early years
Vincent Perez was born on June 10, 1962 in Lausanne, Switzerland, the second of three children in an international family. His father is a Spaniard who came to the country to engage in export-import operations. Mom is a German who left her homeland to become a Swiss housewife.
Vincent saw films with Charlie Chaplin for the first time at the age of 7 and decided that they were very similar. He calls himself a quiet, shy and unhappy boy. Although as a child he often made teachers and classmates laugh when he imitated his favorite actor. He was always attracted to creative professions; he thought about becoming a photographer, sculptor and artist. His father wanted Vincent to study business, but his mother supported his intention to choose a creative profession.
Comprehension of the profession
At first, Vincent Perez decided to become a professional photographer and went to study at the School of Photography at the Center Doret in Vevey (Switzerland). This is a famous international educational institution, famous for its education. Photography has always been his true passion. He never parted with her, even after becoming a famous actor. Photographs by Vincent Perez adorn many professional exhibitions. In 2011, in Moscow, he showed a series of his works, united under the title “From Vladivostok to Paris.”
However, the craving for acting prevailed, and Vincent Perez entered the acting department of the Higher National Conservatory of Dramatic Art in Geneva. Later he transferred to the institute of the same name in Paris, so many consider him a French actor. He learned the secrets of professional skill under the guidance of the famous Patrice Chéreau, playing in classical plays. He also improved his acting skills at the experimental school L'Ecole des Amandiers in Nanterre.
Carier start
In 1986, his teacher Chéreau invited Vincent Perez to work in Nanterre in his Amandier theater troupe. Here he plays a lot, participating in leading roles in productions of Shakespeare's Hamlet, Chekhov's Platonov and Kleist's plays. As a student, in 1985 he began acting on television, and in 1986 he first starred in the film drama “The Guardian of the Night,” where he played Armand. The next two films, Hotel de France and The House of Jade, were warmly received by audiences.
In 1990, he played the main role of Baron de Sigognac in the Italian adventure film The Voyage of Captain Fracassa, where his partner was the charming Ornela Muti. This role long defined his acting role as a romantic hero in a costume film. After his first successes, Vincent Perez decides to quit the theater and focus on his cinematic career.
Vincent Perez
Vincent Perez was born in the small Swiss town of Lausanne on June 10, 1964. Vincent grew up as a creative child, interested in painting and photography. After graduating from school, he planned to study as a sculptor or artist, but fate decreed otherwise, and at the age of 18, Perez entered the acting department of the French Higher National Conservatory of Dramatic Art in Geneva.
The first film with Vincent Perez was released in 1986. It was a film directed by Jean-Pierre Limozin - Guardian of the Night. Two years later, the next film with the participation of the actor was released - The House of Jade (1988), a drama from director Nadine Trintignant. Possessing an attractive appearance, remarkable talent and charisma, Perez quickly achieves success in cinema. So, most often he gets the roles of romantic heroes, and his partners on the set are such famous actresses as Emmanuelle Béart in the film The Voyage of Captain Fracassa (1990), Catherine Deneuve in the Oscar-winning drama Indochina (1992), Sophie Marceau in the comedy melodrama The Scent of Love Fanfan (1993), as well as Isabelle Adjani in the biographical film Queen Margot (1994).
In 1990, the actor was lucky enough to play alongside Gerard Depardieu in the historical film Cyrano de Bergerac. After this role, Vincent Perez was nominated for the French Cesar film award in 1991. But he gained worldwide fame after starring in the film directed by Michelangelo Antonioni - Beyond the Clouds (1995).
The actor's filmography is very impressive. From 1986 to 2014, he played about sixty roles. And in 2020, new films with Vincent’s participation are being prepared for release: The King of Madagascar and The Price of Desire. In addition, Perez is also involved in directing. Two of his short films, The Exchange (1992) and Nothing to Say (1999), were nominated at the Cannes Film Festival.
The personal life of the French actor is as successful as his “film” activities. Since 1998, Vincent Perez has been married to Karine Sylla, the ex-wife of his work colleague, Gerard Depardieu. The couple has four children.
Vincent Perez has blue eyes, naturally brown hair, fair skin and medium lips. The face shape is oval, the forehead is high, the hair is curly and soft. Vincent Perez does not change his hair color, preferring natural hair. The actor has a medium straight nose and a rectangular chin. Vincent Perez sometimes grows a mustache and beard. The actor's height is 182 cm, no tattoos.
