Henri Attal

Actor · died at 67

Profile

Age at death	67
Birth date	May 13, 1936
Birthplace	4th arrondissement of Paris
Died	July 24, 2003
Profession	Actor, Television actor
Zodiac sign	Taurus

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Henri Attal — Biography

Henri Attal was one of those French character actors whose face is rarely in the foreground but turns up in countless films. His career ran without a break from the late 1950s until his death in 2003, and he appeared in more than 150 productions, mostly in small parts. He was usually cast as serious types such as gangsters, policemen and clergymen. In Russia he is remembered above all as Fantômas's henchman in the Fantômas series.

In his early years he surfaced in cult and varied films of the 1960s, among them Kadın Kadındır (as a fake blind man), Çılgın Pierrot (as a petrol-pump attendant), Masculin – féminin: 15 faits précis and Code Name: Tiger. With Fantômas (1964), Fantômas se déchaîne (1965) and Fantômas contre Scotland Yard (1967) he reached a wide audience. In the following decades he moved between crime films and comedy in works such as Les Biches (as Robègue), Borsalino Çetesi, Just Before Nightfall (as Cavanna), The Under-Gifted and My New Partner (as Dédé la Mitraille).

Claude Chabrol cast him repeatedly; Madame Bovary, Une affaire de femmes and The Flower of Evil, released in August 2003 after his death, are among those collaborations. He often appeared as a duo with Dominique Zardi in many films. He was born in the 4th arrondissement of Paris and died in Cucq, Pas-de-Calais.

Last reviewed: November 1, 2026

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