Francis Huster

Biography

Francis Huster was born in Neuilly-sur-Seine. His father is Charles Huster, commercial director at Lancia, and his Polish Jewish mother is Suzette Cwajbaum—who, during the Nazi era succeeded in persuading the Gestapo commandant in Paris to release her father, who had been arrested. However, her father refused to leave Paris, and was shot dead by the SS in Auschwitz as Soviet troops approached at the end of the war. He has two siblings; his older brother Jean-Pierre is a noted writer, and his younger sister, Muriel, is an actress, photographer and songwriter.

He studied acting at the Conservatoire of the 17th arrondissement of Paris, at the Cours Florent and at the Conservatoire national (1968), where he had René Simon and later Antoine Vitez as teachers. He joined the Comédie-Française in 1971, became sociétaire in 1977, and left this institution in 1982. He later founded the theater group Compagnie Francis Huster, of which the following actors have been members: Clotilde Courau, Valérie Crunchant, Cristiana Reali, Estelle Skornik, Valentine Varela, Olivier Martinez, Mathieu Carriere.

Awards

Francis Huster became Chevalier de la Legion d'Honneur in 1991, and was awarded the rank of "Officier" by Jacques Chirac in 2006. M Chirac commented: "C'est un comédien absolument exceptionnel qui se donne sans réserve à son art" ("He is an absolutely exceptional actor who dedicates himself totally to his art").

Filmography