Francis Veber
About
Biography
Biography
This prolific French writer and director originally intended to become a doctor but switched to journalism before finding his calling on the stage and screen. Francis Veber began his writing career while serving in the military, contributing to BLED, a publication of the Algerian Army. After his military discharge, he worked as a radio reporter and then segued to writing scripts for the TV series "L'Agence interim." In 1968, Veber enjoyed his first stage success with the play "L'Enlevement/The Kidnapping," which enjoyed an eight-month run in Paris. His second play, "Le Contrat/The Contract" led to a scripting assignment for the short film "Appelez-moi Mathilde/Call Me Mathilde" (1970).
With 1971's "Il etait une fois un flic/There Once Was a Cop" (1971), Veber began his feature career in earnest. For much of the 1970s, he served as writer of a number of successful, farcical comedies that recalled the work of Neil Simon in that most revolved around odd couples. Among his more popular scripts were "Le Grand blond avec une chaussure noire/The Tall Blond Man With One Black Shoe" (1973, directed by Yves Robert), "La Cage aux folles" (1978, directed by Edouard Molinaro), for which he shared an Oscar nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay, and Jean-Jacques Annaud's "Coup de tete/Hot Head" (1979). He made his directorial debut with "Le Jouet" in 1976. Veber's infectious comedies include three pairings of Pierre Richard and Gerard Depardieu: "Le Chevre/The Goat" (1982), "Les Comperes" (1983) and "Les Fugitifs" (1986). Several of these proved so successful in his native France that they were remade in Hollywood.
By the 80s, in fact, Veber was already gaining a toehold in Tinseltown, due partly to the success of "La Cage aux folles." No less a talent than Billy Wilder used Veber's play "Le Contrat/The Contract" as the basis for what became his last film--"Buddy Buddy" (1981). While Jim Burrows' "Partners" and Richard Donner's version of "The Toy" (both 1982) both proved uneven (as did the 1985 Tom Hanks vehicle "The Man With One Red Shoe"), Veber continued to be courted by Hollywood. He made his American directorial debut with "Three Fugitives" (1989), based on his 1986 hit. "Out on a Limb" (1991), however, was an artistic disaster that dampened Veber's US career. He went on to pen the script for the Depardieu comedy "My Father, the Hero" (1994) before returning to France where he enjoyed renewed success with "Le Jaguar" (1996), a polished revisiting of his theme of mismatched buddies. Utilizing his own boulevard comedy, Veber crafted one of biggest hits and most artistically satisfying films in his long career with 1998's "Le Diner de cons/The Dinner Game." Taking a fairly simple premise--a group of friends meet each Wednesday for dinner with the proviso that everyone is to bring a "world-class dimwit" as a guest--Veber spun a humorous and entertaining comedy that offered strong roles for Thierry Lhermitte and Jacques Villert. It was only natural that Hollywood immediately snapped up the remake rights.
Filmography
Director (Feature Film)
Writer (Feature Film)
Producer (Feature Film)
Misc. Crew (Feature Film)
Life Events
1968
First play produced in Paris, "L'enlevement/The Kidnapping"; ran eight months at Theatre Edward VII
1969
Short film writing debut, "Appelez-moi Mathilde/Call Me Mathilde"
1971
Screenwriting debut, "Il etait une fois un flic/There Once Was a Cop"
1973
Adapted own stage play ("Le Contrat/The Contract") as "L'Emmerdeur/A Pain in the A--", directed by Eduard Molinaro
1976
Film directing debut, "Le jouet"; also scripted
1979
Shared a Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar nomination for "La Cage aux folles"
1981
Stage play ("The Contract") filmed in Americanized remake by Billy Wilder as "Buddy Buddy, teaming Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau
1982
First American success as a director, "La chevre/The Goat"
1982
Scripted and excutive produced "Partners"
1983
Wrote and directed the comedy "Les Comperes"
1986
Enjoyed a popular success with "Les Fugitifs"
1989
First US-produced film, "Three Fugitives", an Americanized remake of "Les Fugitifs"
1991
Served as executive producer of "Pure Luck"
1992
Helmed second US-produced film "Out on a Limb"
1994
Penned the script for the English-language comedy, "My Father, the Hero", starring Gerard Depardieu
1996
Wrote and directed "Le Jaguar", starring Jean Reno
1997
Executive produced "Father's Day", an American version of "Les Comperes", starring Robin Williams and Billy Crystal
1998
Adapted own play "Le Diner de cons"; also directed
2001
Directed the light comedy "Le Placard/The Closet", with Daniel Auteil
2003
Directed Jean Reno and Gérard Depardieu in the comedy-crime caper film, "Tais-toi!/shut up!"
2007
Directed Daniel Auteuil in the comedy, "La Doublure/The Valet"
Videos
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