Actor
Gérard Blain
Born 23 October 1930 · Paris, France — died 17 December 2000
Gérard Blain (1930–2000) was a French actor and director. He rose to prominence in the late 1950s as a lead in early French New Wave films by Claude Chabrol, and later worked in Hollywood and German cinema. From the 1970s he increasingly directed his own films, making nine.
Key films
Le Beau Serge (1959)On Cinespective
Chabrol's landmark debut, often cited as the first New Wave feature, gave Blain a defining lead role.
The Cousins (1959)
Chabrol's follow-up, in which Blain played the country cousin opposite Jean-Claude Brialy, cemented his New Wave image.
Hatari! (1962)
His part in Howard Hawks's big-budget African adventure brought him to international audiences.
The Friends (1971)
His first film as director, and the one that won the Golden Leopard at Locarno.
The American Friend (1977)
He acted in Wim Wenders's acclaimed thriller, showing his range in European art cinema.
Key awards
- 1971: Golden Leopard, Locarno International Film Festival (for The Friends, as director)
On Cinespective
Full filmography · 64
- 1944Children of Chaos · as (uncredited)Actor
- 1944Le bal des passants · as (uncredited)Actor
- 1945Children of Paradise · as (uncredited)Actor
- 1946Son of FranceActor
- 1954Wild Fruit · as (uncredited)Actor
- 1956Deadlier Than the Male · as Gérard DelacroixActor
- 1956Crime and Punishment · as Jean FargeotActor
- 1957Sexpot · as Olivier JourdansActor
- 1958The Mischief Makers · as GérardActor
- 1958Charlotte and Her Boyfriend · as The New Boyfriend (uncredited)Actor
- 1958Young Husbands · as MarcelloActor
- 1959The Cousins · as CharlesActor
- 1959Le Beau Serge · as SergeActor
- 1959Match contre la mort · as Jacques LourmelActor
- 1960The Dolphins · as Anselmo ForesiActor
- 1960Run with the Devil · as StefanoActor
- 1960The Hunchback · as Alvaro CosenzaActor
- 1961Gold of Rome · as DavideActor
- 1961Skin and Bones · as MazurActor
- 1962Hatari! · as Charles 'Chips' MaureyActor
- 1963The Virgins · as Xavier De BrétevielleActor
- 1963The Eye of the Needle · as Toto CacaceActor
- 1963Lo sgarro · as PaoloActor
- 1963Chicken Soup · as ClaudioActor
- 1964How to Make a French Dish · as The painterActor
- 1964Amori pericolosi · as The orderly (segment "Il generale")Actor
- 1964Via VenetoActor
- 1965Un amore · as Il cuginoActor
- 1966M.M.M. 83 · as Robert GibsonActor
- 1966Il faut que je tue monsieur Rumann · as EmmanuelActor
- 1967Shock Troops · as ThomasActor
- 1967La MusicaActor
- 1968Negresco · as RogerActor
- 1969Joe Caligula: Tallow for the Old Men · as Joë CaligulaActor
- 1970Cain from Nowhere · as CaïnActor
- 1971The FriendsDirector
- 1971Paolo e Francesca · as Giovanni MalatrasiActor
- 1974The Pelican · as Paul BoyerActor
- 1974The PelicanDirector
- 1976A Child in the CrowdDirector
- 1977The American Friend · as Raoul MinotActor
- 1977La Machine · as Le journalisteActor
- 1978Second WindDirector
- 1979Utopia · as GérardActor
- 1980The RebelDirector
- 1981La Flambeuse · as HenriActor
- 1983Un dimanche de flics · as EmilioActor
- 1983Michel TournierDirector
- 1986Un moment d'inattention · as The fatherActor
- 1987Killing Time · as BrozActor
- 1987Pierre and DjemilaDirector
- 1989Winter's Child · as Stephane's fatherActor
- 1989Natalia · as Claude RoitmanActor
- 1989Jour après jour · as Richard LunetActor
- 1990Der Schnee der AndenActor
- 1993Open Season · as Pierre BufièresActor
- 1993La Fortune de GaspardDirector
- 1995Until the End of the NightDirector
- 1995Until the End of the Night · as FrançoisActor
- 2000Ainsi soit-ilDirector
- 2001Bandits d'amour · as The priestActor
- 2008Il falso bugiardo · as Self (archive footage)Actor
- 2019Gérard Blain : adultes, je vous hais · as Self (archives) - director, subjectActor
- 2021Morceaux de CannesActor
Filmography data from TMDB. The profile text is a draft written for Cinespective.