Victor Robert Nataf (18 June 1936 – 4 May 2017), known professionally as Victor Lanoux, was a French actor known to English-speaking audiences for his role as Ludovic in Cousin Cousine (1975).
Biography Victor Robert Nataf was born to a Tunisian Jew from Sfax and a Catholic mother from Normandy. He was evacuated from Paris during the Second World War. Lanoux refers to the name used during his stay in La Chapelle-Taillefert during the French occupation where he lived until the age of 11, when he returned to Paris.
He left school at age 14 to become an apprentice varnisher. He worked a variety of jobs, including the Simca automotive assembly line, until he served in the French Army during the Algerian War and was wounded, being awarded the Medal for War Wounded (Médaille des blessés de guerre).
His father got him a job at the Studio de Billancourt. He learned acting by correspondence course, then a real course.
Career In 1961 he met Pierre Richard who was looking for someone to partner his cabaret act. They worked together for a number of years, including a season at the Bobino and a tour of Le Gorille.
The act was seen by René Allio who cast Lanoux in The Shameless Old Lady (1965). This led to a starring role in La Vie Normale (1967).
Georges Wilson of the TNP cast Lanoux as Laertes in 'Hamlet'; he followed this with 'La Folle de Chaillot' at the TNP, then a three-year run as star of Illusion Comique.
He received two nominations at the 1st César Awards in 1976, for his roles in Cousin Cousine and Adieu poulet. His best known role outside of Europe is perhaps that of The Thief in the 1985 comedy classic National Lampoon's European Vacation.
Filmography Year Title Role Director Notes1961 Les mystères de Paris Martial Marcel Cravenne TV movie1962 Le théâtre de la jeunesse Various Alain Boudet TV series (2 episodes)1963 La chasse ou L'amour ravi Oration Alain Boudet (2) TV movie Le théâtre de la jeunesse Enjolras Alain Boudet (3) TV series (1 episode)1964 Bayard Bellabre Claude Pierson TV series (1 episode) Le théâtre de la jeunesse Brigadier Yves-André Hubert TV series (1 episode) La vie normale Jean-Pierre André Charpak1965 The Shameless Old Lady Pierre René Allio1966 L'affaire du camion The man François Villiers Short1967 Par quatre chemins TV movie1968 Tu seras terriblement gentille René Dirk Sanders Le crime de Lord Arthur Saville Lord Arthur André Michel TV movie The Aeronauts Lantier François Villiers (2) TV series (1 episode) Affaire Vilain contre ministère public Georges Robert Guez TV series (1 episode) 1969 Le soleil des eaux Francis Abondance Jean-Paul Roux TV movie1970 À corps perdu Christian Gauetti Abder Isker TV movie A contre soleil Michel Dirk Sanders (2) TV movie Mont-Cinère Frank Stevens Jean-Paul Roux (2) TV movie 1971 L'objet perdu Jacques Joubes André Michel (2) TV movie1972 Sette cervelli per un colpo perfetto Gino Roger Pigaut Portrait : Pouchkine Jean-Paul Roux (3) TV movie1973 Elle court, elle court la banlieue Georges Gérard Pirès The Dominici Affair Gustave Dominici Claude Bernard-Aubert Histoire d'une fille de ferme Jacques Claude Santelli TV movie Two Men in Town Marcel José Giovanni I Don't Know Much, But I'll Say Everything The worker Pierre Richard La ligne de démarcation Ernest Jacques Ertaud TV series (1 episode)1974 Vani la merveille Vani Jean-Pierre Marchand TV movie Jean Pinot, médecin d'aujourd'hui Michel Fermaud TV series (1 episode)1975 La mort d'un guide Maurice Merinchal Jacques Ertaud (2) TV movie The Common Man Strong man Yves Boisset Le bel indifférent Emile Jacques Duhen TV movie Folle à tuer Georges Yves Boisset (2) Cousin Cousine Ludovic Jean-Charles Tacchella Nominated - César Award for Best Actor The French Detective Pierre Lardatte Pierre Granier-Deferre Nominated - César Award for Best Supporting Actor1976 Pardon Mon Affaire Bouly Yves Robert A Woman at Her Window Michel Boutros Pierre Granier-Deferre (2) Ingeblikt Writer