Zodiac sign - Gemini (06/10/1964)
Become a star
The next costume film, “Cyrano de Bergerac,” became a landmark in the biography of Vincent Perez. He got the role of the friend of the main character, the charming Christian de Novilet, at whose request Cyrano wrote ardent love letters to the beautiful Roxana. From this melodrama, the role of a young, handsome romantic was firmly assigned to him, which was later used in many other films. The brilliant performance of Gerard Depardieu brought the film phenomenal success, but critics also noted the contribution of the young actor.
The next two films by Vincent Perez, “Indochina” (1992) and “Queen Margot” (1994), finally secured his star status. In the grandiose melodrama about the times of colonial rule in Vietnam, he plays the role of Jean-Baptiste, a French officer who rescues a Vietnamese girl, the adopted daughter of the plantation owner Eliana, played by the magnificent Catherine Deneuve. In the film adaptation of Dumas' novel, he gets one of the main roles - the Protestant La Mole. A young nobleman, fleeing from assassins on St. Bartholomew's Night, takes refuge in the chambers of Queen Margot, played by Isabelle Adjani. Film critics especially noted that he was very good at bed scenes, filmed in close-up. After these films, he became a real sex symbol in France.
Kitchen with an accent
True, this time the action moves to Paris, the capital of gastronomy and love. There, on the Seine, Nagiyev opens a new restaurant called “Aurora”. The whole team of culinary specialists moves there, some joyfully and some with a squeaking heart, and there, in the most romantic city on the planet, a love drama unfolds between Elena Sergeevna, Max and the “other man” - a gourmet and a handsome Frenchman, played by Vincent Perez. The actor is no stranger to the images of heartthrobs. He is well known to the viewer from his work in such films as “Indochina”, “Queen Margot”, “Fanfan - Tulip”.
Before the capital's premiere, Monsieur Perez delighted the audience with a culinary master class (he personally prepared a rack of lamb in almond sauce) and shared his secrets of the sweet life with RG. One of which, according to the director of the film “Kitchen in Paris” Dmitry Dyachenko, is Vincent’s almost Buddhist calmness and his extreme unpretentiousness. Dyachenko says that on the set, until he was called into the frame, Vincent simply sat on a chair, waited and was silent. He didn’t ask me to drink, eat or smoke. By the way, the actor gave up this addiction just during the filming of the film.
You told a colorful story about how your friend Gerard Depardieu came to visit you, brought a huge piece of meat and, cutting pieces from it, threw them on the floor, exclaiming: “Bon appetit!” But for some reason it seems to me that you are not such an eccentric in food.
Vincent Perez:
Yes, I am far from Gerard. You know, one of his favorite tricks in the kitchen is waltzing the chicken before sending it to cook (laughs). I prefer simple food. Simple things. I always have Parmesan, other cheeses, vegetables and pasta in my refrigerator. I love cooking Mediterranean dishes. And the secret to well-cooked pasta is that it should be cooked “al dente,” which literally means “to the tooth.” It must be removed from boiling water half a minute before the full cooking time. This is an old peasant tradition. When eating a lot of pasta, this method of cooking allows you to stay in shape.
Is this the main secret to staying fit?
Vincent Perez:
No. The main secret is the ability to enjoy life and the ability to relax.
The director says that he wanted to make your hero the personification of everything European and sophisticated, what every Russian girl strives for in her dreams. Did you feel this high responsibility?
Vincent Perez:
I am Swiss by birth, my mother is German, my father is Spanish, and I live in France (with a smile). So yes, I am the perfect embodiment of the European male brand. I travel all over the world. Free. So I would say that I am a dream come true of what a global citizen could look like.
This probably gives a wonderful feeling of freedom.
Vincent Perez:
Freedom is the side of my existence that I like. But this is also a difficult feeling for me. I don't feel like I'm part of a coherent culture. And for me, as an artist, it is important to feel that I belong to a certain culture. I can't say I'm proud to be Spanish. Although I am half Spanish by blood, my soul is only one third Spanish. And then there’s a lot more mixed in. I don't feel whole.
But isn't this a help for an actor? You can let out that part of yourself that is required, which is also good for working in international film crews, for example?
Vincent Perez:
Right. This kind of mixing of cultures outside makes me completely open to experimentation. I would call myself a researcher of the human species. I would really like to understand who we are as people. Feel the whole mystery of life.
Are there any successes in this philosophical field?
