Serge Gainsbourg
Known for Acting · 105 credits
- Born
- 1928-04-02
- Died
- 1991-03-02
- Place of birth
- Paris, France
- Also known as
- Lucien Ginsburg
Biography
Serge Gainsbourg (born Lucien Ginsburg; 2 April 1928 – 2 March 1991) was a French singer-songwriter, actor, composer, and director. Regarded as one of the most important figures in French pop, he was renowned for often provocative releases which caused uproar in France, dividing public opinion. His artistic output ranged from his early work in jazz, chanson, and yé-yé to later efforts in rock, zouk, funk, reggae, and electronica. Gainsbourg's varied musical style and individuality make him difficult to categorise, although his legacy has been firmly established and he is often regarded as one of the world's most influential popular musicians.
Gainsbourg wrote over 550 songs, which have been covered more than 1,000 times by diverse artists. His lyrical works incorporated wordplay, with humorous, bizarre, provocative, sexual, satirical or subversive overtones. Since his death from a second heart attack in 1991, Gainsbourg's music has reached legendary stature in France. While controversial in his lifetime, he has become one of France's best-loved public figures. He has also gained a cult following across the world with chart success in the United Kingdom and Belgium with "Je t'aime... moi non plus" and "Bonnie and Clyde", respectively.
Serge Gainsbourg was born in Paris on 2 April 1928, in the maternity ward of the Hôtel-Dieu de Paris on the Île de la Cité. He was the son of Russian Jewish immigrants, Joseph and Olga Ginsburg.
Born Brucha Goda Besman (nicknamed Olia/Olga) in Feodosiya in 1894, Serge's mother was a mezzo-soprano singer. Serge's father Joseph was born in Constantinople in the Ottoman Empire of Ukrainian Jewish heritage in 1896. Originally interested in painting, he entered the Petrograd Conservatory and then the Moscow Conservatory to study music, becoming a classically trained pianist. He came to Crimea, where he met and married Olga in 1918. The couple fled Odessa for Paris via Georgia and then Istanbul in the years following the Russian Revolution. The couple arrived in Marseille in 1921, settling in Paris near Olga's brother, who worked for the Louis Dreyfus Bank. Joseph became a piano performer at bars, casinos, and cabarets, while Olga sang at the Conservatoire Rachmaninoff.
Serge and his twin sister Liliane had an elder brother Marcel, born in 1922, who died at sixteen months of pneumonia. They also had an older sister Jacqueline, born in 1926.
Known For
TV Shows (30)
Champs-Elysées
1982
as Self
Sacrée soirée
1987
as Self / Self (archive footage)
Vivement dimanche
1998
as Self (archive footage)
Apostrophes
1975
as Self
Les Rendez-vous du dimanche
1975
as Self
Midi Première
1975
as Self
Spécial cinéma
1974
as Self
Le Grand Échiquier
1972
as Self
Numéro un
1975
as Self
Die Drehscheibe
1964
as Self
La semaine des 4 Julie
2020
as Self - Guest (archive footage)
Film '72
1971
as Self
Midi trente
1972
as Self
Discorama
1959
as Self
Samedi soir
1971
as Self
Nulle part ailleurs
1987
as Self
Victoires de la musique
1985
as Self
30 millions d'amis
1976
as Self
Please Turn the Page
1977
as Self
Il était une fois Champs-Élysées
2022
as Self (archive footage)
Dim Dam Dom
1965
as Self / Joseph
Cadet Rousselle
1971
as Self
À bout portant
1968
as Self
Les Dossiers de l'Agence O
1968
as Dassonville
Vidocq
1967
as Un fou
Samedi Sébastien
2021
as Self - Guest
Archives secrètes
2021
as Self (archive footage)
40° à l'ombre
1987
as Self
Le Trésor des treize maisons
1961
as Le chanteur
Fréquenstar
1988
as Self
Movies (75)
La TV des 70's : Quand Giscard était président
2022
as Self (archive footage)
Come Dance with Me!
1959
as Léon
The Beaches of Agnès
2008
as Self (archive footage)
Public Speaking
2011
as Self (archive footage)
L'Âge d'or de la pub
2023
as Self (archive footage)
Egon Schiele: Excess and Punishment
1980
as Self
Seven Deaths in the Cat's Eye
1973
as Police Inspector
Jane B. by Agnès V.
1988
as Self
Droit de Réponse
1981
as Self
Romance of a Horsethief
1971
as Sigmund
Slogan
1969
as Serge Fabergé
The Gardener of Argenteuil
1966
as Patrick Gérard
Mr. Freedom
1969
as Mr. Drugstore
Whitney: Can I Be Me
2017
as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
Serious as Pleasure
1975
as L'inconnu du lac
The Big Pardon
1982
as Self (uncredited)
Erotissimo
1969
as l'individu dragueur au cinéma
Catherine Deneuve, belle et bien là
2010
as Self (archive footage)
Cannabis
1970
as Serge Morgan
Charlotte for Ever
1986
as Stan
The Fury of Hercules
1962
as Menistus
Four Queens for an Ace
1966
as Man Asking for a Lighter (uncredited)
Oh Les Filles!
