Trivia

Has always claimed that he found his vocation while skipping school to attend Danny Kaye's vehicle "Up in arms" (1944) in theater. Years later, while in a Premiere of "Le grand blond avec une chaussure noire" (1972), a lady came up to him and stated that he reminded her of her father. Only when she was out of reach did he learn she was actually Danny Kaye's daughter, Dena.

La Chèvre (1981) and The Fugitives (1986) were both remade in American with Martin Short in his role.

Married and divorced three times, he has two sons: Olivier and Christoph. Both are musical. Olivier plays sax and Christoph bass/guitar.

Kept as a stage name, his Christian name was actually "Pierre Richard", chosen in reference to French matinée idol of the 1930s, Pierre Richard-Willm. Except for close relatives, every one he met after he became famous would assume "Richard" was his real surname.

He owns the restaurant Au pied de chameau in Paris and a 50-hectare vineyard which produces some 80,000 bottles a year (red and rosé) labelled as Château Bel Évêque in Gruissan in the department of Aude.

Since 1986, Richard has also become a businessman and winemaker.

His grandson, Arthur Defays, is a model and actor.

Skipping classes regularly to go to the cinema, it was Danny Kaye in Up in Arms that revealed his vocation. This was received with only a moderate enthusiasm by his family, but he decided nonetheless to go to Paris to study dramatic arts at the famous Ecole Charles Dullin.

He is also a film director and occasional singer.

In 1970, he directed his first film Le Distrait, followed by Les Malheurs d'Alfred (1972) and Je ne sais rien mais je dirai tout (I Don't Know Much, But I'll Say Everything) (1973).

After a short stint as an extra at Jean Vilar's Théâtre National Populaire, Pierre Richard started his career with Antoine Bourseiller and, to augment his income, created a comedy duet with Victor Lanoux. They performed with great success in famous Parisian cabarets and music-halls sketches they had written themselves.

Richard is considered by some, such as Louis de Funès and Gérard Depardieu, to be one of the greatest French comedians of the last 50 years.

France 2 has broadcast on 6 September 2015 and again on 31 December 2015 the documentary: Un jour, un destin : Pierre Richard, l'incompris (A film by Laurent Allen-Caron).

In 2015 he received at the "Magritte Awards" in Belgium the Honorary Prize.

His debuts were far from brilliant (he wanted to play straight drama, which was not in his nature) and he studied kinesiotherapy to have a safety exit if needed, but did not renounce acting.