Background
Villeret was born Mohamed Boufroura in Loches, Indre-et-Loire, France, to an Algerian father and a French mother.
Villeret was born Mohamed Boufroura in Loches, Indre-et-Loire, France, to an Algerian father and a French mother.
He studied at the Conservatoire de Paris (CNSAD) in the class of Louis Seigner, the grandfather of Emmanuelle Seigner and Mathilde Seigner.
During his career, he earned many awards including the prestigious medal and title of Chevalier de la Légion d"Honneur. While he was most famous for his role as François Pignon in Le Dîner de Consultant Both on the stage and in the film, his other celebrated roles included the extra terrestrial in Louisiana soupe aux choux, the autistic Mo in L"été en pente douce, and marshal Ludwig von Apfelstrudel in Papy fait de la résistance.
Villeret turned to alcohol as a source of comfort, and it subsequently became a problem, one which he sought to resolve by isolating himself and hiding away for long periods.
In retrospect at this episode in his life, he is quoted to have said: Alcohol is a friend, but a friend who means you harm. His love of his profession helped to bring his career back from the brink.
In an interview in 2001 he spoke of his admiration for performers like Johnny Hallyday and Jacques Brel, who committed totally, and quoted the author Louis-Ferdinand Céline: When I write, I put my balls on the table. They separated in 1998.
(Irina has written about their life together in her book, Un jour, tout ira bien) Having met Seny, an African widow, she and Jacques were about to start life together in Paris when he died in Evreux following a liver haemorrhage brought about by his previous alcoholism.