French actor of Armenian descent Charles Gerard dies at 92

Charles Gérard died on Thursday at the age of 96, EN24 reports.

He was a second favorite role of Claude Lelouch but also the unwavering friend of Jean-Paul Belmondo that he helped in many films including "Flic or Voyou".

Born on December 1, 1926 to Armenian parents, the man with the stocky build was especially recognizable by his singular nose, broken by Jean-Paul Belmondo during their first meeting, in a ring in 1948. The two young people then see themselves boxers and bind themselves to a strong friendship, which will last more than seventy years.

For his film debut, Charles Gérard prefers to be behind the camera than before. In the 1960s, he made B-series thrillers like "The Man Who Betrayed the Mafia" with Robert Hossein, or "The enemy in the shadows" with Roger Hanin. At the time, he was also a journalist for the sports program "Les coulisses de l'exploit".

After a first appearance in "Le Voyou" in 1970, Charles Gérard became one of the second roles in Claude Lelouch's films.

"There are some who return to the Comédie Française … there are some who return to Lelouch," summarized the actor, appeared in twenty of the director's feature films.

Lelouch will tailor his roles to the mid-2000s, including "Charlot" in the hit comedy "Adventure is adventure" with Jacques Brel, Aldo Maccione and Lino Ventura.