Jean-Louis Trintignant, a key figure in French theater and cinema, died Friday, June 17, at the age of 91. His wife Mariane Hoepfner Trintignant announced his death to AFP via a statement from his agent.
His wife stated that the actor of “And God… Created Woman”, and “Love” had died peacefully, “from old age, this morning at his Gard home, surrounded with his loved ones”. His funeral will be private.
He entered the cinematic history with “A man, a woman” (19Claude Lelouch), where he was a race driver who falls in love with Anouk. In 1969, he won the interpretation prize at Cannes for “Z”, by Costa Gavras. In 2002, he also won a Cesar award for best actor for “Amour,” (2012) by Michael Haneke. This film won a Palme d’Or.
Jean-Louis Trintignant is in three unforgettable roles
His last big screen appearance was in 2019, with “The most beautiful year of a lifetime”, where he reunited once again with Anouk Aimee, his partner, and director Claude Lelouch.
He was also seen facing the camera during the Cesar 2021 ceremony. His appearance was very limited.
Many tragedies marked his life, including the tragic death of Marie, his daughter and actress, by Bertrand Cantat, her singer companion. Drama that caused a stir in France highlighted violence against women and was credited with causing a lot of controversy. This son of an industrialist was born in Piolenc, in the Vaucluse on December 11, 1930. He took comedy classes in Paris from Charles Dullin before he started on the boards in 1951.
Emmanuel Macron, President of the Republic, praised the memory of a “formidable artist talent” who had “accompanied our lives a bit through French cinema”. The head of state added, “It’s an page that turns” to refer to the actor’s “soft voice”.
