Biography
Belmondo was born into a family of creative people - his father was a famous sculptor, and his mother was an artist. Parents tried to instill a love of art in their children - in addition to long conversations about sculpture and painting, every weekend when they were little, their father took them to the Louvre so they could see the works of great masters. All three connected their biographies with cinema - Jean-Paul and his sister Muriel became actors, and their brother Alain became a producer.
In the photo: Jean-Paul Belmondo with his parents
At the same time, Belmondo grew up as an ordinary boy who loved to ride a bicycle and play football. The parents of the future French cinema star often had to be nervous - their son was a hooligan and often got into various troubles. It was difficult for teachers to cope with his irrepressible energy, and Jean-Paul was expelled from schools three times for fighting.
In the photo: the actor in his youth
Belmondo was involved in the football section for a long time, defending the goal of his team, and when he turned sixteen, he became seriously interested in boxing and achieved convincing success in the ring.
Eighteen-year-old Jean-Paul won the welterweight title and was accepted into the French national team.
His sports career developed so successfully that he seriously decided to connect his biography with sports, but his love for cinema turned out to be stronger, and even his broken nose in one of the fights did not become a stumbling block in Belmondo’s decision.
Later, this feature of Jean-Paul’s appearance became his highlight and a kind of calling card.
For a long time, Belmondo was at a crossroads, choosing between sports and cinema, and in order to give himself time to think, he left to serve in the armed forces. Returning to civilian life, he finally made his choice in favor of cinema.
At first he studied at the theater studio of Raymond Girir, on the stage of which Belmondo was involved in several performances. Girir did a lot to ensure that Jean-Paul entered the Higher National Conservatory of Dramatic Art, after graduating from which he began his theatrical career.
During his studies, teachers were doubtful that Belmondo would become a successful actor; Jean-Paul’s not very serious attitude towards his studies did not add to their confidence in Jean-Paul’s future - he was often late for classes, missed lectures, and his behavior was far from ideal – irrepressible energy haunted the young student.
However, Belmondo graduated from the conservatory and began his theatrical career. His debut as a professional actor took place in the play “Medea”. The first role turned out to be successful, and the aspiring actor became in demand in the theater, playing several performances per season.
Jean-Paul Belmondo appeared on stage until he was ninety-eight, and then at the age of sixty-five he announced that going on stage had become difficult for him, but he was not going to give up cinema. Three years later, the actor suffered a severe stroke, due to which he interrupted his cinematic career for seven years, but then reappeared on the screens.
“Of course, old age inspires fear, but if you feel in shape, if you have a headache, then fuck off old age... Don’t believe any rumors, I’m not exhausted yet,” says Jean-Paul Belmondo.
Choosing a path and studying
Tormented by doubts about what to do next, Jean-Paul Belmondo decided to serve in the army, where he contracted a mild form of tuberculosis. While restoring his health in a small village, he made his final choice of future profession and decided to become an actor.
For this purpose, he comes to Paris and enters the Higher National Conservatory of Dramatic Art, where Pierre Dux and Rene Girard became his teachers. Boxing had left its mark on Jean Paul's appearance, and teachers were skeptical about his prospects on stage and screen.
Throughout his studies, Belmondo experienced serious problems with discipline; he was a notorious rowdy and truant; only his obvious dramatic talent saved the dissolute student from final expulsion.
In parallel with his studies, he achieved a place in the theater and regularly went on stage to play. By the end of his studies, Jean-Paul Belmondo became one of the best students on the course, and only his scandalous reputation prevented him from receiving a special “Best Actor” award.
Movies
The creative biography of Jean-Paul Belmondo became connected with cinema a little later - his debut took place in 1956 in the film “Molière”. Despite the fact that the actor with a far from ideal appearance, which was marked by boxing, was destined only for the roles of scoundrels and swindlers, the list of characters he played turned out to be much wider and more diverse.
In his second film, “On Foot, on Horseback and by Car,” the actor starred with Jean-Pierre Cassel. However, no one saw Belmondo in this film - all the scenes with his participation were cut out. But a year later, Jean-Paul loudly declared his talent by starring in the film “Be Beautiful and Keep Quiet,” which brought him his first popularity.
