Description

From illiterate street kid to global film icon, Gérard Depardieu lived a life that defied every rule.

Born in poverty in provincial France, Depardieu rose through sheer instinct and explosive talent to become one of the most powerful actors in cinema history. He mesmerized audiences in Cyrano de Bergerac, Jean de Florette, Green Card, and The Man in the Iron Mask, commanding both European arthouse screens and Hollywood blockbusters.

But his life off-camera was just as dramatic.

Scandal. Excess. Political controversy. Tax exile. Reinvention as a global citizen.

In this gripping biography, Julien Peltier goes beyond the headlines to explore:

• The rebellious youth who could barely read

• The meteoric rise that transformed French cinema

• The appetites—food, wine, women, power—that shaped his legend

• The controversies that divided France

• The paradox of a man both revered and condemned

Part of the acclaimed Stars of French Cinema series—alongside portraits of Omar Sy, Jean Reno, and Vincent Cassel—this is an unfiltered, cinematic exploration of a man who became larger than life itself.

For fans of film history, European cinema, Hollywood crossovers, and complex cultural icons, this is the definitive portrait of one of cinema's most fascinating figures.

Some actors play giants.

Depardieu became one.