---
name: "Jean-Claude Dreyfus"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/jean-claude-dreyfus"
fi1m_id: "jean-claude-dreyfus"
imdb_id: "nm0237835"
tmdb_id: 13687
wikidata_id: "Q579505"
roles: ["Actor"]
born: "18 February 1946"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 3
average_fi1m_score: 81
average_as: "actor"
average_over: 3
updated: "2026-09-26T20:30:04.646892+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Jean-Claude Dreyfus

## Identity

Jean-Claude Dreyfus

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/jean-claude-dreyfus
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** jean-claude-dreyfus
- **IMDb ID:** nm0237835
- **TMDB ID:** 13687
- **Wikidata ID:** Q579505
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean-Claude_Dreyfus, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q579505, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0237835/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/13687

Actor. Born 18 February 1946 in Paris, France.

## Details

- **Work:** Actor
- **Born:** 18 February 1946, Paris, France
- **Active:** 1982–1995
- **Also known as:** J. C. Dreyfus, Jean Claude Dreyfus, Jean-Claude Dreyfuss
- **Frequently works with:** [Dominique Pinon](https://film.one/person/dominique-pinon.md), [Gilles Adrien](https://film.one/person/gilles-adrien.md), [Jean-Pierre Jeunet](https://film.one/person/jean-pierre-jeunet.md), [Marc Caro](https://film.one/person/marc-caro.md)
- **Average Fi1m score:** 81, as actor, over 3 titles
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1980s 82 (1), 1990s 80 (2)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 81 to 75 across 3 titles
- **Score spread:** 2 at 80+, 1 at 60–79, 0 under 60
- **Lead roles:** 0 of 2 acting credits billed first or second
- **Genres:** Adventure 2, Fantasy 2, Science Fiction 2, Comedy 1, Drama 1
- **Screen time:** 6 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $4m across 2 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean-Claude_Dreyfus, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q579505, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0237835/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/13687

## Streaming the US now

- **Tubi:** [*Delicatessen*](https://film.one/film/delicatessen.md) (83)
- **The Roku Channel:** [*The City of Lost Children*](https://film.one/film/the-city-of-lost-children.md) (78)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Fi1m on Jean-Claude Dreyfus

> Jean-Claude Dreyfus gives grotesque characters enough humanity to make them worrying. We value his firmness in *Delicatessen*: amid all the eccentricity, he makes sure someone remains a threat.

Jean-Claude Dreyfus makes the butcher Clapet a blunt, worrying presence in *Delicatessen* (1991). Jean-Pierre Jeunet and Marc Caro surround him with peculiar people, but he has a straightforward job: the threat has to be credible if the comedy is going to work. He does it without making the whole film sour. We found *Delicatessen* funny and unsettling, because Dreyfus keeps its cannibalism threatening even when the film is being cheerful.

The performance gains from the company. Dominique Pinon's Louison has an innocence that makes the cruelty bearable, while Marie-Laure Dougnac gives Julie enough tenderness for the romance to matter. Against them, Dreyfus does not have to ask for our sympathy; his force is useful precisely because they supply the gentleness. We find some of the supporting eccentrics tiresome, and a cast full of conspicuous turns can make a film feel overpopulated. Clapet earns his place by giving the others something more serious than odd behaviour to contend with.

The larger roles with Jeunet and Caro marked a change after supporting work that included several films with Yves Boisset in the 1980s. *Delicatessen* brought wider recognition; *The City of Lost Children* (1995) put him back with Jeunet and Caro as Marcello, a flea trainer. These parts make it easy to associate him chiefly with the grotesque, though the work extends beyond it. Eric Rohmer cast him as the Duc d'Orléans in *The Lady and the Duke* (2001), a rare lead. He reunited with Jeunet as Commander Lavrouye in *A Very Long Engagement* (2004).

