Patrice Chereau

Born: 2 November 1944
Where: Lezigne, France

A French theatre and opera director, Chereau has increasingly been directing feature films, finding his widest audience with 1993's La Reine Margot, adapted from the Dumas novel about the politically expedient marriage between the title character and Henry de Navarre.

Chereau began directing for the stage in 1964 with a production of L'Intervention by Victor Hugo, then became the director of le Theatre de Sartrouville for three years.

In 1969, Chereau made his debut as a director of opera with a production of Rossini's "L'Italienne a Alger" in Paris, which led to his six year stint as co-director of Le Theatre Nationale de Paris.

Chereau segued to films with La Chair de l'orchidee, starring Charlotte Rampling.

He made his film acting debut in 1982 with Danton, followed by a role in Al-Wedaa Bonaparte, and then played General Montcalm, the leader of the French forces, in Michael Mann's The Last of the Mohicans.

In 1993, Chereau directed and co-wrote La Reine Margot, after which he helmed Those Who Love Me Can Take the Train.

Chereau directed his first English-language film in 2001 - Intimacy was adapted from Hanif Kureishi's novel, and premiered at the Sundance Film Festival.