ACTOR · BORN 1930 · DIED 2006

Philippe Noiret

Born

1 October 1930, Lille, Nord, France

Died

23 November 2006

Known for

Cinema Paradiso (1988), The Postman (1994), My Friends (1975), La Grande Bouffe (1973)

20 archived facts · 4 topics · 1 source · Last reviewed Sep 2026

14 Interesting Facts About Philippe Noiret

1. #001

   Hergé, the Belgian writer and illustrator of the world-famous Tintin comics, considered Noiret the ideal choice to play a live-action version of Tintin's character Captain Haddock.

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2. #003

   Noiret, known for his droopy bloodhound features, was an outspoken dog lover in real life.

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3. #004

   He was once a nightclub entertainer.

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4. #005

   He was director Bertrand Tavernier's favourite.

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5. #006

   After failing the baccalauréat (the French high school diploma) exams three times, he decided to train in theatre.

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6. #009

   He was the only French actor with a major role in 'The Return of the Three Musketeers' (1989). Ironically, his character, Cardinal Mazarin, was Italian, despite serving as Prime Minister of France from 1642 to 1661.

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7. #010

   In 1963, together with Jean-Pierre Darras, he recorded the French songs 'Consuela', 'Marche Grecque', 'Mon Grand' and 'Paris-Paname', written by Henri Betti (music) and Jean Cosmos (lyrics).

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8. #011

   Noiret did not believe in watching footage from shoots. He did not want to see his work in fragments before the film was edited.

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9. #012

   In 2005 he received the Légion d'Honneur, France's highest decoration.

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10. #013

    After spending his early years as an actor at the French National Theatre (T.N.P.), Noiret entered cinema in 1956.

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11. #014

    He was the brother-in-law of actor François Chaumette.

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12. #015

    He trained at the Centre Dramatique de l'Ouest.

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13. #019

    Noiret was primarily cast as an Everyman character, but he did not shy away from controversial roles such as 'La Grande Bouffe', which caused a scandal at Cannes in 1973 with its story of suicide by overeating, and in 1991 André Téchiné cast him in 'J'embrasse pas' (I Don't Kiss) as a melancholic older homosexual obsessed with young male flesh.

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14. #020

    Noiret's film debut (1949) was an uncredited role in 'Gigi', directed by Jacqueline Audry.

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