Gerard Depardieu Net Worth

What Is Gerard Depardieu's Net Worth?

Gerard Depardieu is a French actor, filmmaker, businessman, and vineyard owner who has a net worth of $250 million. Gérard Depardieu emerged as one of France's most prominent and prolific actors, with a career spanning over five decades and encompassing more than 200 films. Rising from humble beginnings, he established himself as France's leading man throughout the 1970s and 1980s, successfully crossing over into Hollywood while maintaining his status as a titan of European cinema. His versatility, commanding screen presence, and ability to move effortlessly between comedy and drama earned him worldwide acclaim.

Depardieu's breakthrough came with "Going Places" (1974), establishing his distinctive mix of physicality and sensitivity. He achieved international recognition with "The Last Metro" (1980) alongside Catherine Deneuve, and his performance in "Cyrano de Bergerac" (1990) earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor, making him one of the few French actors to receive this recognition. His Hollywood career included notable films like "Green Card" (1990) and "1492: Conquest of Paradise" (1992).

Beyond acting, Depardieu became known for his business ventures, particularly in the wine industry, owning several vineyards and restaurants. His personal life has often garnered as much attention as his professional work, including his controversial decision to accept Russian citizenship in 2013 to avoid French taxes, and various public controversies. Despite these controversies, his artistic legacy remains significant, having worked with many of cinema's most acclaimed directors and influencing generations of actors.

In recent years, while continuing to work steadily in both French and international productions, Depardieu has faced serious allegations regarding his personal conduct, which have impacted his public image. Nevertheless, his contributions to cinema, particularly French cinema, have left an indelible mark on the art form, with performances that helped define modern European film acting.

His work has earned him numerous accolades, including two César Awards for Best Actor and a Golden Globe. Beyond awards, his influence on French cinema and culture extends to his role in promoting French arts and cuisine globally, though this legacy has become increasingly complicated by recent controversies and allegations.

Taxes & Income

In 2012, Depardieu announced publicly that he was renouncing his French passport and had moved to Belgium. He made the move soon after French President Francoise Hollande announced a 75% temporary "supertax" on anyone who earns more than $1 million euros ($1.3 million). Belgium also does not have a death tax. In a letter published in French papers in December 2012, Gerard said he lost 85% of his income to French taxes in the previous 12 months. He also said that he has paid the French government $192 million in taxes over a four-decade career. That implies a total income of well over $500 million. In 2013, he became a citizen of Russia in order to avoid paying extra taxes in France.

Early Life

Gerard Depardieu was born on December 27, 1948, in Châteauroux, France. He is one of five children of Anne Jeanne Josephe and Rene Maxime Lionel Depardieu. Depardieu left school at the age of 12, ran away from home, worked at a printworks shop, and bounced from home to home, hustling and scheming to survive. He also became involved in selling stolen goods and received probation. He left his hometown at the age of sixteen for Paris, where he began acting in the new comedy theatre Cafe de la Gare and studied dancing under Jean-Laurent Cochet.

Career

Gerard Depardieu made his screen debut in 1965 when he appeared in a short film titled "Beatnik et le minet." After that, he began to appear in increasingly higher-profile French films. Depardieu's first role to gain him wide attention was when he played Jean-Claud in "Les Valseuses" ("Going Places") in 1974. He also starred in "1900" with Robert De Niro in 1976. Gerard starred alongside French screen legend Catherine Deneuve in "The Last Metro" (1980), for which he won his first Cesar Award—the French equivalent of an Academy Award— for best actor. After he appeared as a doomed and hunchbacked farmer in 1986's "Jean de Florette," he began receiving international attention. In 1989, he starred in "Camille Claudel."

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After he garnered huge critical acclaim for the title role in 1990's "Cyrano de Bergerac," which earned him an Academy Award nomination and the Best Actor award at the Cannes Film Festival, Depardieu acted in many big-budget Hollywood movies. He did as many as six films per year. He co-starred in Peter Weir's English language romantic comedy "Green Card" in 1991, for which he won a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor. In 1992, he appeared in Ridley Scott's "1492: Conquest of Paradise." In 1994, Depardieu played a goofy dad to Katherine Heigl's character in "My Father the Hero," a remake of a 1991 French film of the same title and premise, in which he also starred. Depardieu then appeared in 1996's "Hamlet" and Ang Lee's critically acclaimed film "Life of Pi" in 2012. In 2013, he starred in an indie film titled "A Farewell to Fools."

Gerard has since appeared in loads of French-language films and still finds himself on award nominees lists. Depardieu has appeared in over 170 films and is considered one of France's most prolific actors.

Personal Life

Depardieu married Elisabeth Guignot in 1970. They had two children together. Their first son, actor Guillaume Depardieu (b. 1971), tragically died in 2008 at the age of 37 due to severe viral pneumonia. His health had been adversely affected by drug addiction and a 1995 motorcycle accident that required the amputation of his right leg in 2003. Guillaume and Gerard had a turbulent relationship but had reconciled in the years before his death. Their daughter Julie (b.1973) is also an actor. The couple separated sometime in 1991, and during this time, Gerard conceived a daughter (Roxanne, b. 1992) with model Karine Silla. In 1996, Depardieu and Guignot divorced, and he began a relationship with actress Carole Bouquet, his co-star in "Cyrano de Bergerac," whom he remained partners with until 2005. In July 2006, he had a son with Helene Bizot. Since 2005, Depardieu has been in a relationship with Clementine Igou. She is 30 years his junior and runs a wine estate in Italy.

(Photo by Ben A. Pruchnie/Getty Images)

Legal Issues

Gérard Depardieu has long been a controversial figure, known not only for his prolific acting career but also for his off-screen scandals and legal troubles.

In August 2011, Depardieu caused an international stir when he urinated in the aisle of a CityJet flight from Paris to Dublin. He claimed the incident stemmed from a prostate issue and blamed the cabin crew for not allowing him access to the lavatory. Years earlier, in 1998, he was injured in a motorcycle accident. In 2012, he was accused of assault after punching a motorist and was later arrested for drunk driving after falling off a scooter. He also made headlines in 2014 by claiming he could drink up to 14 bottles of wine a day—though he later said in 2016 that he had stopped drinking.

In August 2018, a 22-year-old actress accused Depardieu of rape and sexual assault during private rehearsals at his Paris home. The case was initially dropped in 2019 after a nine-month investigation but was later reopened in 2021 and remains active. Meanwhile, more than 20 women have accused Depardieu of sexual misconduct, according to multiple media investigations. Six formal complaints were filed with police; some were dropped due to statutes of limitations.

In April 2023, Depardieu was charged with sexually assaulting two women on the set of the 2021 film "Les Volets Verts". The victims, a set decorator named Amélie and an assistant director who has not been publicly identified, testified that Depardieu groped them and made obscene comments during filming.

On May 13, 2025, Depardieu was convicted by a Paris court of sexually assaulting both women. He was sentenced to an 18-month suspended sentence, ordered to register as a sex offender in France, and must pay €15,000 (approx. $17,000) in damages to one victim and €14,040 to the other, including medical costs. An additional €1,000 was awarded to each for "secondary victimization" caused by the courtroom conduct of Depardieu's attorney, Jérémie Assous. Assous was widely criticized for his aggressive tactics, with more than 180 lawyers signing a public letter condemning his behavior as sexist and abusive.

Depardieu, who did not attend the sentencing, has denied all allegations and is appealing the conviction. His lawyer continues to claim the actor is a victim of a media-fueled "manhunt."

The verdict marked a significant moment in France's broader reckoning with sexual abuse in the arts and has been hailed as a milestone for the #MeToo movement in the country.

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