It is worth resisting the assumption that an actor with an imposing presence and a distinctive voice must always be employed as an oddity. Dreyfus's useful quality is his ability to leave some humanity in characters who give us little reason to like them. That need not soften a villain, and in *Delicatessen* it does not excuse the butcher. Start there, with Pinon's sweetness beside him, and watch how much of the comedy depends on believing the threat.

## Biography

Jean-Claude Dreyfus is a French actor born on 18 February 1946 in Paris. He began his career in the early 1970s with appearances in films including *Comment réussir quand on est con et pleurnichard* (1973).

Dreyfus is known for his portrayal of the butcher Clapet in the black comedy *Delicatessen* (1991), directed by Marc Caro and Jean-Pierre Jeunet. He collaborated again with Jeunet on *The City of Lost Children* (1995), in which he played Marcello, and *A Very Long Engagement* (2004), as Commander Lavrouye. Other credits include *Fitzcarraldo* (1982) and *Two Brothers* (2004).

*Sources: imdb.com, fr.wikipedia.org, en.wikipedia.org.*

## On Fi1m (3)

- *The City of Lost Children* (1995), Fi1m 78, as Marcello — [page](https://film.one/film/the-city-of-lost-children.md)
- *Delicatessen* (1991), Fi1m 83, as Clapet — [page](https://film.one/film/delicatessen.md)
- *Fitzcarraldo* (1982), Fi1m 82, as Opera 'Ernani' - Sarah Bernhardt — [page](https://film.one/film/fitzcarraldo.md)