Anton Stevens TV movie1977 Servante et maîtresse Jérôme Bruno Gantillon Le passé simple François Michel Drach Pardon Mon Affaire, Too! Bouly Yves Robert (2) Jacques Claude Berri1978 La Carapate Martial Gaulard Gérard Oury1979 Un si joli village Stéphane Bertin Étienne Périer The Dogs Doctor Henri Ferret Alain Jessua Au bout du bout du banc Ben Oppenheim Peter Kassovitz Also producer1980 Retour en force Adrien Blaussac Jean-Marie Poiré1981 Une sale affaire Novak Alain Bonnot La revanche Alfred Jouvert Pierre Lary1982 Boulevard des assassins Charles Vallorba Boramy Tioulong Y a-t-il un Français dans la salle ? Horace Tumelat Jean-Pierre Mocky1983 Franck Michel Vianey Stella The Swiss Laurent Heynemann1984 Dog Day Horace Yves Boisset (3) Louisiana Charles de Vigors Philippe de Broca TV movie Thieves After Dark Inspector Farbet Samuel Fuller Les fils des alligators Michel Corleone André Farwagi TV movie La triche Commissioner Michel Verta Yannick Bellon La smala Robert Jean-Loup Hubert1985 European Vacation The Thief Amy Heckerling1986 Série noire Kant Pierre Grimblat TV series (1 episode) Scene of the Crime Maurice André Téchiné1987 Sale destin François Marboni Sylvain Madigan1988 Le clan César Manotte Claude Barma TV mini-series1989 L'invité surprise Charles Georges Lautner Rouge Venise The Witchfinder Étienne Périer (2)1989-1995 Renseignements généraux Roger Goupil Philippe Lefebvre, Alain-Michel Blanc, ... TV series (14 episodes)1992 Le bal des casse-pieds Frank Yves Robert (3)1993 Maria des Eaux-Vives Alexandre Robert Mazoyer TV mini-series1994 Le cascadeur Richard Delaistre Josée Dayan TV series (1 episode)1996 Lifeline Lucien Basso Fred Gerber TV movie Je m'appelle Régine Joseph Pierre Aknine TV movie L'histoire du samedi Thève Maravilliers Alain Nahum TV series (1 episode)1997 Les démons de Jésus Jo Bernie Bonvoisin1998-2013 Louis la brocante Louis Roman Michel Favart, Pierre Sisser, ... TV series (44 episodes)1998 L'alambic Amédée Jean Marboeuf TV movie Belle grand-mère Pacha Marion Sarraut TV movie Le cascadeur Richard Delaistre Alain-Michel Blanc (2) TV series (1 episode)1999 Le frère Irlandais Jean Langlois Robin Davis TV movie Les grandes bouches Armand Bernie Bonvoisin (2) La position de l'escargot Dédé Mishka Saal2001 A Hell of a Day Maurice Degombert Marion Vernoux2002 Belle grand-mère 2 Pacha Marion Sarraut (2) TV movie2003 Pierre et Farid Pierre Marcellin Michel Favart (2) TV movie2006-2016 Commissaire Laviolette Commissioner Laviolette Bruno Gantillon (2), Philomène Esposito, ... TV series (8 episodes), (final appearance)2012 La femme cachée Marc Delvaux Michel Favart (3) TV movie2014 Dommages collatéraux Régis Morel Michel Favart (4) TV movie2015 Le port de l'oubli Vincent Lagarde Bruno Gantillon (3) TV movie
Theater Year Title Author Director Notes1962 Le Bourgeois gentilhomme Molière Jean-Pierre Darras Tartuffe Molière Roger Planchon 1964 The Revenger's Tragedy Cyril Tourneur Francis Morane & Jean Serge 1965 Hamlet William Shakespeare Georges Wilson L'Illusion Comique Pierre Corneille Georges Wilson (2) The Madwoman of Chaillot Jean Giraudoux Georges Wilson (3) 1966-1968 Le Cheval évanoui Françoise Sagan Jacques Charon 1969 The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui Bertolt Brecht Georges Wilson (4) 1973 Le Tourniquet Victor Lanoux Yves Bureau 1974 Le Péril bleu ou méfiez-vous des autobus Victor Lanoux Victor Lanoux 1976 Qui est qui ? Keith Waterhouse & Willis Hall Victor Lanoux (2) 1981 Au Bonheur des Dames Émile Zola Jacques Échantillon 1985 Voisin Voisine Jerome Chodorov Pierre Mondy 1987 Le Tourniquet Victor Lanoux Victor Lanoux (3) 1989 La Ritournelle Victor Lanoux Victor Lanoux (4) Nominated - Molière Award for Best Playwright1991 Same Time, Next Year Bernard Slade Roger Vadim 1994 Drame au concert Victor Lanoux Victor Lanoux (5) 2000 Master Class David Pownall Régis Santon
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