French leading man Michel Piccoli spent most of his time from 1945 through 1955 on the French stage, primarily with Theatre Babylone and the Reynauld-Barrault Company. He enjoyed nominal film stardom from 1955 onward, though it was not until 1961’s Le Doulos that he truly became “box office,” specializing in worldly, cynical roles. Like Hollywood’s Cary Grant, Jimmy Stewart, and Gary Cooper, Piccoli was possessed of that rare gift of being able to adapt himself to virtually any kind of material without altering his essential screen persona. And like those aforementioned actors, Piccoli’s talents suited the prerequisites of a wide variety of directors: not many contemporary performers can claim to have worked with Alfred Hitchcock, Jean-Luc Godard, Costa-Gavras, Luis Bunuel, and Louis Malle. Piccoli’s acting awards include a Cannes Festival prize for 1979’s Salto nel Vuoto and a 1982 Berlin Festival honor for Une Etrange Affaire. In 1991, Piccoli once again won international acclaim… read more
Can anybody remeind me what roles he plays in The Exterminating Angel and The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie?
He played the priest in the Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie. He was not in the Exterminating Angel. That is one of Bunuel's Mexican films.