Fabrice Luchini emerged as one of Eric Rohmer's key actors in the '80s and later in the films of other French auteurs. He rose to mainstream status after Claude Lelouche's Tout ca... pour ca! and, especially, Yves Angelo's lavish 19th-century drama Le Colonel Chabert. Luchini's perfect diction combined with his obvious love for words and their expressive potential made him an indispensable performer in both costume dramas and contemporary comedies.