Biography
Pierre Étaix (23 November 1928 – 14 October 2016) was a French clown, comedian, actor and filmmaker. Born in Roanne, he trained in music, drawing and circus skills before moving to Paris in the 1950s. He worked as a gagman and assistant on Jacques Tati’s Mon Oncle (1958) and appeared as 2nd Accomplice in Robert Bresson’s Pickpocket (1959).
Étaix directed a series of short and feature films, many co-written with Jean-Claude Carrière. His shorts include Rupture (1961) and Happy Anniversary (1962), the latter winning the Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Subject in 1963. Feature credits include The Suitor (1962), Yoyo (1965), As Long as You’ve Got Your Health (1966) and The Great Love (1969). His films were unavailable for decades due to a distribution dispute and were restored in the late 2000s.