In the photo: Jean-Paul Belmondo in the film “Cartouche”
A real breakthrough in the creative biography of Jean-Paul Belmondo was the film “Breathless,” in which he played the frivolous scoundrel Michel Pucard. This low-budget film, which Belmondo got into completely by accident, replacing a sick actor, became one of the key ones in world cinema and had the effect of a bomb exploding.
In the photo: Belmondo in the film “Breathless”
The film became a prize-winner at the Berlin Film Festival and received several European awards, and Belmondo, as well as the director of the project, Jean-Luc Gadard, were declared the property of the “new” France. After this film, Jean-Paul acquired the role of a rebel with an irresistible smile.
The actor devoted the next ten years of his career to light comedy films, and by his thirtieth birthday, Jean-Paul had already starred in thirty films.
He was lucky to work with the most award-winning directors, including Francois Truffaut, Claude Charbol, Louis Malle.
"Monster"
In 1963, Belmondo was accepted into the Union of Actors of France, and in the same year his autobiographical book was published.
Biography of Jean-Paul Belmondo
Jean-Paul Belmondo is a French actor, the brightest representative of the French New Wave cinema of the 60s. Its beginning is traditionally considered to be the release in 1959 of the film “Breathless” from debutant director Jean-Luc Godard, in which Belmondo played the role of the adventurer Michel, which marked the birth of a new type of protagonist.
The life of Jean-Paul Belmondo
Other outstanding films with the artist’s participation include the world-famous films “Pierrot the Crazy”, “Is Paris Burning?”, “The Thief”, “Borsalino”, “Merry Easter”, “Mistress of Fate”, “Magnificent”, “Professional”, “ Ace of Aces”, “A Man and His Dog”. The list is far from complete - during his career he starred in more than 80 films.
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By the early seventies, the actor's popularity and demand had grown so much that he himself began to choose directors with whom he would like to act.
Jean-Paul Belmondo is still irresistible in films of the comedy genre - he created unforgettable images in such films as “The Gentle Rogue”, the parody film “Casino Royale”, “The Magnificent”, in which he appeared in the image of a failed writer who became super agent.
"Professional"
Then there were the hugely successful “Professional”, “Borsalino”, “Fear over the City”.
The actor also had negative characters in his collection, who, when performed by Belmondo, acquired attractiveness and romanticism (“Thief”, “Superbrain”).
In the photo: “Borsalino”
The actor loved to act in action scenes, performing the most risky stunts on his own, and only after an unsuccessful fall from a height on the set of the comedy film “Robbery”, Belmondo began to resort to the services of stuntmen.
The peak of his film career came for the actor in the seventies, when he acted not only in his homeland, but also in the USA and Italy. During the same period, Jean-Paul founded his own film studio, Cerito.
Despite the fact that Belmondo announced his retirement from cinema in the nineties, he returned to the set several times and took part in a dozen more films, including Les Misérables, Désirée, Free Fall, Man and His Dog”, in which he played a beggar who found himself on the street with his dog.
In the photo: Jean-Paul Belmondo in the film “Man and Dog”
First works
In 1956, the sculptor’s son graduated from the conservatory and began to storm the heights of cinema. The first of Jean-Paul Belmondo's films was the short film "Molière", where the debutant played a small role. However, fans of the actor will search in vain for their favorite when watching this old film, since during editing all the scenes with Jean-Paul's participation were cut out.
Nevertheless, the talent of the young actor was obvious, and he was often invited to film. He received his first significant role in the film “Be Beautiful and Shut Up.” Interestingly, this picture became the launching pad for another future idol of French women - Alain Delon.
So different from each other, but equally bright, they became friends on the set, which did not stop them from later fiercely competing for the title of the best actor in the country.
In addition, from the early films of Jean-Paul Belmondo one can note the psychological drama “On a Double Turn of the Key”, the comedy “Mademoiselle Angel”, where Romy Schneider became his partner, and the melodrama “The Only Angel on Earth”.
