Comedic actor Pierre Richard was one of France's most popular performers during the early '70s and is best remembered internationally for starring in the zany French comedy Le Grand Blond Avec Une Chassure Noire (The Tall Blond Man With One Black Shoe) (1972) and it's sequel. Born Pierre Richard Maurice Charles Leopold Defays, he was raised in an upper-class family. Early in his career Richard worked at the Paris Music Hall. He made his feature film debut in Alexandre le Bienheureux (1967). In his subsequent career, Richard frequently teamed with Aldo Maccione, and most notably with Gerard Depardieu, in such features as La Chevre (1981), Les Comperes (1984), and Les Fugitifs (1987). Richard made his directorial debut with Le Distrait (The Daydreamer) (1970) for which he also wrote the screenplay.