Gérard Raymond Lanvain, known as Gérard Lanvin, was born on June 21, 1950 in
Boulogne-Billancourt. He dropped out of school at 17, against his parents'
wishes, and went on to become a showman and a seller of American second-hand
clothes at the Saint-Ouen flea market. After meeting Coluche and Martin Lamotte,
he gradually became involved in the world of café-théâtre and then cinema from
1977 onwards, becoming one of France's biggest stars in the 1980s. He became a
pillar of the French film industry, winning two Césars and a host of other
awards, but he didn't hesitate to put himse...