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Patrick Dewaere

Patrick Dewaere

Actor · Died July 16, 1982, aged 35 · Saint-Brieuc, Côtes-d'Armor, France

Patrick Dewaere (26 January 1947 – 16 July 1982) was a French film actor. Born in Saint-Brieuc, Côtes-d'Armor, he was the son of French actress Mado Maurin. An actor from a young age, his career lasted more than 21 years until his suicide in Paris, in 1982. Patrick Dewaere was the third child of an actor's family. His biological father, Michel Têtard, was a lyricist who had an affair with Dewaere's mother, Mado Maurin, who was married to Pierre-Marie Bourdeaux. Dewaere grew up believing Bourdeaux was his biological father. After Dewaere's parents divorced, his mother remarried Georges Collignon, who sexually abused Dewaere as a child. Under the direction of his mother, Dewaere, his four brothers and his sister performed in movies and television series. The family lived in Paris. Dewaere attended the Cours Hattemer, a private school. One of his first TV appearances was in 1961, when he was 14 years old. He appeared in a video for the song "Nuits d'Espagne" by Dalida. Later, he was a promising and popular French actor in the late 1960s and 1970s. At the age of 17, Dewaere learned that he was not the biological child of his mother’s ex-husband, Pierre-Marie Bourdeaux, but that of conductor and singer Michel Têtard. In 1968, he took the name of "Dewaere" which his maternal great-grandmother inspired him. A year earlier, he had met his first wife, Sotha, an actress who co-founded the Café de la Gare, an experimental theatre. They separated in 1970 but remained married for eleven years. From 1968, he collaborated with the Café de la Gare, where he met Miou-Miou and Gérard Depardieu, with whom he made a breakthrough after many secondary roles in various films, in the scandalous comedy Going Places. Miou-Miou became Dewaere’s companion and the mother of his daughter Angèle (1974). She left Dewaere for singer Julien Clerc, shortly before the shooting of F...like Fairbanks, in which both play a couple in separation. Patrick Dewaere became one of the most popular actors in French cinema in the 1970s. Between 1977 and 1982, he was nominated five times to the Césars in the "Best Actor" category, the most important award in France. In his work, Dewaere was restless and very conscientious, which may have caused his depressed mood. He also had serious drug problems, and it is known that he had been sexually abused as a child. He consolidated his status as a savage and ruthless actor in Alain Corneau’s cult film Série noire (1979). In his roles, Dewaere was long attached to the kind of young rebel. Only in his later films did his comic and dramatic diversity manifest itself. He often worked with director Bertrand Blier. In 1980, Dewaere hit a journalist who had announced against his will his union with Elsa Chalier. Subsequently, the actor was ignored by the French press, his name was even abbreviated with his initials (P.D). For eleven years Dewaere was married to French actress Sotha. In the early 1970s, he became the companion of French actress Miou-Miou, until they separated in 1976. They had one daughter. Shortly before the release of Paradis Pour Tous (1982), a black comedy where his character tries to commit suicide, the actor shot himself in his house in Paris. He was 35 years old. ... Source: Article "Patrick Dewaere" from Wikipedia in English, licensed under CC-BY-SA.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
January 26, 1947
Died
July 16, 1982 (aged 35)
From
Saint-Brieuc, Côtes-d'Armor, France
Works as
Actor
Titles
15 on MovieCove · 43 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Official site (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 38 days to Oct 27Down 13% in 30 days

What are Patrick Dewaere's films like?

Across their 12 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Power and Self.

Genres

Comedy6 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 61st percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Crime3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 81st percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Crime movies
Drama2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 43rd percentile
: browse their Drama movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Power
28%
Self
25%
Morality
19%
Bonds
12%
Survival
9%
Society
7%
Freedom5 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love3 titles, browse their movies with this themeCorruption3 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice2 titles, browse their movies with this themeGrief2 titles, browse their movies with this themeObsession2 titles, browse their movies with this themeIsolation2 titles, browse their movies with this themeDuty2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 12 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Wry: How sincerely it treats its story and characters, from ironic to earnest. Browse their wry movies.
Tone · Sincerity
ironicearnest

A split, not a type: Ironic 3 · Wry 3 · Earnest 6

Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 4 · Serious 3 · Dark 5

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

A split, not a type: Grounded 8 · Stylized 2 · Heightened 2

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 3 · Charged 6 · Intense 3

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

A split, not a type: Steady 4 · Shifting 3 · Whiplash 5

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 3 · Some laughs 5 · Funny 4

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 5 · Even-paced 6 · Relentless 1

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 4 · Engaged 7 · Full focus 1

Open-ended: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their open-ended movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

A split, not a type: Resolved 5 · Open-ended 1 · Ambiguous 6

Roles they play

13 analyzed roles

Usually the Hero: 5 of 13 analyzed roles.

