Born in 1948, the son of a sheet-metal welder in a nondescript provincial town in Central France, by 12 Gerard Depardieu was the size he is now and making ends meet blackmarketeering to NATO GIs. Quitting school at 14 to apprentice as a printer, he set off bumming around Europe until an acting friend took him to Paris and drama lessons when he was 16. Discovered by author Marguerite Duras, who cast him as a washing machine rep in her film "Nathalie Granger", six months later he was revealed in his full animal magnetism in Bertrand Blier's "Les Valseuses" ("Making It"). Since then he has starred in films ranging from "Camille Claudel", to "Danton", "Cyrano de Bergerac", "Jean de Florette" and "Green Card", for which he was nominated for an Oscar and won a Golden Globe. He has also played numerous stage parts, written a book, recorded two records and run his own film company. This biography gives an account of his life and work.