Vincent Perez:
Only sometimes do I manage to feel my involvement in a miracle. You can call life a mystery of nature, or a divine mystery. It's whatever you like. But I’m also interested in seeing, for example, how the greatest Russian writers—Dostoevsky, Tolstoy, Chekhov—understood these fundamental questions of existence. Russia for me now is the focus of my spiritual research. After all, your country occupies most of the planet. Here is the fusion of the energy of East and West, a unique unification of cultures and nations. And we, as Europeans, must open our arms to Russia.
By the way, you are a frequent visitor to Russia. They even wrote once that you wouldn’t mind getting a Russian passport, like your friend Gerard Depardieu did. This is true?
Vincent Perez:
I think that the right to obtain Russian citizenship must be earned. Gerard is a lump, a giant, a great artist and person. My persona is much more modest. And shouldn't I marry a Russian girl to get citizenship?
No, this is completely optional.
Vincent Perez (laughs):
It's a pity that I was misinformed on this matter.
Hollywood and beyond
In 1996, the first Hollywood film appeared in the filmography of Vincent Perez. He replaces the cult thriller “The Raven.” City of Angels”, who died on the set of Brandon Lee, the son of the famous Bruce Lee. In the next film, “Queen of the Damned” (2002), he plays a gay vampire, Marius de Romanus. Both roles cannot be considered Perez's great acting successes. He continues to act in American films, where he gets the roles of foreigners, such as the Serbian Slavko Stanic in Snipers (1998), and Latinos, such as Dr. Martinez in the film Until the Last Breath (2002).
In 2003, he received the iconic role of French cinema in the modern version of Fanfan-Tulip. As Vincent Perez later said, he was very flattered that he got this gorgeous role of the famous literary character who became a national hero. In the same year, he starred as Bertrand in the comedy melodrama “I Stay” along with Sophie Marceau, in which he was not afraid to risk his image as an irresistible lover, because the main character leaves his hero.
In Russian cinema
In 1996, Vincent Perez starred in the black comedy “Life Line” by the famous Russian director Pavel Lungin, whom he met in Paris. The actor was not afraid to go to Russia for filming, despite warnings from friends that it was a very dangerous country. The film starred famous Russian actors Armen Dzhigarkhanyan, Dmitry Pevtsov, Vladimir Steklov. Vincent played the role of the composer Philippe, who is blackmailed by Russian bandits.
In 2007, he was invited to play the role of Louis Devier, a secret service agent in the action film “Apocalypse Code.” His hero helps Marie (Anastasia Zavorotnyuk) save the world from a nuclear disaster, which is being prepared by an Arab terrorist. As the artist himself said, if Americans constantly save the world, then why not the Russians do it. The film, despite having a fairly large budget for Russian films, failed at the box office.
In 2014, he starred in the film “Kitchen in Paris” in the role of Nicolas Dupont, a French official caring for one of the heroines.
Depardieu's daughter lives with Vincent Perez
Vincent Perez, the 49-year-old hero-lover of the world screen, the famous “Tulip Fanfan” and “The Libertine,” appeared on Khanty-Mansiysk soil in a black jacket with a fur hood, high boots and a black hat. And he instantly captivated everyone with his charm, open smile, and democratic manner of communication. At the “Spirit of Fire” Perez met his old friends, directors Pavel Lungin and Pavel Chukhrai. Table conversations revolved exclusively around cinema.
See photo report on the topic: Depardieu's daughter lives with Vincent Perez
6 photos
— Recently I watched films by Pavel Chukhrai. There are amazing Russian characters, I discovered so many different facets in them. I tried to tell Pavel how impressed I was by his films, I don’t know how much I managed to convey everything I felt, this was after several glasses of whiskey. I am happy that Sergei Solovyov and I discussed the possibility of participating in his new project. I would like to work with Russian directors, I really like them.
Vincent was also delighted by the opening ceremony of the “Spirit of Fire”, where the young presenters, a student of Evgeniy Kamenkovich’s workshop at RATI Anastasia Tsoi and Alexey Smirnov from VGIK, a student of Sergei Solovyov, lit up with all their hearts. On the occasion that the current “Spirit of Fire” is held under the motto “Oh sport, you are the world,” Alexey appeared on stage in a 16-kilogram hockey uniform. In excellent English, he translated the solemn speeches of the thin, airy Nastya and the festival president Sergei Solovyov, shouting with increasing enthusiasm: “Spirit of Fire!” It turned out to be a real festive show, the audience was delighted, laughed, and applauded. And only then it turned out that the future film director Alexey Smirnov is the son of the famous director Andrei Sergeevich Smirnov. Vincent Perez enthusiastically congratulated the young presenters on their excellent debut.
