French actor, writer, director, and producer Claude Berri died 12 January 2009 of a cerebral vascular problem. Born Claude Langmann on 1 July 1934 in Paris, he won an Academy Award for his short film Le Poulet in 1966, and was nominated for producing Roman Polanski’s Tess in 1981.
Before moving into film, he worked in the furrier business. His first film appearance came in 1953 in Le Bon Dieu sans Confession (Good Lord Without Confession). He acted in more than 30 films, produced nearly 60, and wrote more than 25.
His genre work includes: Astérix & Obélix: Mission Cléop&acric;tre (Asterix & Obelix Meet Cleopatra, 2002 [producer and actor]), Les Rois mages (The Three Kings, 2001 [producer and actor]), Astérix & Obélix contre César (Asterix & Obelix vs. Caesar, 1999 [producer]), Didier (1997 [producer and actor]), and La Machine (The Machine, 1994 [actor]).
At the time of his death, he was directing his 20th film, Tresor (Treasure). Berri’s agent, Dominique Segall, said the project “will continue despite his departure.” French President Nicolas Sarkozy called Berri a “legendary figure of French cinema” and “the great ambassador” of French film. He is survived by two sons.