59 Years Ago This Famous Actor Debuted on Screen – Can You Guess Who?

He is one of the most famous faces in both French and international cinema, a recipient of two César Awards for “Le Dernier métro” and “Cyrano de Bergerac,” a Best Actor award at Cannes, and an Oscar nominee for his role in Cyrano: Gérard Depardieu is considered one of the most influential actors from the 1970s to 2010s. However, he is also currently involved in ongoing legal proceedings (details below).

Today, we take a look back at his very first film appearance, and you might be surprised by which film it was!

Yes, That’s Him!

In 1965, director Agnès Varda shot some footage for a film titled “Christmas Carole,” a play on Dickens’ famous “Christmas Carol.” The cast included Hélène Viard (who also edited the project), Francis Merle, and a young Gérard Depardieu, who was just 18 years old at the time.

Depardieu played one of “Carole’s” two friends, a cartoonist. Agnès Varda recalls: “For [the character], I was looking for what was called a beatnik. Élizabeth Guy (who later became his wife) sent me Gérard Depardieu.” Although Varda had already directed notable films like “Cléo from 5 to 7” and “La Pointe Courte,” she was unable to secure funding, and only about 4 minutes of film from “Christmas Carole” were shot to “entice a producer,” according to Varda. The footage has been restored but remains difficult to view.

What Happened After?

Following this initial role in an unreleased film, Gérard Depardieu honed his craft in theater and then on television in various TV movies and series before landing his first completed feature film role in “Le Cri du cormoran le soir au-dessus des jonques” (1971), directed by Michel Audiard, where he played a minor role as a crook alongside singer Carlos.

His career truly took off with the controversial yet successful film “Les Valseuses” directed by Bertrand Blier, which debuted in 1974. Over the years, Depardieu became one of the most celebrated French actors of his generation, until his conviction in May 2025 to 18 months suspended sentence for assaulting two women during the filming of “Les Volets verts” in 2021. The actor has appealed this conviction.

He is also scheduled to soon stand trial before the departmental criminal court of Paris to face charges of rape and sexual assault against actress Charlotte Arnould.