SR
Serge Reggiani
Actor
Born May 2, 1922Died July 22, 2004 (82 years)
Serge Reggiani (2 May 1922 – 23 July 2004) was an Italian-born French singer and actor. He was born in Reggio Emilia, Italy and moved to France with his parents at the age of eight. For many years, he struggled with alcoholism, caused in part by the 1980 suicide of his son Stephan.
After acting school (Conservatoire des arts cinématographiques) he was discovered by Jean Cocteau and appeared in a wartime production of Les Parents terribles ("The Terrible Parents"). During World War II, he left Paris to join the French resistance.
His first feature film came in 1946 with his role in Les portes de la nuit ("The Doors of the Night"). He later went on to perform in 80 films including Casque d'or, Les Misérables (1958),Tutti a casa, Le Doulos, Il Gattopardo, La terrazza, The Pianist (1998).
In spite of never quite reaching the peak with his acting career, he did triumph in the theatre in 1959 with his performance in Jean-Paul Sartre’s play Les Séquestrés d'Altona. In the meantime, though, in 1965 he began a second career, that of a singer (at the age of 43), with the help of Simone Signoret and her husband Yves Montand and later with great assistance of the French diva Barbara. Reggiani became one of the most acclaimed performers of French "Chanson" ("song") and although he was in his 40s, his bad-boy rugged image made him popular with both young and older listeners.
His best known songs include Les loups sont entrés dans Paris ("The Wolves Have Entered Paris") and Sarah (La femme qui est dans mon lit) ("The Woman Who Is In My Bed"), the latter written by Georges Moustaki. However, one of his regular songwriters throughout his career was Boris Vian (Le Déserteur, Arthur où t'as mis le corps, La Java des bombes atomiques). His new young fans identified with his left-wing ideals and antimilitarism, most notably during the 1968 student revolts in France. With age he became more and more acclaimed as one of the best interpreters of the French chanson also bringing the poetry of Rimbaud, Apollinaire and Prévert closer to his audience. In 1995, he made a comeback to the singing stage, giving a few concerts despite his deteriorated health and personal distress, the last one being held as late as in the year of his death, in spring of 2004.
In later life he became a painter and gave a number of exhibitions of his artwork.
Serge Reggiani died in Paris of a heart attack at the age of 82, one day after the death of another well known French singer Sacha Distel. He is interred in Montparnasse Cemetery.
After acting school (Conservatoire des arts cinématographiques) he was discovered by Jean Cocteau and appeared in a wartime production of Les Parents terribles ("The Terrible Parents"). During World War II, he left Paris to join the French resistance.
His first feature film came in 1946 with his role in Les portes de la nuit ("The Doors of the Night"). He later went on to perform in 80 films including Casque d'or, Les Misérables (1958),Tutti a casa, Le Doulos, Il Gattopardo, La terrazza, The Pianist (1998).
In spite of never quite reaching the peak with his acting career, he did triumph in the theatre in 1959 with his performance in Jean-Paul Sartre’s play Les Séquestrés d'Altona. In the meantime, though, in 1965 he began a second career, that of a singer (at the age of 43), with the help of Simone Signoret and her husband Yves Montand and later with great assistance of the French diva Barbara. Reggiani became one of the most acclaimed performers of French "Chanson" ("song") and although he was in his 40s, his bad-boy rugged image made him popular with both young and older listeners.
His best known songs include Les loups sont entrés dans Paris ("The Wolves Have Entered Paris") and Sarah (La femme qui est dans mon lit) ("The Woman Who Is In My Bed"), the latter written by Georges Moustaki. However, one of his regular songwriters throughout his career was Boris Vian (Le Déserteur, Arthur où t'as mis le corps, La Java des bombes atomiques). His new young fans identified with his left-wing ideals and antimilitarism, most notably during the 1968 student revolts in France. With age he became more and more acclaimed as one of the best interpreters of the French chanson also bringing the poetry of Rimbaud, Apollinaire and Prévert closer to his audience. In 1995, he made a comeback to the singing stage, giving a few concerts despite his deteriorated health and personal distress, the last one being held as late as in the year of his death, in spring of 2004.
In later life he became a painter and gave a number of exhibitions of his artwork.
Serge Reggiani died in Paris of a heart attack at the age of 82, one day after the death of another well known French singer Sacha Distel. He is interred in Montparnasse Cemetery.
