Jean Roger Gouyé, better known as Jean Yanne (July 18, 1933 - May 23, 2003), was a French actor, comedian, director and musician.
He became famous with his Sketch Comedy skits and Song Parody numbers in cabarets, on the radio and on television in The '60s and The '70s. Known for his fondness for satire, his trademark irreverence and impertinence got him fired from quite a few broadcasts and variety shows. He often played "average Frenchman" characters ranging from the gruff jerk to the snarky and the cynic. He got to work with filmmakers such as Georges Lautner, Jean-Luc Godard and Claude Chabrol.
He directed several successful satirical films such as Tout le monde il est beau, tout le monde il est gentil (about the advertising world), Moi y'en a vouloir des sous (about worker unions) and Deux heures moins le quart avant Jésus-Christ (a spoof of the Sword and Sandal genre).
Selected filmography:
- The Saint Lies in Wait (1966) as Mueller-Strasse
- Weekend (1967) as Roland
- Les Shadoks (1968-1974) as himself reading letters
- This Man Must Die (1969) as Paul Decourt.
- Le Boucher (1970) as Paul Thomas aka "Popaul"
- Troubleshooters (1971) as Serge Aubin
- Deux heures moins le quart avant Jésus-Christ (1982) as Paulus (directed as well)
- Gramps Is in the Resistance (1983) as Murat
- Attention Bandits! (1987) as Simon Verini
- Madame Bovary (1991) as Mr. Homais
- Indochine (1992) as Guy
- Beaumarchais (1996) as Louis Goezman
- Brotherhood of the Wolf (2001) as Count de Morangias