2019
I Love You All
1980
as Simon
Jane by Charlotte
2022
as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
Alain Delon, l'ombre au tableau
2019
as Self (archive footage)
Pasha
1968
as Serge Gainsbourg (uncredited)
All Mad About Him
1967
as Self
Seduction Squad
1972
as Albert
Anna
1998
as L'ami de Serge
The Rage of War
1971
as Mornar
Gainsbourg and His Girls
2010
as Self (archive footage)
Reporters
1981
as Self
Deneuve, la reine Catherine
2022
as Self (archive footage)
Les Enfants de la Pop 80's
2012
as Self (archive footage)
Teuf-teuf
1963
as Self
Stan the Flasher
1990
as Un ami de David (uncredited)
Gainsbourg, toute une vie
2021
Souvenirs of Serge
2011
as Self (archive footage)
Jane Birkin: Simply an Icon
2019
as Self - Singer (archive footage)
Jane Birkin - Alcaline le Concert
2017
as Self
Katmandu
1969
as Ted
The Discreet Françoise Hardy
2016
as Self (archive footage)
The Unknown Man of Shandigor
1967
as le chef des Chauves
The Looters
1967
as Clyde
The Revolt of the Slaves
1960
as Corvino
Bardot, The Misunderstanding
2013
Show Bardot
1968
as Self
Jane Birkin... Mother of All Babes
2003
as Self (archive footage)
Paris Does Not Exist
1969
as Laurent
Gainsbourg... Casino de Paris 1986
1986
as Self
L'inconnue de Hong Kong
1963
as Jean le pianiste
Samson
1961
as Warkalla
Christmas at Vaugirard
1966
as Joseph
Melody
1971
as L'homme
Serge Gainsbourg, les meilleures chansons
2021
as Self (archive footage)
L'affaire Matzneff
2020
as Self (archive footage)
Anna Karina, Remember
2020
as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
The Marriage Came Tumbling Down
1968
as Rémy
Brigitte Bardot : Divine B.B.
2004
as self
Brigitte Bardot: The Icon of France
2009
Love in the Night
1968
as Mathieu
Sweet Skin
1963
as Le pianiste (uncredited)
De Serge Gainsbourg à Gainsbarre 1958-1991
2000
as Self (archive footage)
Serge Gainsbourg – D'autres nouvelles des étoiles
2005
as Self (archive footage)
The World of Gaston Rébuffat
2009
as Self (archive footage)
Brigitte Bardot confidentiel
2022
The truth about Brigitte Bardot
2014
Bardot Amoureuse
2017
Serge Gainsbourg, entre les murs
2018
as Self (archive footage)
Le Zenith de Gainsbourg
1989
as Self
Gainsbourg by Gainsbourg: An Intimate Self Portrait
2012
as Self (archive footage)
Gainsbourg... Le Zénith - Live
1990
as Self
La Story de Serge Gainsbourg : Le Punchliner
2021
as Self (archive footage)
Gainsbourg, art(s) et essai(s)
2018
as Self (archive footage)
About Serge Gainsbourg
Serge Gainsbourg (born Lucien Ginsburg; 2 April 1928 – 2 March 1991) was a French singer-songwriter, actor, composer, and director. Regarded as one of the most important figures in French pop, he was renowned for often provocative releases which caused uproar in France, dividing public opinion. His artistic output ranged from his early work in jazz, chanson, and yé-yé to later efforts in rock, zouk, funk, reggae, and electronica. Gainsbourg's varied musical style and individuality make him difficult to categorise, although his legacy has been… With 105 credits spanning from 1959 to 2023, Serge Gainsbourg has appeared in 75 films and 30 TV shows.
Fans searching for Serge Gainsbourg movies, Serge Gainsbourg filmography, or the latest projects starring Serge Gainsbourg can stream many of these titles on Bowood.TV, free and in HD, with no subscription required.
Most Popular Serge Gainsbourg Movies
- La TV des 70's : Quand Giscard était président (2022) — as Self (archive footage)
- Come Dance with Me! (1959) — as Léon
- The Beaches of Agnès (2008) — as Self (archive footage)
- Public Speaking (2011) — as Self (archive footage)
- L'Âge d'or de la pub (2023) — as Self (archive footage)
Where to Watch Serge Gainsbourg Films
Most Serge Gainsbourg movies and series are available to stream on Bowood.TV in full HD, completely free and without signup. Browse the complete filmography above to jump directly to any title. For more films and the latest web series featuring Serge Gainsbourg, check our movies catalogue and browse page.