Personal life
On the screen, the charming actor had the opportunity to hug the most beautiful women of world cinema - Gina Lollobrigida, Romy Schneider, Catherine Deneuve, Michelle Mercier, and Belmondo was very proud of this. In real life, the actor enjoyed unfailing success with the audience, especially with the female half of the audience.
The personal life of Jean-Paul Belmondo was filled with colorful romances, although he was officially married only twice. He first married at the age of twenty to the dancer Elodie Constantin, with whom the marriage lasted thirteen years.
In the photo: Belmondo with his first wife Elodie Constantin
The first wife of Jean-Paul Belmondo gave the actor two daughters and a son. Her real name was Rene, but Jean-Paul really didn’t like it, and he called her Elodie - that was the name of the heroine of the play in which he was busy at that moment.
Elodie became the actor's first true love - seeing her on the stage of one of the clubs in San Germain, Belmondo fell in love with the graceful dancer, and she was captivated by the charming smile of twenty-year-old Jean-Paul. After the wedding, the newlyweds were supposed to go on a honeymoon, but Belmondo was offered the role, and the trip was cancelled.
With Elodie and children
At first, the young family lived with Jean-Paul's parents; later, when he began to receive substantial fees, they were able to buy an apartment and furnish it beautifully. Relationships in the family were excellent, and the birth of Jean-Paul Belmondo’s children brought the couple even closer together.
In the photo: Jean-Paul Belmondo and Ursula Andress
However, the actor’s wife had many reasons for concern, and over time they became more and more numerous - her husband’s popularity grew steadily, and along with it, the number of his fans increased.
Elodie was jealous of Jean-Paul not only of his partners on the set, but also of his fans, and when she found out that her flighty husband was having an affair with the Swiss actress Ursula Andress, Jean-Paul Belmondo's wife filed for divorce.
The affair with Andress did not lead to anything serious, as did the affair with Laura Antonelli, a star of Italian adult cinema, although the actor was determined to start a family with her.
In the photo: Belmondo and Laura Antonelli
Then there was a seven-year affair with the Brazilian Carlos Sotomayer, the age difference with whom was almost thirty years.
Only thirty-five years after his divorce from Elodie Constantin, the actor married again. His wife was ballerina and fashion model Natalie Tardivel, who was thirty-one years younger than her chosen one.
In the photo: Jean-Paul Belmondo and Nathalie Tardivel
Before consummating the union with legal ties, Belmondo dated Tardivel for thirteen years. They met at the Roland Garros tennis tournament, and soon another stormy romance broke out in the personal life of Jean-Paul Belmondo.
The second wife of Jean-Paul Belmondo gave birth to a daughter, Stella, who was born when her father was already seventy years old.
Natalie faced difficult trials - she was next to the actor in difficult times, when Belmondo suffered a serious stroke, and his wife helped him get back on his feet, spending days and nights next to her husband.
With his wife and daughter Stella
We can say that Natalie helped Jean-Paul return not only to normal life, but also to the cinema.
However, the difficult times they experienced together did not guarantee a strong marriage - six years after the wedding, Belmondo filed for divorce. This news came as a real shock to everyone who knew this couple.
“Nati, like no one else, knew how to create an atmosphere of calm around him. Jean Paul was truly devoted to her. “I can’t understand what happened,” said Philippe Durand, Belmondo’s biographer and friend.
One version of the separation is that the actor no longer wanted to be a burden for his wife, who was still young and could arrange her personal life. After the divorce, Jean-Paul and Nathalie continued to live in the same house, but on different floors.
To escape from gloomy thoughts, the actor decided to go to the south, where he was overtaken by a new hobby - seventy-eight-year-old Jean-Paul became seriously interested in a woman forty-three years younger than him.
In the photo: Jean-Paul Belmondo and Barbara Gandolfi
The actor met Barbara Gandolfi in one of the restaurants on the Cote d'Azur, and at first sight she changed the personal life of Jean-Paul Belmondo.
She amazed him with her snow-white smile, tanned skin and mischievous eyes. The actor invited the lady to his table and after meeting, he learned that the new acquaintance was a successful businesswoman who owned bars, nightclubs and some kind of Internet services.