Known For
Filmography
| 2017 | Le scandale Clouzot · as Marcel |
| 2010 | What War May Bring · as Cameo Appearance |
| 2009 | Henri-Georges Clouzot's Inferno · as Marcel (archive Footage) |
| 1998 | El pianista · as Rossell Mayor |
| 1997 | Héroïnes · as Monsieur Montgolfier |
| 1995 | The Little Boy · as Germain |
| 1993 | Rosenemil · as Dr. Levy |
| 1992 | De force avec d'autres · as Sergio |
| 1990 | I Hired a Contract Killer · as Vic |
| 1990 | Plein fer · as Emilio |
| 1990 | There Were Days... and Moons · as Le Père De Sophie |
| 1988 | Let Sleeping Cops Lie · as Le Stéphanois |
| 1986 | Bad Blood · as Charlie |
| 1986 | The Beekeeper · as Sick Man |
| 1980 | Fantastica · as Euclide Brown |
| 1980 | The Imprint of Giants · as Fouldroule |
| 1980 | La terrazza · as Sergio |
| 1977 | Solemn Communion · as Le Récitant Chanteur (voice) |
| 1977 | Violette & François · as Père De François |
| 1977 | A Straight Laced Girl · as Jérôme |
| 1976 | The Good and the Bad · as Le Chef De La Résistance |
| 1975 | Cat and Mouse · as Lechat |
| 1975 | |
| 1974 | Vincent, François, Paul and the Others · as Paul, Écrivain, Journaliste |
| 1974 | Don't Touch the White Woman! · as The Mad Indian |
| 1972 | The Big Shots · as Thia |
| 1972 | 3000 Million Without an Elevator · as Pierrot |
| 1971 | Countdown to Vengeance · as François Nolan |
| 1969 | Army of Shadows · as Hairdresser |
| 1968 | The Seven Cervi Brothers · as Ferrari, Antifascista In Carcere |
| 1968 | Day of the Owl · as Parrinieddu |
| 1967 | La plaie et le couteau, Charles Baudelaire · as Un Récitant |
| 1967 | The Last Adventure · as The Pilot |
| 1967 | The 25th Hour · as Trajan Koruga |
| 1965 | |
| 1965 | Blue Panther · as Ivanov |
| 1964 | I grandi camaleonti (TV Series) · as Robespierre |
| 1963 | The Leopard · as Don Francisco Ciccio Tumeo |
| 1962 | |
| 1962 | Warriors Five · as Libero |
| 1961 | Paris Blues · as Michel 'gypsy' Devigne |
| 1960 | Mad Years · as Récitant / Narrator (voice) |
| 1960 | Everybody Go Home! · as Geniere Assunto Ceccarelli |
| 1959 | Marie-Octobre · as Antoine Rougier |
| 1958 | The Stowaway · as Alfred Mougins |
| 1958 | Les Misérables · as Enjolras |
| 1958 | Not Delivered · as Bastien Sassey |
| 1957 | The Seine Meets Paris · as Speaker |
| 1957 | Élisa · as Bernard Voisin |
| 1957 | The Doll That Took the Town · as Mario Grimaldi |
| 1955 | The Wicked Go to Hell · as Rudel |
| 1955 | Napoleon · as Lucien Bonaparte |
| 1953 | Act of Love · as Claude Lacaud |
| 1953 | The World Condemns Them · as André |
| 1953 | Bufere · as Sergio Parnell |
| 1952 | Anita Garibaldi · as Lantini |
| 1952 | The Curious Adventures of Mr. Wonderbird · as Chimney Sweep (voice) |
| 1952 | Secret People · as Louis Balan |
| 1952 | Casque d'Or · as Georges |
| 1950 | La Ronde · as Franz, Le Soldat |
| 1950 | Les anciens de Saint-Loup · as Abbot Paul Forestier |
| 1949 | Le parfum de la dame en noir · as Joseph "rouletabille" |
| 1949 | The Sinners · as Pierre |
| 1949 | Retour à la vie · as Louis (segment "le Retour De Louis") |
| 1949 | The Mystery of the Yellow Room · as Joseph Rouletabille |
| 1949 | Manon · as Léon Lescaut |
| 1949 | The Lovers of Verona · as Angelo (romeo) |
| 1948 | Under the Cards · as Manu |
| 1946 | Gates of the Night · as Guy Sénéchal |
| 1946 | Star Without Light · as Gaston Lansac |
| 1944 | Le carrefour des enfants perdus · as Joris |
| 1943 | Le voyageur de la Toussaint · as Bob Éloi |
| 1939 | Night in December · as (uncredited) |
| 1938 | Conflit · as Cast |
| 1938 | Boys' School · as Un Élève |