A file photo of Jean-Pierre Leaud. (Image Courtesy: AFP)
France:
Jean-Pierre Leaud, the actor regarded by French New Wave great Francois Truffaut as his double, will receive an honorary Palme d'Or, the organisers of the Cannes film festival said on Tuesday on the eve of its opening.
Jean-Pierre Leaud, 71, made his debut at Cannes at just 14 in 1959 in Truffaut's semi-autobiographical masterpiece The 400 Blows, with the director later admitting that the actor was effectively playing him.
He later went on to star in other Truffaut classics such as Stolen Kisses and Bed and Board.
But the director's untimely death at 54 in 1984 was a disaster for the actor who was so closely associated with the master.
"Jean-Pierre Leaud is a part of Cannes legend," a spokesperson for the festival said in a statement. "His spontaneity was representative of the wind of freedom that the French New Wave brought to cinema."
The official Twitter handle of the Cannes Film Festival also posted:
Although Jean-Pierre Leaud also worked with the other great New Wave director Jean-Luc Godard, his career never quite recovered.
The Palme d'Or is the highest prize at Cannes and will be awarded just before the festival closes on May 22.
Jean-Pierre Leaud, 71, made his debut at Cannes at just 14 in 1959 in Truffaut's semi-autobiographical masterpiece The 400 Blows, with the director later admitting that the actor was effectively playing him.
He later went on to star in other Truffaut classics such as Stolen Kisses and Bed and Board.
But the director's untimely death at 54 in 1984 was a disaster for the actor who was so closely associated with the master.
"Jean-Pierre Leaud is a part of Cannes legend," a spokesperson for the festival said in a statement. "His spontaneity was representative of the wind of freedom that the French New Wave brought to cinema."
The official Twitter handle of the Cannes Film Festival also posted:
La Palme d'honneur sera remise à Jean-Pierre Léaud le 22 mai prochain ! #Cannes2016 https://t.co/aYs2SnQUo8 pic.twitter.com/9yVd5vubji
— Festival de Cannes (@Festival_Cannes) May 10, 2016
Although Jean-Pierre Leaud also worked with the other great New Wave director Jean-Luc Godard, his career never quite recovered.
The Palme d'Or is the highest prize at Cannes and will be awarded just before the festival closes on May 22.
