Born on January 16, 1941 in Moulins, Allier, France.

In 1966 he established himself as a talented playwright. His play "The Giraffe" was staged by Claude Lelouch. He made his debut in the film by director Gérard Brach "La Maison" (Lorraine's friend, 1970). He gained recognition in the early 80s, after the film "Diva" by Jean-Jacques Beineix.

He played his best roles in films by directors Luc Besson, Jean-Pierre Mocky, Claude Miller, Jean-Loup Hubert, Peter Bogdanovich, Édouard Molinaro.

In 2002 he took a second citizenship of the state of Senegal.