Jean Edmond Dujardin (born 19 June 1972 in Rueil-Malmaison) is a French actor and comedian.
He began his career as a stage stand-up comedian in Paris before embracing an acting career, guest-starring in comedic television shows and skits, and eventually turned to starring roles in films.
While he usually plays Cringe Comedy and Idiot Hero parts in France, from his Star-Making Role of Jean/Loulou in the French version of Un gars, une fille to the Surfer Dude Brice de Nice and the OSS 117 spy fiction parody films, his international breakout with The Artist proved he's not limited to the comedy genre. The role of fallen silent film actor George Valentin won him considerable acclaim and numerous awards, the Academy Award for Best Actor most notably (the first ever for a male French actor).
Notable works:
- Un gars, une fille (French version, 1999-2003) as Jean/"Loulou"
- Lucky Luke live-action films
- Lucky Luke and the Daltons (2004) as The Cowboy
- Lucky Luke (2009) as Lucky Luke
- Brice de Nice as Brice Bertrand Agostini
- Sketches in the TV shows Graine de star and Nous Ç Nous
- Brice de Nice (2005 film)
- Brice 3 (2016) note
- OSS 117 as Hubert Bonisseur de La Bath / Agent OSS 117
- OSS 117: Cairo, Nest of Spies (2006)
- OSS 117: Lost in Rio (2009)
- OSS 117: From Africa with Love (2021)
- 99 Francs (2007) as Octave Parango
- The Artist (2011) as George Valentin
- The Wolf of Wall Street (2013) as Jean-Jacques Saurel
- The Connection (2014) note as Judge Pierre Michel
- The Monuments Men (2014) as Jean-Claude Clermont
- Return of the Hero (2018) as Captain Charles-Grégoire Neuville
- Deerskin (2019) as Georges
- An Officer and a Spy (2019) as Marie-Georges Picquart
- Présidents (2021) as President Nicolas
- Sur les chemins noirs (2023) as Pierre
Tropes
- The Danza: Jean in Un gars, une fille.
- Parody:
- Un gars, une fille turned the Romantic Comedy trop on its head.
- Brice de Nice parodies Point Break.
- His OSS 117 films mercilessly lampoon spy fiction, chiefly James Bond.
- Production Posse: He's starred in three films directed by Michel Hazanavicius.
- Real-Life Relative: He had a longtime love relation with his Un gars, une fille co-star Alexandra Lamy. It started in 2003, they married in 2009 and divorced in 2014.
- Star-Making Role: His Brice de Nice TV sketches and the role of Jean/Loulou in the French version of Un gars, une fille made him famous in France. The Artist was his international breakthrough.
- Surfer Dude: Brice de Nice, who's got all the attitude, quite some jerkassery and no actual surfing talent.
- Unsympathetic Comedy Protagonist: Brice de Nice, Hubert Bonisseur de La Bath/OSS 117 and Octave Parango (99 Francs) are all jerkasses to various degrees, and Hilarity Ensues with their antics and misadventures.
