Christopher Lambert: Biography, Movies & Photos — RecapFlicks

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Christopher Lambert

Born March 29, 1957 in Manhasset, New York, USA

Though born in Great Neck, Long Island, Christopher Lambert's family left the US when he was only two years old. His father was a United Nations diplomat assigned to Switzerland and, as a result, Chris was educated at private boarding schools in Geneva. Inspired through his having appeared in a play at age 12, he went to the Paris Conservatoire where he remained for two years. After a few small parts in French films, beginning in 1980, he successfully competed for the title role in Warner Bros. Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes (1984). His co-stars included Ian Holm, James Fox and Ralph Richardson (in his final film performance). The movie was popular with Tarzan buffs for remaining faithful (in the first half at least) to Edgar Rice Burroughs' original story. Two years later Lambert brought to the screen Gregory Widens' legendary Connor MacLeod, the immortal Highlander (1986), born in the Highlands of Scotland in 1518 and carrying over into the futuristic Highlander II: The Quickening (1991) and Highlander: The Final Dimension (1994). In recent years he has become a producer while continuing to act in mostly action/adventure films.

Age: 69
Height: 178 cm
Credits: 287

Biography

Though born in Great Neck, Long Island, Christopher Lambert's family left the US when he was only two years old. His father was a United Nations diplomat assigned to Switzerland and, as a result, Chris was educated at private boarding schools in Geneva. Inspired through his having appeared in a play at age 12, he went to the Paris Conservatoire where he remained for two years. After a few small parts in French films, beginning in 1980, he successfully competed for the title role in Warner Bros. Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes (1984). His co-stars included Ian Holm, James Fox and Ralph Richardson (in his final film performance). The movie was popular with Tarzan buffs for remaining faithful (in the first half at least) to Edgar Rice Burroughs' original story. Two years later Lambert brought to the screen Gregory Widens' legendary Connor MacLeod, the immortal Highlander (1986), born in the Highlands of Scotland in 1518 and carrying over into the futuristic Highlander II: The Quickening (1991) and Highlander: The Final Dimension (1994). In recent years he has become a producer while continuing to act in mostly action/adventure films.

Filmography

80 titles

Known for

The Blacklist poster

Trivia

1The patented, intense gaze he often shows in his roles is the result of myopia at an early age.
2Daughter, with Diane Lane, Eleanor Lambert (born Sept. 5 1993).
3In 1991 he was scheduled to play the role of Martin Decoud in David Lean's adaptation of Joseph Conrad's Nostromo. Lean's death in April 1991 brought the project to an end.
4Has his look-alike puppet in the French show Les Guignols de l'info (1988).
5Mentioned by name in Vincent Delerm's song "Cosmopolitan".

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6In francophone markets on his US films, his forename in credits is repainted as "Christophe", which is his birth name.
7Close friend of Mario Van Peebles and Sean Connery.
8(July 11, 2014) Separated from his girlfriend of 7 years Sophie Marceau from 2007.
9Suffers from myopia (also known as near-sightedness), a condition that causes the eyes to focus incorrectly, making distant objects appear blurred.
10In a 2010 interview, he stated that nowadays he lives "mostly on an airplane" and he can't stay anywhere longer than a few months. When not on location, he divides his time between his "main residence" in Switzerland, a winery in Provence and his 16-year-old daughter in Los Angeles.
11His favorite horror films are The Shining (1980), Rosemary's Baby (1968), The Evil Dead (1981) and the original Halloween (1978).
12Met first wife Diane Lane in 1985, when they were both in Rome on separate publicity junkets. They married three years later.
13Turned down the role of Martin Riggs in Lethal Weapon (1987).
14Was John Glen's first choice for the role of James Bond in The Living Daylights. But he was ultimately turned down due to his accent.
15Parents were Yolande (de Caritat de Peruzzis) and Georges Lazare Maurice Lambert-Lamond. His father was a French diplomat who was working at the U.N. at the time of Christopher's birth.
16His father was from a Jewish family, of both Ashkenazi and Sephardi descent. Through many lines, they had lived in France and Lorraine since the 1600s, and were mainly from Germany before that. Christopher's mother had Dutch, Belgian (Flemish) and French ancestry.
17Had his own production company but at the time of being executive producer on Knight Moves he was really just sitting on the side lines learning about the production side of things and leaving the actual work to others. with the hope of later being a director.
18He was born in New York while his father was English/ French.
19In his early film days he used to have a voice coach on set.
20He likes comedy but realistic style not actual comedy.