Barbara also said that she is married, but she has long been connected with her husband only by a stamp in her passport and a common business. Soon, photos depicting the popular actor and his new companion began to appear in the press, and it turned out that Barbara Gandolfi had a far from impeccable reputation - she and her husband had long been followed by the Belgian police, of which they were citizens.
The reason for the suspicions of law enforcement agencies is pimping and money laundering, and all the companies of Belmondo’s new darling are nothing more than firms providing intimate services. And Barbara herself came from among call girls.
Relatives tried to set Jean-Paul on the right path, but he did not listen to anyone because he did not want to believe that his beloved woman was a swindler and a criminal. Belmondo was not stopped by the fact that the authorities warned the actor about the possibility that Barbara was infatuated not with him, but with his money, and she deliberately met him in order to gain access to his finances.
Jean-Paul tried to turn a blind eye to these facts.
“It’s disgusting that I’m portrayed as a decrepit idiot who lures a woman with a stuffed wallet. But I'm not a gangster or an idiot - I'm just in love! Barbara gave me back my joy in life. I don’t make any plans, I just want to live…” Belmondo said then.
The last romance in Jean-Paul Belmondo’s personal life lasted for four whole years, and it ended in a loud scandal - those around him, who constantly warned the actor about his beloved’s dishonesty, turned out to be right - Gandolfi not only secretly transferred his money to her account from Jean-Paul, but also using his bank accounts to launder funds she earned illegally.
However, according to Belmondo, he retained the fondest memories of the four years spent with Barbara, but Jean-Paul could not come to terms with the fact that she secretly used him to solve her financial problems.
Nothing is impossible!
And yet he was lucky!
“Do you want to act in a movie?” asked Chance, who this time appeared in the form of the young director Jean-Luc Godard. “No,” Belmondo replied.
“I will pay you 5 thousand francs per day of shooting,” the director insisted. “Agree,” the wife ordered. And soon another short film with Belmondo’s participation, “Charlotte and Her Jules,” was released.
“One day I will make a big film,” Godard said at the end of filming, “and it will be for you.”
He kept his promise: he offered the main role in the film “Breathless”. No one believed that something worthwhile would come out of this venture. But, despite the meager budget and the chaos that reigned on the set, the film became a real event in French cinema, and Jean-Paul became its new star!
The young actor began to vying with each other to be invited to act in films.
“My whole life after the film “Breathless” resembled a fairy tale. The phone rang from morning to evening. It seemed to me that this would not last long, and therefore I agreed to participate in any film,” recalled Jean-Paul Belmondo.
Intellectual films, comedies, action films - he has established himself as a versatile actor, for whom nothing is impossible. And finally, Jean-Paul Belmondo was able to demonstrate his excellent physical shape: he performed all the stunts himself - until he was 60 years old!
Of course, this only added to the audience’s love and admiration for him. The actor’s charm is so great that even the villains and adventurers he plays evoke sincere sympathy from the audience. The positive characters, especially the hero-lovers, turned out to be irresistible.
His film partners were the inimitable Catherine Deneuve, Raquel Welch, Sophia Loren, Jeanne Moreau, Claudia Cardinale, Annie Girardot, Jacqueline Bisset. But once Belmondo’s mentor, director Pierre Dux, told his student:
“You shouldn’t kiss on stage at all, no one will believe you anyway! And the roles of heroes are too tough for you.”
Oh, how wrong he was! The actor was in love with the most beautiful women - both on screen and in life...
Actor's children
Jean-Paul Belmondo's eldest daughter Patricia, born in his first marriage to Elodie Constantin, died in a fire when she was only forty years old. This tragic incident caused the actor’s first stroke in 1994.
In the photo: Jean-Paul Belmondo with his son Paul
The children of Jean-Paul Belmondo did not follow in his footsteps, although his son Paul starred in the film “The Minion of Fate”, then he decided to connect his biography with racing and became a Formula 1 pilot.
The older children gave the actor three grandchildren, Alessandro, Victor and Giacomo - Paul, and three - the middle daughter Florence.