## Complete filmography (95)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *Gregor* (2026), Actor
- *Flash Drive* (2025), as L'agent Pit - Chef du service action à la CIA
- *Take Your Bible and Get the Fuck Out of Here!* (2023), as Philippe Rougeard
- *Un portrait d’Armande Altaï* (2023), as Lui-mëme
- *Death and the Winemaker* (2021), as Mathilde's Father
- *Bless Me, Father* (2020), as The Man
- *Necrologies* (2018), as The Cemetery Guardian
- *Menina* (2017), as M. Sertin
- *Two Snails Set Off* (2017), as (voice)
- *Sélection Officielle* (2017), as Michel Rivière
- *Vive la crise !* (2017), as Montaigne
- *The Photograph* (2016), as Etienne
- *A Carcass* (2015), Actor
- *Attila Marcel* (2013), as M. Kruzinsky
- *L'art des Thanatier* (2012), as Prosper Thanatier (voice)
- *The Orphan Plus Minus an Arm* (2012), as Éléonore
- *Dernier Voyage improvisé* (2011), Actor
- *Requiem for a Killer* (2011), as Le maître de chant
- *Die Weihnachts-GmbH* (2009), Actor
- *Anne of Brittany - Live at Castle of the Dukes of Brittany* (2009), as Le narrateur
- *L'Affaire Salengro* (2009), as Henri Béraud
- *Ugly Melanie* (2008), as le narrateur
- *Coco Chanel* (2008), as Paul Poiret
- *Ukiyo-e: Floating World Images* (2008), as (voice)
- *Le Prince de ce monde* (2008), as Debruges
- *The Great Vincent* (2008), as Pierre
- *To Each His Own Cinema* (2007), as The husband (segment "Cinéma érotique")
- *Les Cerfs-volants* (2007), as The Count
- *Le Bénévole* (2007), as Docteur Museau
- *Jean de La Fontaine, le défi* (2007), as Châteauneuf
- *Le deal* (2007), as Hervé Radius
- *Monsieur Max* (2007), as Sacha Guitry
- *Last cigarette* (2006), as L'homme énervé
- *A Very Long Engagement* (2004), as Commander Lavrouye
- *Autumn* (2004), as Hugo
- *3 Guys, 1 Girl, 2 Weddings* (2004), as Camille's Father
- *The Curious Boy* (2004), as Mr. Dubois
- *Two Brothers* (2004), as Eugène Normandin
- *Lovely Rita* (2003), as l'antiquaire
- *The Lady and the Duke* (2001), as Le duc d'Orléans
- *Philosophale* (2001), Actor
- *Les Enfants du printemps* (2000), series, as Serge
- *H* (1998), series, as Cyril
- *La Ballade de Titus* (1997), as Shrink
- *The Target* (1997), as Le Préfet
- *Limited Edition* (1997), as Georges Récamier
- *The Adventures of Pinocchio* (1996), as Foreman
- *The Alarm Clock* (1996), as The Man
- *Krim* (1995), as Maître d'hôtel / Transvestite
- *The City of Lost Children* (1995), as Marcello — Fi1m 78, [page](https://film.one/film/the-city-of-lost-children.md)
- *Too Loud A Solitude* (1995), as Boss
- *Mayday* (1995), as Daniel
- *Son of Gascogne* (1995), as Marco Garciano
- *Cache Cash* (1994), as Max Desartre, malfrat dans le fourgon blindé
- *Bonsoir* (1994), as Inspecteur Bruneau
- *Pétain* (1993), as Dumoulin
- *Love Affairs Usually End Badly* (1993), as Dennard
- *The Voice* (1992), as Maitre d'hôtel
- *A Vampire in Paradise* (1992), as Le faux psychiatre
- *Coyote* (1992), as M. Poireau
- *The Girl in the Air* (1992), as Marcel
- *Princesse Alexandra* (1992), series, as Worth
- *The Beautiful Story* (1992), as L'inspecteur du grand magasin
- *All the Mornings of the World* (1991), as Abbe Mathieu
- *Nestor Burma* (1991), series, as Charles Baurenot
- *Delicatessen* (1991), as Clapet — Fi1m 83, [page](https://film.one/film/delicatessen.md)
- *25 décembre 58, 10h36* (1991), Actor
- *De l'autre côté* (1989), series, as (Voice)
- *Radio corbeau* (1989), as Rosati, le boucher
- *Black Mic Mac 2* (1988), Actor
- *Ville étrangère* (1988), as Taxi driver
- *Tandem* (1987), as Le conseiller
- *How Wang-Fo Was Saved* (1987), as L'empereur (voice)
- *Short Night* (1986), Actor
- *Cheech & Chong's The Corsican Brothers* (1984), as Marquis Du Hickey
- *Our Story* (1984), as Un voisin
- *Le fou du roi* (1984), as Courtemise
- *Dog Day* (1984), as Le Barrec
- *Street of the Damned* (1984), as Un homme de main de Hagen, surnommé « Nez-de-Bœuf »
- *The Outsider* (1983), as Un travesti au commissariat
- *English Education* (1983), as Georges / Georgina
- *The Prize of Peril* (1983), as Bertrand
- *Le péril rampant* (1982), as Le Serpent
- *Fitzcarraldo* (1982), as Opera 'Ernani' - Sarah Bernhardt — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/film/fitzcarraldo.md)
- *The Boy Soldier* (1981), as Capitaine Maryla
- *Memoirs of a French Whore* (1979), Actor
- *I've Got You, You've Got Me by the Chin Hairs* (1979), as L'adjoint De Chodaque
- *Immoral Women* (1979), as Bini
- *Sugar* (1978), as Mimine
- *Le Portrait de Dorian Gray* (1977), as Le prêcheur
- *Shadow of Angels* (1976), as Zwerg
- *One Man Against the Organization* (1975), as Lady Rebecca Rosenbaum
- *How to Make Good When One Is a Jerk and a Crybaby* (1974), as Le transformiste du cabaret
- *Un ange au paradis* (1973), as Transvestite from the Grande Eugène (uncredited)
- *The Adventures of Zadig* (1970), Actor

