Career Highlights: Buffet Froid, Laisse Allez, C'Est Une Valse, Quai des Orfèvres
First Major Screen Credit: The Fantastic Night (1942)
Biography
Born in Argentina to French parents, Bernard Blier studied acting at the Paris conservatory. After a short theatrical career, Blier made his movie bow in 1937's Trois-Six-Neuf. Following World War II service, the prematurely balding Blier became established as something of a "new Raimu", distinguishing himself in an exhausting variety of major character roles. He was awarded an honorary Cesar (the French Oscar) in 1989 for lifetime achievement. Bernard Blier was the father of director Bertrand Blier, and he co-starred in his son's black comedy Buffet Froid (1979) ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Bernard Blier (11 January 1916 – 29 March 1989) was a French character actor. His rotund features and premature baldness allowed him to often play cuckolded husbands in his early career. He proved to be one of France's most versatile and sought-after character actors, performing interchangeably in comedies and dramas. He often worked in Italian films, particularly in the last decade of his life.
He was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where his father, a researcher at the Institut Pasteur, was posted at the time. He is the father of director Bertrand Blier, and appeared in a number of his son's films, most notably Buffet froid (1979). He was awarded an Honorary César (the French Oscar) in 1989, a month before he died.