Francis Veber
Francis Veber, French director and scriptwriter born in Neuilly-sur-Seine in 1937.
After a stint as a journalist, Francis Veber dedicated himself entirely to writing. The public success of one of his
first plays, L’Enlèvement (1968), encouraged him to continue on this path. He then began a career as a
scriptwriter and penned numerous successful comedies, such as Yves Robert’s The Tall Blond Man with One
Black Shoe (1972) or Édouard Molinaro’s A Pain in the Ass (1973). He soon became a director himself, with The
Toy (1976), then continued his fruitful collaboration with Pierre Richard in Knock On Wood (1981) and ComDads
(1983), in which the actor formed a duo with Gérard Depardieu. In the eighties, Francis Veber moved to the
United States, working as a script doctor for Disney and directing the US remake of The Fugitives. On his return
to France, his play Le Dîner de cons (The Dinner Game) followed by his screen adaption of it had resounding
success. In 1999, Jacques Villeret won the César for Best Actor for the role of François Pignon, Veber’s fetish
character, featured throughout his filmography: a modern-day Candide, making his way as best he can through
the cruel world around him.