After the cheerful opening celebration, the disciplined and responsible Frenchman came to the first festival press conference before everyone else, readily answered questions, and spoke in detail about the film he brought to “Spirit of Fire.” This is Denis Dercourt's film Tomorrow at Dawn, a low-budget film about two brothers who have difficulty finding mutual understanding. Vincent is interested in different projects - not only such large-scale and expensive ones as “Indochina”, which brought him world fame, but also those where directors experiment without counting on a big release. In the program of the international competition “Spirit of Fire,” Perez immediately noticed “Snow White,” a black-and-white gothic fairy tale from Spain, stylized as a silent film. Vincent Perez is a connoisseur and connoisseur of art. It is not for nothing that he considers the outstanding French director Patrice Chéreau, with whom he worked a lot in the theater, to be his teacher, and he is also a serious fan of Stanislavsky’s system. At the debutants festival, Vincent shared his memories.
— It all starts with the fact that one fine day you decide to become an actor. I was 15 years old and trying to figure out what acting was. I read everything I could about my favorite artists Marlon Brando and James Dean and learned the name Stanislavsky. I found his book, and since then my life has changed. The system of genius of the Russian theater led me to Chekhov, he became my favorite playwright. On stage I played Platonov and Voinitsky. I became very interested in Russian culture, loved the films of Tarkovsky, Eisenstein, Mikhalkov. Most recently I enjoyed reading The Captain's Daughter. It is quite possible that in a past life I was Russian.
It’s interesting that Pushkin’s story is going to be filmed by Gerard Depardieu, so it was clearly not by chance that it appeared on Perez’s list of favorite books. Gerard and Vincent share uneasy ties. Perez's wife Karen Sylla, a former fashion model and actress who became a director, the mother of his three children - Iman, Pablo, Tess, before meeting Vincent, gave birth to a daughter from Gerard. Roxanne Depardieu lives with the Perez family and adores her father and stepfather. Depardieu and Perez are friends and have worked together more than once. Very soon both will go to Africa to film a comedy about two friends going through a midlife crisis. Each of the characters is on the verge of the collapse of their family life, but the journey makes them remember the loved ones they left behind and return to them. The director of the new film is none other than Karen Sylla.
At the “Spirit of Fire” Vincent Perez received the “Golden Taiga” for his contribution to world cinema and presented his photo exhibition. Photography is another passion of his life. When asked what is the difference between Perez the artist and Perez the photographer, Vincent replied:
- I admit, I love these two guys and don’t separate them in myself, here I am an artist, here I am a photographer. Taking up photography makes my life fuller, if I didn’t feel this little boy inside me who wants to capture amazing moments, I wouldn’t feel truly alive and wouldn’t expect a miracle.
From photographs of Perez, familiar faces looked at the audience: the patriarch of French cinema Jean Rochefort, the head of the Moscow Maly Theater Yuri Solomin in the role of Moliere, Carla Bruni at the moment of her first kiss after her marriage to Nicolas Sarkozy. During his presidency, Perez received exclusive rights to film this big event. There is a story here too. More than twenty years ago, the beautiful Vincent was involved in a romantic relationship with the aspiring singer and actress Carla Bruni. He knows how to preserve the threads of human relationships and prevent them from getting tangled and torn.
Khanty-Mansiysk
Directing works
Over time, actor Vincent Perez increasingly wanted to try himself as a director, and in 1991 he made the short film “The Exchange,” which received the Palme d’Or at Cannes. In 1999 he made a second short film, “Nothing to Say.”
In 2002, he directed his first feature film, “The Skin of an Angel,” for which he wrote the script together with his wife. The main roles starred Gerard Depardieu's son Guillaume and actress Morgan More. In 2007, he became the producer and director of the mystical film “The Secret,” a tragic story about the transmigration of the soul of a deceased woman into the body of her daughter.
Personal life
There were many women in his biography, as befits an actor who became famous in the roles of romantic lovers. He was engaged for some time to the famous French actress Jacqueline Bisset, despite the fact that she is 20 years older than him. He met with the future wife of the French President, model Carla Bruni.
In 1998, Vincent Perez married his girlfriend Karine Sylla; the Senegalese model by that time already had a child with Gerard Depardieu. Now the family is raising four children, including Sylla, the daughter of Gerard Depardieu.
Thanks to Karine, Vincent began to play in the theater again; his wife’s play “Time Passes” is being staged. As he himself says, it turned out that he likes to play in plays. He also played a major role in the film “Inaudible Touch,” which was also directed by Karin.
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