Patrick Dewaere was born Jean-Marie Patrick
Bourdeau on 26 January 1947 at Saint-Brieuc in Britanny, in the north-west of France.
He was the third of six children and made his film debut at the age of four, under the
name Patrick Maurin, in the 1951 film Monsieur Fabre. He had a difficult
childhood and hated school, partly because he was teased for his small film roles as a
child.
In 1967, he appeared in a leading role in the
French television series, Jean de la Tour Miracle, before joining the “Café
de Gare” theatrical troupe, which included Coluche and Miou-Miou, who, like Dewaere, would
achieve stardom in the 1970s. At this time, the actor adopted the name Dewaere,
the name of his great grandmother. Dewaere’s association with the Café de
Gare lasted 10 years whilst he pursued his film career.
Having appeared in Jean-Paul Rappeneau’s Les
Mariés de l’an II in 1970 and Claude Faraldo’s Themroc in 1972 (along
with the rest of the Café de Gare troupe), Patrick Dewaere achieved fame for his
leading role in Bertrand Blier’s 1973 film Les Valseuses, in which he starred opposite
another rising star, Gerard Dépardieu.
In his film work, Dewaere appeared to be far
more interested in playing difficult parts, often in experimental, low budget films, than
by consolidating his bank balance and his celebrity. He had a particular flair for
playing losers and outsiders, where he demonstrated a considerable talent as an actor.
Good example of this can be seen in Alain Corneau’s 1979 film Série Noire and
Luc Béraud’s 1980 film Plein Sud.
Although greatly admired by the critics and
the public alike, Dewaere never achieved international fame and never received an award
for his performances, although he was often nominated for Césars and awards at
Cannes.
Patrick Dewaere’s career ended in tragic and
mysterious circumstances which have never been fully resolved. Whilst working on
Claude Lelouch’s film Édith and Marcel, the actor decided to end his life,
shooting himself with a rifle in his Paris home on 16 July 1982. It was an inexplicable
tragic act which robbed France of one of its most promising acting talents.
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