About

Known credits:
85
Birthday:
1922-05-02
Place of birth:
Reggio Emilia, Italy
Website:
N/A

Serge Reggiani

Overview

Serge Reggiani (2 May 1922 – 23 July 2004) was an Italian-born French singer and actor. He was born in Reggio Emilia, Italy and moved to France with his parents at the age of eight. For many years, he struggled with alcoholism, caused in part by the 1980 suicide of his son Stephan.

After acting school (Conservatoire des arts cinématographiques) he was discovered by Jean Cocteau and appeared in a wartime production of Les Parents terribles ("The Terrible Parents"). During World War II, he left Paris to join the French resistance.

His first feature film came in 1946 with his role in Les portes de la nuit ("The Doors of the Night"). He later went on to perform in 80 films including Casque d'or, Les Misérables (1958),Tutti a casa, Le Doulos, Il Gattopardo, La terrazza, The Pianist (1998).

In spite of never quite reaching the peak with his acting career, he did triumph in the theatre in 1959 with his performance in Jean-Paul Sartre’s play Les Séquestrés d'Altona. In the meantime, though, in 1965 he began a second career, that of a singer (at the age of 43), with the help of Simone Signoret and her husband Yves Montand and later with great assistance of the French diva Barbara. Reggiani became one of the most acclaimed performers of French "Chanson" ("song") and although he was in his 40s, his bad-boy rugged image made him popular with both young and older listeners.

His best known songs include Les loups sont entrés dans Paris ("The Wolves Have Entered Paris") and Sarah (La femme qui est dans mon lit) ("The Woman Who Is In My Bed"), the latter written by Georges Moustaki. However, one of his regular songwriters throughout his career was Boris Vian (Le Déserteur, Arthur où t'as mis le corps, La Java des bombes atomiques). His new young fans identified with his left-wing ideals and antimilitarism, most notably during the 1968 student revolts in France. With age he became more and more acclaimed as one of the best interpreters of the French chanson also bringing the poetry of Rimbaud, Apollinaire and Prévert closer to his audience. In 1995, he made a comeback to the singing stage, giving a few concerts despite his deteriorated health and personal distress, the last one being held as late as in the year of his death, in spring of 2004.

In later life he became a painter and gave a number of exhibitions of his artwork.

Serge Reggiani died in Paris of a heart attack at the age of 82, one day after the death of another well known French singer Sacha Distel. He is interred in Montparnasse Cemetery.

