Jean-Paul Belmondo is a famous French theater and film actor. Winner of the awards "Golden Lion", "Cesar", Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival. BAFTA nominee, Commander and Commander of the Legion of Honor, Commander of the Order of Merit and the Order of Arts and Letters of France, Commander of the Order of Leopold I of Belgium.
Belmondo's creative career began in the late 1950s of the last century. He soon became one of the most famous and beloved actors in French cinema and theater. He has played over a hundred film roles and nearly fifty theater roles. The actor received well-deserved recognition not only in his homeland, but throughout the world.
Biography facts
Belmondo was born in France in the spring of 1933 in a creative family. His father was a sculptor and his mother was a painter. He has a brother and sister who also chose creative professions. Alain became a film producer, and Muriel became an actress. The Belmondo family was wealthy enough, but during the Second World War they lost almost everything and found themselves on the verge of complete poverty.
In his youth, Jean-Paul was actively involved in sports and wanted to become a cyclist. Then he became interested in football and became the goalkeeper of the youth team. Later, boxing attracted his attention. He devoted several years to this occupation, participating first in amateur competitions and then in professional fights. After receiving several serious injuries, a broken nose and seeing how his face had changed, the young man decided that his boxing career should be stopped.
After school, Jean-Paul was drafted into the army. Returning from service, he contracted tuberculosis. To restore his health, he went to live in the village. There, the young man first thought about the acting profession.
When Belmondo turned twenty, he entered the CNSAD educational institution in Paris, choosing the department of dramatic art. After graduation, Jean-Paul was accepted into the theater troupe and at the same time began working in the cinema.
Even during his studies, many teachers were sure that even with an acting talent, the appearance of a young man would not allow him to make a successful career on stage or in the cinema and attract the attention of viewers, especially women. In addition, the young man was often late for classes or was absent altogether. He had a too cocky character and often got into fights or hooligan antics during his studies.
However, the opinion that the teachers had about the young actor turned out to be wrong. Soon after Jean-Paul's appearance on stage and in cinema, he became very popular. With amazing charisma and an irresistible smile, the actor attracted the attention of women.
Soon Belmondo became one of the most successful actors in France. He opened his own film production company and started producing.
During his creative career, Jean-Paul was going to leave the cinema more than once, but he returned to the screens again. Only in 2015 did he completely stop appearing on the stage and on the screen.
Creative way
For the first time on the screen, Belmondo made his debut in the late 1950s of the last century. He played a small role in the film "Moliere", but scenes with his participation were completely cut out during the final editing of the picture.
Fame came to him after working in the pictures: "Be beautiful and be silent", "The only angel on earth", "On a double turn of the key."
Belmondo received world recognition after his role in the crime drama Godard "On the last breath". The film received the Berlin Film Festival "Silver Bear" award for the best directorial work and went down in the world history of cinematography.
After that, the actor begins to receive many new offers. He starred in many films along with famous actresses Sophia Loren, Pascal Petit, Claudia Cardinale. Belmondo strives to constantly change genres of films to showcase his versatile acting talent.
Comedy spy films "Casino Royale" and "Magnificent", where the actor portrayed the super agents, had a huge success. Belmondo also dabbled in non-commercial cinema. This is how the film "Staviski" appeared, where he played an emigrant swindler. But the public reacted coldly to this work, although film critics praised the acting and direction of the picture.
Popularity and world fame brought Belmondo paintings: "Fear over the city", "Incorrigible", "The Monster", "Who's Who?", "Four Hands Game", "Professional".
The actor also embodied several images of criminal villains on the screen. But even these characters had romantic traits and became very attractive in the eyes of the audience.
Many years later, in the mid-1990s, Belmondo announced that he no longer wanted to appear on the screen in the form of superheroes and super spies. Therefore, he leaves the cinema to focus on roles in the theater. He made an exception only for the film Les Miserables, where he played along with the famous Jean Mare.
In the late 1990s, the actor suffered the first stroke, then the second and disappeared from the screens and the theater stage for a long time. Only in 2008, he agreed to star in the drama "The Man and His Dog" again, because he was delighted with the script of the film and admitted that he had never been offered such a role.
In 2018, Belmondo turned eighty-five years old. His anniversary was widely celebrated not only in France, but also in many countries of the world. Today the actor is in good shape, refers to his impressive age with humor and philosophical. He believes that you need to live life to the fullest and enjoy every day on this earth.
Income and fees
Belmondo became one of the most sought-after and highest paid actors in France at the height of his career.
He is the founder of his own film company, co-owner of an Italian restaurant in Paris and a travel company.
What the actor's fees were during the peak of popularity and how much he was able to earn is unknown.
In 1998, for his role in the film "One Chance for Two", he received 823,225 euros. Having played in the French film "Peut-être" in 1999, the actor earned € 549 thousand. For starring in The Man and His Dog in 2008, Belmondo received € 450,000 plus € 10,000 for each additional day of filming.