## Gallery

- ![Jean-Claude Dreyfus](https://film.one/media/person/78782/gallery-ed68c1d4c77c.jpg) Jean-Claude Dreyfus — Georges Biard, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/23/Jean-Claude_Dreyfus_Cannes.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Théâtre Sorano. Le 14 Novembre 1987. Vue de Marie-Christine Barrault dans les bras de Jean-Claude Dreyfus sur scène, jouant la pièce, L'étrange intermède d'Eugè](https://film.one/media/person/78782/gallery-e989e9675de2.jpg) Théâtre Sorano. Le 14 Novembre 1987. Vue de Marie-Christine Barrault dans les bras de Jean-Claude Dreyfus sur scène, jouant la pièce, L'étrange intermède d'Eugè — André Cros, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fe/14.11.1987._Marie-Christine_Barrault._Etrange_Interm%C3%A8de._%281987%29_-_53Fi2890.jpg/1280px-14.11.1987._Marie-Christine_Barrault._Etrange_Interm%C3%A8de._%281987%29_-_53Fi2890.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Théâtre Sorano. Le 14 Novembre 1987. Vue de Marie-Christine Barrault et de Jean-Claude Dreyfus sur scène, jouant la pièce, L'étrange intermède d'Eugène O'Neill,](https://film.one/media/person/78782/gallery-b57969e26566.jpg) Théâtre Sorano. Le 14 Novembre 1987. Vue de Marie-Christine Barrault et de Jean-Claude Dreyfus sur scène, jouant la pièce, L'étrange intermède d'Eugène O'Neill, — André Cros, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/58/14.11.1987._Marie-Christine_Barrault._Etrange_Interm%C3%A8de._%281987%29_-_53Fi2918.jpg/1280px-14.11.1987._Marie-Christine_Barrault._Etrange_Interm%C3%A8de._%281987%29_-_53Fi2918.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Théâtre Sorano. Le 14 Novembre 1987. Vue de Jean-Claude Dreyfus assis dans un fauteuil avec un acteur debout, jouant la pièce, L'étrange intermède d'Eugène O'Ne](https://film.one/media/person/78782/gallery-6b8f092c9066.jpg) Théâtre Sorano. Le 14 Novembre 1987. Vue de Jean-Claude Dreyfus assis dans un fauteuil avec un acteur debout, jouant la pièce, L'étrange intermède d'Eugène O'Ne — André Cros, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/cb/14.11.1987._Marie-Christine_Barrault._Etrange_Interm%C3%A8de._%281987%29_-_53Fi2921.jpg/1280px-14.11.1987._Marie-Christine_Barrault._Etrange_Interm%C3%A8de._%281987%29_-_53Fi2921.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Théâtre Sorano. Le 14 Novembre 1987. Vue de Marie-Christine Barrault, Jean Bousquet et Jean-Claude Dreyfus, jouant la pièce, L'étrange intermède d'Eugène O'Neil](https://film.one/media/person/78782/gallery-ad9ea604089e.jpg) Théâtre Sorano. Le 14 Novembre 1987. Vue de Marie-Christine Barrault, Jean Bousquet et Jean-Claude Dreyfus, jouant la pièce, L'étrange intermède d'Eugène O'Neil — André Cros, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a5/14.11.1987._Marie-Christine_Barrault._Etrange_Interm%C3%A8de._%281987%29_-_53Fi2930.jpg/1280px-14.11.1987._Marie-Christine_Barrault._Etrange_Interm%C3%A8de._%281987%29_-_53Fi2930.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Théâtre Sorano. Le 14 Novembre 1987. Vue de Marie-Christine Barrault, Jean Bousquet et Jean-Claude Dreyfus, jouant la pièce, L'étrange intermède d'Eugène O'Neil](https://film.one/media/person/78782/gallery-7e69a55778c1.jpg) Théâtre Sorano. Le 14 Novembre 1987. Vue de Marie-Christine Barrault, Jean Bousquet et Jean-Claude Dreyfus, jouant la pièce, L'étrange intermède d'Eugène O'Neil — André Cros, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e2/14.11.1987._Marie-Christine_Barrault._Etrange_Interm%C3%A8de._%281987%29_-_53Fi2931.jpg/1280px-14.11.1987._Marie-Christine_Barrault._Etrange_Interm%C3%A8de._%281987%29_-_53Fi2931.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/jean-claude-dreyfus