French actor with a rough, heavy face, great charisma and a gift for comedy. He had credits in over 70 roles by 1990, about 50 plays and TV performances. His first English language film was “Green Card” 1990.
He was the third child of six raised in poverty and illiteracy, a street-kid from the time he was 12. He dropped out of school to bum around Europe, stealing cars and peddling black-market goods, with wild adventures and sexual escapades.
He discovered acting at 16 and made a debut in 1974 in “going Places,” a cult hit. Depardieu radiates wild energy, strutting, whispering, growling, the primal male caged in modern society. He hates boredom. He and his wife Elizabeth separated in 1992 after 22 years of marriage, and finally divorced in 2006; two adult kids. He has a daughter Roxanne, born 28 January 1992 with his girlfriend, Karine Sylla, 30, a model. He owns 62 acres of vineyards.
In May 1998 he crashed his motorcycle in Clairefontaine, France, suffering face and leg injuries where he was unable to work for a month. With a blood-alcohol content five times the legal limit, he was given a three-month suspended sentence and fined $1,600 for DUI. In Paris, 7/10/2000, Depardieu underwent successful coronary bypass surgery. The French actor sustained minor injuries in a motor scooter accident on June 28, 2004 in Paris. He was hospitalized with a double fracture in his leg. In 2003 he walked away from another minor accident.
On 16 July 2006 he became father of a son, Jean, whose mother is the actress Hélène Bizot.
On 16 August 2011 he was thrown off an Air France plane after urinating on the floor of the plane, because he had been refused access to the toilet during takeoff procedures.
Link to Wikipedia biography