Xavier Deluc

It was under his birth name, Xavier Lepetit while aged 22, that he debuted in his first film Les surdoués de la première compagnie,[2] directed by Michel Gérard in 1981, before joining Max Pécas for Belles, blondes et bronzées (also in 1981) and Les Branchés à Saint-Tropez in 1983.[6]

In 1984, he was in Yannick Bellon's film La Triche (The Cheat),[5] a distributor then asked him to take a pseudonym to improve the posters. The actor thought of his weekends in Luc-sur-Mer on the Côte de Nacre, where he spent a lot of his time, he then becomes Xavier Deluc. Thanks to his performance in the film, he was named as the most promising actor at the 10th César ceremony of 1985.[7] Then the following year, at the 11th ceremony of the César, where he is nominated as the best actor in a supporting role for He Died with His Eyes Open by Jacques Deray,[8] just after completing Robert Kramer's science-fiction film Diesel in 1985.[9][10]

He is also a theater actor, performing in Jean-Claude Brisville's The Blue Villa at Espace Cardin theatre (Paris) in 1986.[5][11] He then met director Jean Marais at the Théâtre des Bouffes-Parisiens to don 'Hans' costume in Jean Cocteau's play Bacchus in 1988.[12] Xavier later said about Jean Marais, that "I did not know how to die and (he) taught me to die on stage".[13]

In 1989, he starred with James Wilby and Serena Gordon in a two-part TV mini-series of A Tale of Two Cities for ITV Granada. The production also aired on Masterpiece Theatre on the PBS in the United States.[14][15]

In 1991, he started a campaign called 'No to drugs, Yes to life' based on his own previous drug abuse, he then staged his self=written play called 'La Pluie du Soleil' (or "The rain of the sun") performed at the Comédie-Caumartin theater.[16]

In 1991 he also recorded a duet single with Viktor Lazlo called "Baiser sacré" on the Polydor label.[17]

From 1998 to 2005, he starred in the Marc Eliot television series and then in 2006, he landed his most important role in his television career, performing the Major, then Lieutenant, then Captain Martin Bernier, main character of the series 'Research Unit',[2][3][6] which in 2018 reached the twelfth season, with him being the only surviving cast member since the start.[7]

In 2007, he wrote and directed his first feature film 'Tombé d'un étoile' in which he co-starred alongside Thomas Sagols, Rona Hartner and Jean-Louis Tribes.[18] He was awarded the Best Direction Award at the Monaco International Film Festival in May 2009.[19]

He joined the Church of Scientology[2] in 1988,[20] and founded with it, in 1991,[21] the campaign 'No to drugs, yes to life'.[22][23]

He has a wife, who is an amateur photographer, a daughter-in-law, and is the grandfather of two girls.[2][3]

He wrote his first novel 'Ton echo does not die', published by France Europe Editions in 2007.[24]

He also sketches, and exhibited his drawings at the Galerie des Lombards in Mougins on the French Riviera.[25][26]

• International Film Festival of Monaco 2009: Best Direction Award for his film Fallen from a star (Tombé d'une étoile)[19]