Culture

Guillaume Depardieu décédé à 37 ans

By Berlioz Deborah
14/10/2008

French actor Guillaume Depardieu has died on 13th October from complication linked to a sudden case of pneumonia. The son of French movie star Gérard Depardieu was hospitalised the day before at the Raymond-Poincaré hospital in Garches, right outside Paris.

Raised in the shadow of an extremely famous father, Guillaume Depardieu struggled to exist, often rebelling against every form of authority. He is often expelled from high school, and turns to delinquency. Theft, alcohol abuse, drug consumption and drug dealing, nothing is too dark for his revolt.

Prison comes early; he's only 17. He will spend eighteen months in jail. Three years later he makes his cinema debut, with his father, in "Tous les matins du monde" (All mornings of the world), by Alain Corneau. But he'll really begin his career in 1995, when a starring role in "Les Apprentis" directed by Pierre Salvadori wins him a Cesar award for Most Promising Newcomer.
The same year he is involved in a serious motorcycle accident that leaves him in need of surgery on his knee. He will be in and out of hospital for eight years following complications. In 2003, he catches an MRSA infection, which leads to the amputation of his leg.

Guillaume Depardieu gives his actor career up for a while. However, it's with his prosthesis that he will reveal the full extent of his talent, in 2007 when he plays Armand de Montriveau in "Ne touchez pas à la hache" directed by Jacques Rivette. Two films starring the young man will also come out soon in France: "Stella", directed by Sylvie Verheyde, and "Les Inséparables", by Christine Dory.

So, his unexpected death concludes a very turbulent and tortured life. But could his life have been different? It's not that easy to be the son of one of the biggest French movie stars. An absent father, present on every screen, in every cinema and in all the popular press. Above all, a father so successful that it makes it very hard for a son to follow in his footsteps. And if you cannot equal your father, how can you expect him to be proud of you? Strong issues for a son...One could also say that a son often needs to metaphorically needs to "kill" his father (that's an image of course), to fulfil his full potential and finally become a man. It's Freud's Oedipus complex... But how can you "kill" a father such as Gérard Depardieu? Almost one hundred films, more than ten Cesar awards... It's hard to compete with that.

Guillaume Depardieu of course has not been the only one to have problems dealing with his father's fame. To name but a few Scott Newman, son of Paul, who overdosed at 28; or Christian Brando, son of Marlo who also died of pneumonia earlier this year, Michael Douglas's son, Cameron, who was charged for possession of cocaine. So, if you've ever dreamed of a famous name to make your life easier, you should think twice. It can also be a poisoned gift.