Jean-Pierre Leaud Quotes

France, Actor
May 28, 1944

Jean-Pierre Léaud, ComM (French: [ʒɑ̃pjɛʁ le.o]; born 28 May 1944) is a French actor, best known for playing Antoine Doinel in François Truffaut's series of films about that character, beginning with The 400 Blows (Les Quatre Cents Coups, 1959). He also worked several times with Jean-Luc Godard, and is a significant figure of the French New Wave.

My mother was an actress in comedies. My father wrote scenarios. They were not opposed to my being an actor. I really didn't know what it meant, but I wanted to be one anyway.

Jean-Pierre Leaud
- Mother
- Father
The strongest moments in my life are when I'm filming. It's an adventure. As an actor I try to seduce someone, try to share something. The rest of my time is spent exploring experiences with women.

Jean-Pierre Leaud
- Life
- Time
- Women

I always felt that with an Antoine Doinel film, Truffaut was taking a vacation, that Francois could relax when making a Doinel film. All of the language came to him very easily. 'The 400 Blows,' I felt, was a collage of all his childhood experiences. Every time he felt an Antoine Doinel film was necessary, he'd make one.

Jean-Pierre Leaud
- Time
- Childhood
- Relax