Yves Jacques


Yves Jacques OC is a Canadian film, television and stage actor.

Life and career

Jacques was born in Quebec City in 1956. He studied theatre at the Cégep de Saint-Hyacinthe, and began acting on stage in both Quebec City and Montreal. 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. 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. On stage, he is noted for originating the role of Lydie-Anne in the premiere of Michel Marc Bouchard's play Lilies.
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 and Le Projet Andersen, where he played all the roles. 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 , co-starring playwright Robert Lepage and actress-singer Ginette Reno.
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.
He is openly gay.

Filmography

;Cinema
  • 1982 : Red Eyes
  • 1983 : Sonatine: Subway Station Janitor
  • 1984 : The Crime of Ovide Plouffe : Bob
  • 1985 : Hold-Up: Otage 400 S
  • 1986 : The Decline of the American Empire : Claude
  • 1989 : Jesus of Montreal : Richard Cardinal
  • 1990 : Ding et Dong : Jigi
  • 1990 : Milena: Max Brod
  • 1991 : Montreal Stories
  • 1993 : Trois femmes un amour
  • 1994 : Meurtre en musique: Simon Claveau
  • 1994 : Louis 19, King of the Airwaves : Michel Gobeil
  • 1995 : Alfred: Georges Fehrenbach
  • 1998 : Michael Kael contre la World News Company: Charles Robert
  • 1998 : Class Trip: The Visitor
  • 1999 : Memories Unlocked : Mortimer
  • 1999 : The Widow of Saint-Pierre : Le contre-amiral
  • 2000 : Life After Love : Docteur Bilodeau
  • 2001 : Wedding Night : Bernard
  • 2001 : Alias Betty : René the Canadian
  • 2002 : The Collector : François Berger / Babette Brown
  • 2002 : Séraphin: Heart of Stone : Notaire Le Potiron
  • 2003 : The Barbarian Invasions : Claude
  • 2003 : Little Lili : Serge
  • 2004 : Ordo : Richard Féraud
  • 2004 : The Aviator: Un serveur
  • 2005 : The Girl from the Chartreuse : Baldi
  • 2005 : Let's Be Friends : Germain
  • 2005 : Aurore: Curé Leduc
  • 2005 : Twice Upon a Time : Le docteur Trudeau
  • 2006 : A Secret : Georges
  • 2007 : 48 Hours a Day : Arnaud
  • 2009 : You'll Miss Me
  • 2010 : The Comeback : Lady Moon
  • 2010 : The Last Escape : André
  • 2011 : French Immersion
  • 2011 : See How They Dance
  • 2012 : Laurence Anyways
  • 2013 : Me, Myself and Mum
  • 2015 : Families
  • 2017 : Father and Guns 2
  • 2019 : Forgotten Flowers : Marie-Victorin Kirouac
  • 2020 : Villa Caprice
  • 2021 : Maria
  • 2021 : Aline
  • 2022 : The 12 Tasks of Imelda : Veterinarian
  • 2023 : Testament
  • 2023 : Days of Happiness
  • 2023 : Katak: The Brave Beluga
  • 2023 : The Successor
  • 2024 : Sisters and Neighbors!
; Short films
  • 2001 : Via Crucis
  • 2001 : Requiem contre un plafond
  • 2007 : Silence ! on voudrait bien s'aimer
  • 2015 : Maurice
; Television
  • 1980 : Boogie-woogie 47: Denis St-Cyr
  • 1983 : Poivre et sel: Pierrot Séguin
  • 1993 : La Voyageuse du soir: Arthur
  • 1994 : Jalna
  • 1994 : Baldipata
  • 1995 : V'la l'cinéma ou le roman de Charles Pathé: René Lampin
  • 1995 : Belle Époque: Augustin
  • 1997 : Ces enfants d'ailleurs: Jan Pawlowski / Jean Aucoin
  • 1997 : Bob Million: Bob Million
  • 1998 : Changement de cap: Cariou
  • 1999 : Three Seasons: Henry
  • 1999 : La Chambre des magiciennes: D. Fish
  • 1999 : La Soirée des Jutras: EmCee
  • 2000 : La Soirée des Jutras: Host
  • 2001 : Thérèse et Léon: Marcel Bouchard
  • 2001 : L'Aîné des Ferchaux: Me Jacquin
  • 2002 : Napoléon: Lucien
  • 2004 : H2O: Québec Premier Marcel Coté
  • 2005 : L'État de Grace: Bertrand Saint-Amor
  • 2006 : Mafiosa: Zamponi

    Distinctions

Awards

Nominations

In 1981, he was singer-songwriter of the song On ne peut pas tous être pauvres. Jacques also produced and realised the music video which is the first Québécois music video.