Jean Reno
About
Biography
Filmography
Family & Companions
Notes
"All actors should work with comedians. You can learn a tremendous amount. Making people laugh is the most difficult thing in the world." --Jean Reno in LOS ANGELES TIMES, July 16, 1996
"I won't do anything that offends my moral sense. I prefer making love with gestures, rather than taking my clothes off and getting into bed with a woman. I'd hate to have my children see that." --Reno in LOS ANGELES TIMES, July 16, 1996
Biography
After making a name for himself in his native France, particularly with his collaborations with action director Luc Besson, actor Jean Reno crossed the Atlantic to become a highly-sought character performer in big budget Hollywood fare. Though he broke the ice with American audiences with the cult classic "La Femme Nikita" (1991), Reno made his greatest impression on U.S. shores playing a reluctant hit man training a young girl (Natalie Portman) in the strangely heartwarming thriller "The Professional" (1994). Ever since, Reno made his mark playing coolly ambiguous and frighteningly cunning characters who more often than not reveal themselves to be all-too-human. Reno was perhaps most memorable in action thrillers like "Ronin" (1998) and "The Da Vinci Code" (2006), but least appreciated in silly blockbusters like "Godzilla" (1998) and "The Pink Panther" (2006). Despite not possessing a marquee name, Reno proved himself to be an invaluable character performer capable of switching from foreign films to Hollywood features with ease.
Filmography
Cast (Feature Film)
Misc. Crew (Feature Film)
Cast (TV Mini-Series)
Life Events
1960
Moved to France at the age of seventeen
1974
Made professional stage debut in "Ecce Homo"
1978
Screen acting debut in "L'Hypothese du tableau vole"
1983
Made first film with director Luc Besson, "Le Dernier Combat"
1987
Portrayed a champion free diver in Luc Besson's "The Big Blue"
1990
Cast as 'The Cleaner' in Luc Besson's "La Femme Nikita"
1993
Starred in the cult French film "The Visitors"
1994
Made U.S. acting debut in "The Professional"; directed by Besson
1996
Featured opposite Tom Cruise in "Mission: Impossible"
1998
Played a French scientist in the big-budget "Godzilla"
2000
Co-starred with Vincent Cassel in the French police drama "The Crimson Rivers"
2001
Reprised role from "The Visitors" for an American remake titled "Just Visiting"
2001
Portrayed a French detective in "Wasabi"; written and produced by Luc Besson
2002
Co-starred with Juliet Binoche in the romantic comedy "Jet Lag"
2006
Cast as Bezu Fache in Ron Howards' feature adaptation of Dan Brown's best-selling novel "The Da Vinci Code"
2006
Co-starred with Steve Martin in a prequel to the 1964 Peter Sellers original film "The Pink Panther"
2009
Re-teamed with Steve Martin and reprised role for "The Pink Panther 2"
2009
Co-starred as Marcel, a therapist and operator of a beach resort, in the comedy "Couples Retreat"
2009
Joined the ensemble cast of the action thriller "Armored"
2011
Cast alongside Anna Paquin, Matt Damon, and Mark Ruffalo in "Margaret"; filming began in 2005, but spent more than five years in post-production
2012
Featured in crime thriller "Alex Cross," based on the novel <i>Cross</i> by James Patterson and starring Tyler Perry
Companions
Bibliography
Notes
"All actors should work with comedians. You can learn a tremendous amount. Making people laugh is the most difficult thing in the world." --Jean Reno in LOS ANGELES TIMES, July 16, 1996
"I won't do anything that offends my moral sense. I prefer making love with gestures, rather than taking my clothes off and getting into bed with a woman. I'd hate to have my children see that." --Reno in LOS ANGELES TIMES, July 16, 1996
