Born in a musician's family, he spent the first fifteen years of his career appearing both on stage and on screen, mostly in supporting roles. His breakthrough came after 'Jean-Luc Godard' .
Has one daughter, Anne-Cordlia, with Elonore Hirt.
He has Italian origins.
Has supported Lionel Jospins 2002 presidential campaign.
Supports young directors by producing their movies.
Good friends with Simone Signoret , Yves Montand , Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir. They all supported the communist movement, but Piccoli disapproved of the totalitarian regimes in former Eastern Europe.
Son of a French mother, Marcelle, and an Italian father, Henri Piccoli who both were musicians. She was a pianist and he was a violinist.
Member of the jury at the Cannes Film Festival in 2007.
Was favorite co-star of his best friend Romy Schneider.
Best friends with late actress Romy Schneider.
Very good friends with late Italian actor Marcello Mastroianni and French actress Catherine Deneuve.
In 2012, won the Italian movie prize the David di Donatello for his role in the movie Habemus Papam.
His mother, Marcelle, was the last of 12 children of a branch of a family, which included the french industrialist and senator Charles Exper-Bezanon. She was the only artist in those twelve children.
Finally, I have played many loners who were both cerebral and physical.
[on Brigitte Bardot] With Brigitte the relations were very courteous but,no more than that. She did not want to make an effort to understand.
