'Cinema Paradiso' Actor Jacques Perrin Dies at 80

French actor and filmmaker Jacques Perrin got his first leading role starring alongside Claudia Cardinale in 'Girl with a Suitcase' in 1961. Eric Feferberg AFP/File
French actor and filmmaker Jacques Perrin got his first leading role starring alongside Claudia Cardinale in 'Girl with a Suitcase' in 1961. Eric Feferberg AFP/File
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'Cinema Paradiso' Actor Jacques Perrin Dies at 80

French actor and filmmaker Jacques Perrin got his first leading role starring alongside Claudia Cardinale in 'Girl with a Suitcase' in 1961. Eric Feferberg AFP/File
French actor and filmmaker Jacques Perrin got his first leading role starring alongside Claudia Cardinale in 'Girl with a Suitcase' in 1961. Eric Feferberg AFP/File

French actor and filmmaker Jacques Perrin, who starred in dozens of films including "Cinema Paradiso" and "The Young Girls of Rochefort" and co-directed "Winged Migration", has died at the age of 80, his family told AFP.

"The family has the immense sadness of informing you of the death of filmmaker Jacques Perrin, who died on Thursday, April 21 in Paris. He passed away peacefully," they announced in a statement sent to AFP by his son, Mathieu Simonet.

Born in Paris on July 13, 1941, Perrin appeared in more than 70 films in a long career spanning from the 1950s to the present day, AFP said.

Equally at home in French and Italian cinema, Perrin got his first leading role starring alongside Claudia Cardinale in "Girl with a Suitcase" in 1961.

Familiar to cinemagoers for his grey-to-white hair and soft voice, Perrin was frequently cast as a military officer and was known for "The 317th Platoon" in 1965, "Drummer-Crab" in 1977 and "A Captain's Honor" in 1982, all three directed by Pierre Schoendoerffer.

He also starred opposite Catherine Deneuve in the Jacques Demy musicals "The Young Girls of Rochefort" and "Donkey Skin".

Among his best-known later roles, Perrin played the adult filmmaker Salvatore reflecting on his childhood in the Oscar-winning "Cinema Paradiso".

Perrin was also co-producer of some 15 films, including "Z" (1969), which won Oscars for best foreign picture and best film editing, and "The Chorus" (2004), directed by his nephew Christophe Barratier.

The latter was a big hit in France, selling 8.6 million tickets at the box office.

- Environmentalist -
Perrin's final film role -- in the environmental thriller "Goliath," released in March -- reflected his deep interest in the natural world.

A committed conservationist, he co-produced several documentaries, including "The Monkey Folk," "Microcosmos" and "Himalaya".

He later also co-directed others including the Oscar-nominated "Winged Migration" (2001) and "Oceans", which won the Cesar for best documentary film in 2011.

"Jacques was pure charm. He succeeded in everything he touched," tweeted former Cannes Film Festival president Gilles Jacob.

"He is one of the most subtle, most interesting French producers," "Z" director Costa-Gavras said on franceinfo, saluting the memory "of a man of great curiosity and also of extreme kindness".

"I admired Jacques Perrin, and then I had the chance to shoot him, his talent, his availability, his kindness meant that after filming I admired him even more," Xavier Beauvois, who directed him in "Le Petit Lieutenant", said on Twitter.

His roles as a soldier in Schoendoerffer's films also prompted tributes from the military.

"The 317th section has lost its leader. The armies salute the memory of Jacques Perrin, an emblematic figure of French cinema to whom we were intimately linked," tweeted the French army chief of staff General Thierry Burkhard.

The Foreign Legion also hailed him as "a great name in cinema, a personality of great humility".



Oscars to Add New Award for Stunts

There will be an Oscar for stunts handed out at the 100th edition of the ceremony in 2028. Handout / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP
There will be an Oscar for stunts handed out at the 100th edition of the ceremony in 2028. Handout / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP
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Oscars to Add New Award for Stunts

There will be an Oscar for stunts handed out at the 100th edition of the ceremony in 2028. Handout / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP
There will be an Oscar for stunts handed out at the 100th edition of the ceremony in 2028. Handout / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP

A new Oscar for stunts will be handed out when Hollywood's glitziest party celebrates its 100th birthday, awards officials said Thursday.

The Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences said films released in 2027 will be eligible for an Oscar for Achievement in Stunt Design, AFP said.

"Since the early days of cinema, stunt design has been an integral part of filmmaking," Academy CEO Bill Kramer and Academy President Janet Yang said in a statement.

"We are proud to honor the innovative work of these technical and creative artists, and we congratulate them for their commitment and dedication in reaching this momentous occasion."

Rules on eligibility and who will vote for the winner will be unveiled in two years' time.

The announcement marks the culmination of a growing campaign for a "best stunts" category at the Oscars, with supporters arguing that the input of the unsung performers who risk life and limb equals that of the sound mixers, makeup artists and visual effects gurus who are already honored.

Stunt work is already honored at some prestigious movie and TV ceremonies, such as the Screen Actors Guild Awards where "Fall Guy" took home the 2024 prize.

The Academy has been expanding the Oscars to create more categories that reflect how complex filmmaking has become.

Last year, a new Oscar was established for casting, which will be awarded for the first time next year.