Known for

Acting

2022 La TV des 70's : Quand Giscard était président Actor Self (archive footage) 58
Average
2014 Les Enfoirés - Les Enfoirés en chœur de 1985 à aujourd'hui Actor 59
Average
2011 Il était une fois... Vincent, François, Paul et les autres Actor Self (archive footage) N/A
N/A
2010 They Saw Inferno Actor Self N/A
N/A
2009 Henri-Georges Clouzot's Inferno Actor Marcel (archive footage) 60
Fair
1998 The Pianist Actor Rossell mayor 58
Average
1997 Heroines Actor monsieur Montgolfier 58
Average
1995 Les Enfoirés 1995 - Les Enfoirés à l'Opéra-Comique Actor 59
Average
1995 The Little Boy Actor Germain 58
Average
1993 Serge Reggiani - Palais des congrès Actor N/A
N/A
1993 Rosen-Emil Actor Dr. Levy 59
Average
1993 De force avec d'autres Actor Sergio 59
Average
1990 I Hired a Contract Killer Actor Vic 61
Fair
1990 Plein fer Actor Emilio 58
Average
1990 There Were Days... and Moons Actor le père de Sophie 59
Average
1988 Let Sleeping Cops Lie Actor Le Stéphanois 58
Average
1988 L'écho Actor N/A
N/A
1986 Mauvais Sang Actor Charlie 62
Fair
1986 The Beekeeper Actor Sick Man 60
Fair
1980 Fantastica Actor Euclide Brown 58
Average
1980 The Imprint of Giants Actor Fouldroule N/A
N/A
1980 The Terrace Actor Sergio 61
Fair
1977 Solemn Communion Actor Le récitant chanteur (voice) 58
Average
1977 Violette & Francois Actor Père de François 58
Average
1977 Une fille cousue de fil blanc Actor Jérôme 59
Average
1976 The Good and the Bad Actor le chef de la résistance 58
Average
1975 Cat and Mouse Actor Lechat 58
Average
1974 Vincent, Francois, Paul and the Others Actor Paul, écrivain, journaliste 61
Fair
1974 Don't Touch the White Woman! Actor The Mad Indian 58
Average
1972 The Big Shots Actor Thia 58
Average
1972 3000 Million Without an Elevator Actor Pierrot 58
Average
1970 36, le grand tournant Actor N/A
N/A
1970 Countdown to Vengeance Actor François Nolan 59
Average
1969 Army of Shadows Actor Hairdresser 70
Good
1968 The Day of the Owl Actor Parrinieddu 60
Fair
1968 The Seven Cervi Brothers Actor Ferrari, antifascista in carcere 59
Average
1967 The 25th Hour Actor Trajan Koruga 60
Fair
1967 The Last Adventure Actor the pilot 60
Fair
1966 The Threatening Sky Actor Narrator N/A
N/A
1965 Bestiary of Love Actor N/A
N/A
1965 The Blue Panther Actor Ivanov 58
Average
1963 The Leopard Actor Don Francisco Ciccio Tumeo 70
Good
1962 Le Doulos Actor Maurice Faugel 64
Fair
1962 Warriors Five Actor Libero N/A
N/A
1961 Paris Blues Actor Michel 'Gypsy' Devigne 59
Average
1960 Mad Years Actor Récitant / Narrator (voice) 59
Average
1960 Everybody Go Home! Actor Geniere Assunto Ceccarelli 61
Fair
1959 Marie-Octobre Actor Antoine Rougier 60
Fair
1958 The Stowaway Actor Alfred Mougins 58
Average
1958 Les Misérables Actor Enjolras 60
Fair
1958 Not Delivered Actor Bastien Sassey 58
Average
1957 The Seine Meets Paris Actor Speaker 59
Average
1957 Élisa Actor Bernard Voisin N/A
N/A
1957 The Doll that Took the Town Actor Mario Grimaldi 58
Average
1956 Une enquête du commissaire Prévôt Actor Le commissaire Prévôt 70
Good
1955 The Wicked Go to Hell Actor Rudel 58
Average
1955 Napoleon Actor Lucien Bonaparte 59
Average
1953 Act of Love Actor Claude Lacaud 59
Average
1953 Storms Actor Sergio Parnell 58
Average
1953 The Curious Adventures of Mr. Wonderbird Actor Chimney Sweep (voice) 59
Average
1953 The World Condemns Them Actor André 58
Average
1952 Red Shirts - Anita Garibaldi Actor Lantini 59
Average
1952 Casque d'Or Actor Georges 62
Fair
1952 Secret People Actor Louis Balan 58
Average
1951 Good Enough to Eat Actor Jean-Loup aka 'Loup' 59
Average
1950 La Ronde Actor Franz, le soldat 61
Fair
1950 The Elders of Saint-Loup Actor Abbot Paul Forestier 58
Average
1949 The Perfume of the Lady in Black Actor Joseph "Rouletabille" 59
Average
1949 The Sinners Actor Pierre 59
Average
1949 Return to Life Actor Louis (segment "Le retour de Louis") 58
Average
1949 The Mystery of the Yellow Room Actor Joseph Rouletabille N/A
N/A
1949 Manon Actor Léon Lescaut 59
Average
1949 The Lovers of Verona Actor Angelo (Romeo) 58
Average
1948 Le Dessous des cartes Actor Manu 58
Average
1947 Coïncidences Actor N/A
N/A
1947 La fleur de l'âge Actor Petit-Louis N/A
N/A
1946 Gates of the Night Actor Guy Sénéchal 59
Average
1946 Star Without Light Actor Gaston Lansac 58
Average
1945 François Villon Actor François Villon N/A
N/A
1944 Children of Chaos Actor Joris 58
Average
1943 Le Voyageur de la Toussaint Actor Bob Éloi 58
Average
1941 Night in December Actor (uncredited) 59
Average
1941 Saturnin de Marseille Actor N/A
N/A
1938 Boys' School Actor Un élève 60
Fair
Pueblo en armas Actor N/A
N/A