Yves Jacques

Yves Jacques
Born (1956-05-10) 10 May 1956 (age 68)
OccupationActor
Years active1980–present

Yves Jacques OC (born 10 May 1956) is a Canadian film, television and stage actor.[1]

Life and career

Jacques was born in Quebec City in 1956. He studied theatre at the Cégep de Saint-Hyacinthe,[1] and began acting on stage in both Quebec City and Montreal.[1] He became more widely known to film and television audiences beginning in 1981 as a sketch performer in Télévision de Radio-Canada's annual Bye Bye New Year's Eve variety special, and soon began appearing more widely in film and television roles.[1] To international audiences, he is best known as Claude, the gay academic in Denys Arcand's The Decline of the American Empire and The Barbarian Invasions.[1] On stage, he is noted for originating the role of Lydie-Anne in the premiere of Michel Marc Bouchard's play Lilies.[1]

He has been in several movies by French filmmaker Claude Miller, including Of Woman and Magic and Little Lili. His fame has continued to grow with films and theatrical productions in both France and Quebec. Since 2001, he has toured the world in two shows by Robert Lepage, Far Side of the Moon (La Face cachée de la lune) and Le Projet Andersen, where he played all the roles.[1] Since 2018, he has appeared regularly in Mathieu Quesnel's theatrical creations. More recently, he played in Aline by Valérie Lemercier, in Maria by Alec Pronovost, and in Chloé Robichaud's Les jours heureux. In 2022, Yves Jacques played in Martin Villeneuve's The 12 Tasks of Imelda (Les 12 travaux d'Imelda), co-starring playwright Robert Lepage and actress-singer Ginette Reno.[2]

He was named Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the Ministère de la Culture et de la Communication de France in February 2001, and was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2009, for his performances in theatre, television and film, in Canada and abroad.[3]

He is openly gay.[4]

Filmography

Cinema
Short films
Television

Distinctions

Awards

Nominations

  • Nominated for the prix Jutra for best actor in 2000 for Souvenirs intimes

Music

In 1981, he was singer-songwriter of the song On ne peut pas tous être pauvres (music by composerPierre Gagnon). Jacques also produced and realised(directed) the music video which is the first Québécois music video.[6]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Yves Jacques at The Canadian Encyclopedia.
  2. ^ Jean Siag, "Les 12 travaux d'Imelda : Étonnante comédie" La Presse, 28 October 2022.
  3. ^ "Order of Canada: Yves Jacques". The Governor General of Canada. Retrieved 12 March 2017.
  4. ^ Thomas Waugh, Romance of Transgression in Canada: Queering Sexualities, Nations, Cinemas. Carleton University Press, 2006. ISBN 978-0773530690. p. 434.
  5. ^ Charles-Henri Ramond, "Testament en salle le 5 octobre". Films du Québec, 24 May 2023.
  6. ^ according to Musique Plus