Retirement from active activities
After “The Professional” there followed a number of successful works by the great French actor, among which are “Loner” and “Outside the Law”. However, at a certain point, Jean-Paul Belmondo got tired of the busy filming schedule and decided to return to the theater stage, where he had not been seen for almost thirty years. In the production of “Kin, or Genius and Dissipation,” the legendary actor played a mad genius, as always, coping with his tasks perfectly.
Belmondo even thought about finally saying goodbye to cinema, but he succumbed to the persuasion of Claude Lelouch and starred in his film “The Minion of Fate.” Nevertheless, shortly before his sixtieth birthday, he publicly announced that he was stopping playing the roles in which he was accustomed to being seen - policemen, bandits, adventurers.
According to him, he is no longer going to expose himself to ridicule and turn into the “flying grandfather” of French cinema.
...But more often - the hero of gangster films
Still from the film "Borsalino", 1970
Still from the film “Fear over the City,” 1975.
Still from the film “Professional”, 1981.
And yet, viewers loved Belmondo’s roles in gangster adventure films more than others - “Professional”, “Borsalino”, “Fear over the City”...
A fearless macho, equally deft with both fists and all kinds of weapons, easily dealing with enemies - this image became Belmondo’s calling card for a long time.
Bebel and love
Bebel - this is how the French good-naturedly called him because his surname is consonant with the word bebe, which means “child”, “child”. His work is very popular in France and that is why people came up with such a cute nickname for him.
It would seem that no woman would look at a man with such a specific appearance. Nothing like this! The ladies simply adored Belmondo, and he reciprocated.
His first love and wife was the ballerina Rene Constantin. Jean-Paul liked absolutely everything about her except... the name. And he began to call her Elodie - as the heroine of the play in which he was playing at that time.
She bore him three children - two daughters and a son. Nothing overshadowed the family idyll - until success in the cinema came to Jean-Paul, and with it a “bonus” - fans. Elodie turned a blind eye to Jean-Paul's affairs for many years, but after learning about her husband's affair with actress Ursula Andress, she filed for divorce.
In Hollywood, Ursula, “the first Bond girl,” was called a predator. She did not intend to marry Belmondo, but she also did not intend to let him go. She took the “expensive trophy” to Hollywood. Their life together lasted seven years - with an endless series of lavish receptions and noisy parties, of which Belmondo eventually got tired and returned to Paris. Then there were two more beauties in Bebel’s life - Laura Antonelli and Maria Carlos Sotomayor. The first divorced her husband for his sake, but for some reason was in no hurry to marry Belmondo. The guest marriage lasted seven years, until the actor got tired of being a toy in women's hands. He broke off the relationship.
Maria Carlos Sotomayor was good enough to be Jean-Paul Belmondo's daughter, but the actor couldn't resist. The Brazilian beauty model, spoiled by her rich parents, spent her lover’s money as if she set out to ruin him, and even cheated recklessly. But the actor called her a muse and brushed off family and friends who appealed to his reason. Maria Carlos left him - yes, after seven years, that’s a fatal number! – leaving a Yorkshire terrier puppy.
Well, this gift served him well - thanks to the dog, the actor met Nathalie Tardivel, the woman who saved his life!
Comic actor
The “maestro” sentence only emboldened young Belmondo. He, despite his parents’ persuasion to “forget about acting,” completed theater courses and then entered the Conservatory of Dramatic Art.
His teachers predicted the fame of an artist in the comic genre. And one of them once said: “With your appearance, you can’t play heroes. If you hug a woman, it will cause homeric laughter from the audience.” The prophecies of the teachers did not come true. Very soon, a photo of Jean-Paul Belmondo will appear in glossy magazines. It is thanks to the image of the hero. And the Empire publication will include his name in the list of “100 Sexiest Movie Stars.”
I was doomed to play morons. If I had any complexes, I would be lost.
This is what Jean-Paul Belmondo once said, recalling the early period of his biography. The photo below shows a man who is difficult to imagine in the image of a clown.
Belmondo had no complexes. In 1956 he completed his studies at the Conservatory. And earlier, during an internship, he played in several performances on the stage of the Comedie-Française theater.
