---
name: "Pierre Étaix"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/pierre-etaix"
fi1m_id: "pierre-etaix"
imdb_id: "nm0959916"
tmdb_id: 548816
wikidata_id: "Q1860448"
roles: ["Assistant director"]
born: "23 November 1928"
died: "14 October 2016"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 2
average_over: 1
updated: "2026-09-25T08:39:20.184889+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."
---

# Pierre Étaix

## Identity

Pierre Étaix

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/pierre-etaix
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** pierre-etaix
- **IMDb ID:** nm0959916
- **TMDB ID:** 548816
- **Wikidata ID:** Q1860448
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierre_%C3%89taix, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1860448, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0959916/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/548816

Assistant director. Born 23 November 1928 in Roanne, Loire, France. Died 14 October 2016.

## Details

- **Work:** Assistant director
- **Born:** 23 November 1928, Roanne, Loire, France
- **Died:** 14 October 2016
- **Active:** 1958–1959
- **Titles on Fi1m:** 2: 1 acting, 1 crew
- **Academy Awards:** 1 Oscar (1 won)
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierre_%C3%89taix, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1860448, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0959916/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/548816

## 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.

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

## On Fi1m (2)

### Performed in (1)

- *Pickpocket* (1959), Fi1m 84, as 2nd Accomplice — [page](https://film.one/film/pickpocket.md)

### Crew (1) — the average rests on these

- *Mon Oncle* (1958), Fi1m 82, as Delivery man / Telegraph operator (uncredited) — [page](https://film.one/film/mon-oncle.md)

## Complete filmography (35)

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

- *Winter Song* (2015), as Marquis-Clochard
- *Le Havre* (2011), as Dr. Becker
- *Chantrapas* (2011), as French Producer
- *Gardens in Autumn* (2006), Actor
- *Bouvard et Pécuchet* (1990), as Maître Tardivel
- *In the Footsteps of Monsieur Hulot* (1989), Executive Producer
- *J'écris dans l'espace* (1989), Director, Screenplay
- *The Nightmare of Méliès* (1988), Director
- *L'Âge de Monsieur est avancé* (1987), as L'auteur · Writer, Director
- *Docile Night* (1987), as SOS Amor
- *Max My Love* (1986), as Detective
- *L'aide-mémoire* (1984), Actor
- *Doctor Lerne, Subgod* (1983), as Roland
- *La Métamorphose* (1983), as Gustav-Adolf Braut
- *On n'est pas sorti de l'auberge* (1982), as Le garçon d'étage
- *Lundi* (1980), as La voyante
- *Serious as Pleasure* (1975), as Le garçon d'étage
- *Aujourd'hui à Paris* (1972), Writer
- *Land of Milk and Honey* (1971), Writer, Director
- *The Clowns* (1970), as Clown
- *Le Grand Amour* (1969), as Pierre · Screenplay, Director
- *The Thief of Paris* (1967), as Pickpocket (uncredited)
- *As Long as You've Got Your Health* (1966), as Pierre · Director, Writer
- *Feeling Good* (1966), Director, Writer
- *Yoyo* (1965), as Yoyo / The Millionaire · Screenplay, Director
- *Happy Anniversary* (1963), as Le mari · Co-Writer, Director
- *Insomnia* (1963), Writer, Director
- *The Suitor* (1962), as Pierre · Director, Writer
- *A Swelled Head* (1962), Actor
- *Le Pèlerinage* (1962), Actor
- *Rupture* (1961), Co-Writer, Director
- *The Army Game* (1960), as Le chef de gare
- *Pickpocket* (1959), as 2nd Accomplice — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/film/pickpocket.md)
- *Mon Oncle* (1958), as Delivery man / Telegraph operator (uncredited) · Assistant Director — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/film/mon-oncle.md)
- *The Day the Clown Cried*, as Gustav

## Gallery

- ![Pierre Étaix](https://film.one/media/person/3876238/gallery-6447b8599612.jpg) Pierre Étaix — Odile etaix, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d5/Pierre_Etaix.jpg/1280px-Pierre_Etaix.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Pierre Etaix (2010)](https://film.one/media/person/3876238/gallery-646a7b59ed37.jpg) Pierre Etaix (2010) — Odile et Marc Etaix, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0c/Pierre_Etaix-photo_Odile_Etaix.jpg/1280px-Pierre_Etaix-photo_Odile_Etaix.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![French director Pierre Étaix in movie theatre Diagonal Capitole in Montpellier (2011)](https://film.one/media/person/3876238/gallery-8599bd0edabb.jpg) French director Pierre Étaix in movie theatre Diagonal Capitole in Montpellier (2011) — Martin Griffault, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/26/Pierre_Etaix_1.JPG/1280px-Pierre_Etaix_1.JPG?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Pierre Etaix Yoyo (2012)](https://film.one/media/person/3876238/gallery-396df8d252a2.jpg) Pierre Etaix Yoyo (2012) — Odile et Marc Etaix, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/32/Yoyo-photo_Marc_Etaix.jpg/1280px-Yoyo-photo_Marc_Etaix.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)

## Awards

### Academy Awards — 1 won

- 1963: Best Live Action Short Film (won), for *Happy Anniversary*

### BAFTA Film Awards — 1 won

- 1964: Best Short Film (won), for *Happy Anniversary*

### Other awards — 3 won

- Commandeur des Arts et des Lettres 2013: Commandeur des Arts et des Lettres (won)
- Jean Mitry Award 2012: Jean Mitry Award (won)
- Louis Delluc Prize 1962: Louis Delluc Prize (won), for *The Suitor*

*From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.*

---
© 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/pierre-etaix