richard.

Suddenly, Ventura increases the fee so much that Francis Weber begins to urgently look for another actor to replace him and invites Depardieu. He invites him to dinner with Richard to talk. Richard eats sloppily, bread crumbs are scattered everywhere, Depardieu is amazed, and Weber has already liked this funny sight.

In life, Richard is a real gourmet, a successful winemaker, the father of two sons - Olivier and Christophe. He is married to a beautiful Brazilian woman who is 30 years younger than him and did not even speak French when they met. The actor also writes books - his first book is called "The Kangaroo Without a Pouch." He used to live on a barge (a cargo ship that is transported by barges) on the banks of the Seine, where he built himself a three-room house, and later moved to Paris. Currently, Richard is the beloved grandfather of four grandchildren.

**Best comedies starring Pierre Richard:**

**“The Red-Haired Doormat in Black Shoes” (1972)**

*Plot:* Humble violinist François Perrin accidentally gets involved in a secret mission for French intelligence and is mistaken for a secret spy. But François, unaware of this, manages to overcome all the traps and defeat the best French agents (and along the way, finds true love).

*Fact:* In 1985, a Hollywood version of this French film was made - the comedy “The Man in the Red Shoes” starring Tom Hanks.

Pierre Richard's first and most famous role. About the classic comedy film “The Red-Haired Doormat in Black Shoes”.

**“Don't Lose Your Mind” (1972)**

*Plot:* Pierre, an ordinary man (not Richer himself, but his character Vidal) manages to go from an ordinary bank employee to deputy director in two days of vacation. True, not very successfully: while the real manager is on vacation, crooks decide to steal valuable documents from the bank. Pierre, who has learned to conscientiously fulfill his duties, begins to pursue them.

*Fact:* Richard's partner in the film was the inimitable actress Jane Birkin, who thirty years later will play a role in the film “Meet Your Widow”.

**“Toy” (1976)**

*Plot:* Francois Perrin literally becomes a toy for a millionaire's child. An unemployed journalist who briefly settles in a wealthy man's house manages to understand how lonely a 10-year-old boy is and becomes his best friend.

*Fact:* Fabrice Greco, who played the role of Eric, got into the film by chance - he was the son of one of the film crew members. Despite his brilliant performance and the film's international success, he did not play any other roles in the film.

**"Escape" (1978)**

*Plot:* Lawyer Jean Duroc visits a prison to see those sentenced to death. It is at this time that a pre-planned prisoner uprising begins, and the accused and his defense attorney have no choice but to escape with everyone.

*Fact:* The film reflects the social crisis of 1968 in France, which led to mass student riots and a strike of 10 million workers, which ultimately led to the resignation of President De Gaulle. In particular, the film uses the president's addresses to the people and depicts the departure of the presidential helicopter to the location of the French troops in Baden-Baden.

**“The Unlucky Ones” (1981)**

*Plot:* This film by director and screenwriter Francis Weber tells the story of cheerful partners - the idiot François Perrin and the extremely responsible detective Jean Campan, who are searching for the daughter of a famous businessman. The task is simple: Perrin, who is always in trouble, must use his instincts to track down the girl, while Campan must ensure the success of the search operation. After a series of funny situations and adventures, the “agents” find the missing girl.

*Fact:* Gerard Depardieu wanted to play the lead role so much that when the filmmakers flatly refused him, he became upset and began to cause chaos during the filming: he drank alcohol, broke his schedule, and repeatedly shot unnecessary shots. But one day, during the filming, the actor was stung by a real scorpion.

**"Fathers" (1983)**

*Plot:* A teenage boy runs away from home with his girlfriend, and the distraught mother decides not to call the police, but to report it to her two ex-lovers. She tells each man that he is the real father of the child and sends them on a search.

*Fact:* "Fathers" was watched by almost 5 million people in 1983 and became a box office success, ranking fourth among the most popular comedies in France.

**“The Fugitives” (1986)**

*Story:* Francois Pignon and others like him have been living on unemployment benefits for a long time. In order to cure his daughter, who has lost her speech after the death of her mother, he decides to rob a bank and fails. By chance, he takes hostage Jean-Luc, an experienced thief who has recently been released from prison. The partners, who do not know each other, manage to escape, and while Francois and Jean are hiding from the police and getting out of incredible situations, a real miracle happens: the sick girl says her first words in a long time.

*Fact:* Three years later, Weber shoots a Hollywood remake of his film “The Three Fugitives”. This film, which was copied exactly from the French film, starred Nick Nolte and Martin Short.

**“Mr. Stein Goes on a Date” (2017)**

*Story:* A 75-year-old widower leads a hermit lifestyle. His family gives him a computer to brighten up his life. He soon meets a woman through a chat. With his social chatter and pleasant demeanor, he charms the young beauty. There’s just one problem — Mr. Stein hid some information when filling out his profile, and his charming acquaintance doesn’t even know who he’s dating.

*Fact:* Along with Pierre Richard, this film stars two other great French actors — Yanis Lespere (“The Name”) and Fanny Valette (“Moliere”).