Hero
5 of 13
Ally
4 of 13
Trickster
2 of 13
Shadow
2 of 13
Show the 13 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
7
Absurd
7
Melancholic
4
Joyful
2
Manic
2
Other
6

How their films linger

Thought-provoking7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 1 with a twist

  • Happy3
  • Bittersweet4
  • Tragic2
  • Ambiguous2
  • Cyclical1

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Patrick Dewaere's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 7 of their 15 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (3).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Patrick Dewaere's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

43 credits, 15 with a MovieCove page; 12 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Morceaux de Cannes (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2021)

    Actor

  • Paradise for All (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    as Alain Durieux

  • A Thousand Billion Dollars(1982)

    as Paul Kerjean

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • Hotel America(1981)

    as Gilles Tisserand

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • Les matous sont romantiques (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)

    as Le voisin

  • Stepfather(1981)

    as Rémi

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • Heat of Desire(1981)

    as Serge Lainé

    Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films

  • Psy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)

    as Marc

  • A Bad Son (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1980)

    as Bruno Calgagni

  • Paco the Infallible (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    as Pocapena

  • Serie Noire (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    as Franck Poupart

  • Hothead (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    as François Perrin

  • Traffic Jam (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    as Mara's Lover

  • The Key Is in the Door (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    as Philippe

  • Get Out Your Handkerchiefs(1978)

    as Stéphane

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • The Bishop's Bedroom(1977)

    as Marco Maffei

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • Le juge Fayard dit Le Shériff(1977)

    as Judge Fayard

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • F as in Fairbanks (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    Composer · as André

  • Victory March (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    as 2nd Lt. Baio

  • The Best Way to Walk (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    as Marc

  • The French Detective(1975)

    as Inspector Lefèvre

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • Catherine & Co.(1975)

    as François

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films

  • No Problem! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    as Bartender

  • Lily, aime-moi (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    as Gaston, dit Johnny Cash

  • Au long de rivière Fango (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    Composer · as Sébastien

  • Going Places(1974)

    as Pierrot

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • Can Dialectics Break Bricks? (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    as (voice)

  • Themroc(1973)

    as The Mason

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films

  • La Vie sentimentale de Georges le tueur (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    Actor

  • Si j’étais vous (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    as Camille

  • The Deadly Trap(1971)

    as L'homme à l'écharpe jaune (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films

  • The Swashbuckler(1971)

    as un volontaire

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • Les Hauts de Hurlevent - 2ème partie (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1968)

    as Young Heathcliff

  • Les Hauts de Hurlevent (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1968)

    Show 6 episodes · as Young Heathcliff

  • Les Hauts de Hurlevent - 1ère partie (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1968)

    as Young Heathcliff

  • Jean de la Tour Miracle (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    Show 10 episodes · as Jean de la Tour Miracle

  • Is Paris Burning?(1966)

    as Young resistant (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • La Déesse d'or (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    Show 13 episodes · as Alain

  • Notre petite ville (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    as Edouard

  • Mimi Pinson (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    as Mimi's younger brother

  • The Happy Road (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    as Child (uncredited)

  • Plucking the Daisy(1956)

    as un frère d'Agnès

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films

  • Amazing Monsieur Fabre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    Actor

Career shape

Star power in the 99th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 43 titles from 1951 to 2021; peak year 1980.

Biggest box office

Hotel America (1981)

$406 worldwide

Highest rated

Le juge Fayard dit Le Shériff (1977)

Midcredits 86th

Most popular right now

Stepfather (1981)

Film career

19512021

Peak 1980 · at the high point of their film career. Top draw in 2 MovieCove titles. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

  • 1971Screen debut· The Married Couple of the Year Two
  • 1976First top-billed film· The Best Way to Walk
  • 1979Career best· Serie Noire

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting43 of 43: 41 only acting, 2 with another role · typical Midcredits score71stMusic2 of 43: 0 only music, 2 with another role

By decade

1950s5 · acting1960s6 · acting1970s23 · 23 acting · 2 crew1980s8 · acting2020s1 · acting

Billing

usually 2nd · top billed in 44% of 18 roles
7176

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.

How do Patrick Dewaere's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 71st percentile, the median of all 15; across their 12 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 69th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

69thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 12

Approval · how many liked their films

75thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 12

Reach · how many have seen their films

64thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 12

Midcredits score across 15 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up7
  • 50th to 74th4
  • 25th to 49th4

Shape of the crowd

9 of their 15 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Crowd Pleaser9
  • Broadly Agreed2
  • Mixed4

Most divisive · actor

Themroc (1973)

56th percentile spread · 12% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

Le juge Fayard dit Le Shériff (1977)

Midcredits 86th · 75% liked

Reviewers score the acting 74/100 in their films, across 12 reviewed titles; fans 80, detractors 44. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Patrick Dewaere's work okay for kids?

Across a limited sample of up to 4 MovieCove titles with content scores.

Their medianMedian of all films
Sex & Nudity4 titlesmedian 70 · intenseMedian of all films: 32

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted.

Who does Patrick Dewaere work with?

People who share at least 2 of Patrick Dewaere's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Philippe Sarde shares the most, 5.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers