Jean Reno biography, net worth, height, wife and children, family, age 2025

Biography of Jean Reno

Jean Reno is one of Hollywood's most popular and sought-after French actors. Initially, his imposing presence typecast him in forgettable tough-guy villain roles. But his exceptional talent for bringing inner complexity and psychological depth to his characters eventually launched him to the top of his craft. Net worth: $70 million.

Childhood

Although Jean Reno (real name ‒ Juan Moreno y Herrera-Jiménez) is first of all a star of French cinema, few know that the famous actor is of Spanish descent. Jean was actually born in Casablanca, Morocco, where his parents had escaped from Spanish Andalusia to flee Franco's totalitarian regime.

When Jean turned 12, the family made another European move—this time to France. His father spent his entire career at a printing house, while his mother worked as a dressmaker. When Jean was 17, his mother passed away, and he subsequently enlisted in the French army to obtain citizenship.

Jean Reno served in the French army for French citizenship

From an early age, he'd dreamed of becoming an actor—never questioning whether the profession could actually pay the bills. In Paris, he attended theatrical school—the same institution where French cinema stars Didier Flamand and Claude Brasser had trained in earlier years. To make ends meet, Jean (still Juan at the time) took on whatever work he could find—customs officer, driver, and accountant among other jobs.

As soon as he finally ventured to take the actor's path, he immediately changed his name. You could call it his second birthday—that's when Jean Reno, the actor beloved by millions worldwide, was truly born.

Acting career

Fascinated by theater, Jean decided to take lessons at Renee Simon's acting studio, and in 1974 he made his first television appearances before debuting on stage in «Ecce Homo». His debut on the screen was the television series «One Mystery in a Day» and the detective «The Hypothesis of the Stolen Picture».

At the beginning of the creative path Jean Reno had to play various big guys and bouncers

For the next five years, Reno was cast exclusively in small episodic roles in forgettable films. Because of his height and impressive build, Reno was most often cast as various tough guys and bouncers. This type of work didn't suit him – he knew he was stuck in place.

Jean Reno was lucky to meet the «right» film director ‒ Luc Besson

For any actor, luck and meeting the «right» director can make all the difference. Jean Reno was lucky – he met Luc Besson. In 1981, Besson cast Reno in his first film – the short «Ultimate» – and two years later in «The Last Battle», discovering not just an actor but a friend and creative partner. In 1985 the role of the drummer in Luc's film «Subway», in which also played Isabelle Adjani and Christopher Lambert, moved Reno slightly up the career ladder.

Reno then began working more actively with other directors, appearing in «I Love You» and «Red Zone» in 1986. Finally, he got the leading role – in Luc Besson's drama «The Big Blue». Jean masterfully portrayed a diver who risked his life for the championship title and victory over his friend. For this work, Jean Reno was nominated for the main French film award «César».

Jean Reno and Anne Parillaud in the film «Nikita»

According to Zoomboola.com, in 1990, the world was blown away by Besson's action film about assassin «Nikita». Nothing like this had hit cinemas before. The main character in the film, Anne Parillaud, instantly became a world star; Jean Reno also proved to be a good actor, since it was in this legendary film that he first tried the role of a professional killer. Since then many have called him «the best killer on screen».

Many began to call Jean Reno «the best killer in the blue screen»

So it's no surprise that after that breakthrough performance, Jean was flooded with offers to play assassins. But the actor refused, believing that playing villains was a trap – a kind of assembly line that would limit his growth. Nevertheless, the cleaner-psychopath character Reno created in «Nikita» impressed Besson so much that he decided to build an entire movie around him. Reno's character was dying in such a way that the audience left the cinemas in tears.

«Le on: The Professional» with Jean Reno. Trailer

It was this ambiguous and complex character that found its continuation in Besson's famous criminal drama «Léon: The Professional» (1994). This role as an illiterate, unshaven and lonely killer brought 45-year-old Jean worldwide fame and remains one of the best – and certainly the most emotional – of his career. While the film and Reno both earned César nominations (though neither won), this English-language breakthrough opened the door to Hollywood for both Luc Besson and Jean Reno. Audiences were stunned by both Gary Oldman's charismatic villain-psychopath and a very young Natalie Portman playing a girl wise beyond her years.

Jean Reno with Christian Clavier in the fantastic comedy «The visitors»

Even before this movie, Jean had become a star in his homeland – in 1993, Reno and Christian Clavier starred in the fantasy comedy «The Visitors» about a medieval knight and his servant's adventures in modern France, earning him another «César» nomination. A few years later, the movie spawned two sequels, with the amusing characters even appearing in America in one of them. By that time (1998), Hollywood was eager to cast Jean Reno in other roles as well.

Jean Reno in Hollywood

The first work in Hollywood was the famous spy action movie «Mission: Impossible» with Tom Cruise. Released in 1996, it remains a crowd favorite that audiences still love rewatching today. Fame hit the actor instantly, catching him by surprise in the best possible way. After that, Hollywood offers came flooding in for the French actor. Luc Besson wrote the script to the "The Fifth Element" especially for Jean Reno, but the producers insisted that the main role was given to Bruce Willis.

Jean Reno and Tom Cruise in the action movie «Mission: Impossible»

But destiny had other plans for the actor to prove himself. A few years later, the blockbuster «Godzilla» hit theaters starring Reno, for which Reno even refused to play the part of Agent Smith in «The Matrix». Roland Emmerich's apocalyptic film about the saving of New York did not cause admiration among the critics, but Jean Reno needed large-budget projects to establish himself in the «Land of dreams».

Jean Reno in the film «Ronin»

The most serious work of this time for the actor was Vincent's part in the film of 1998 «Ronin», in which his partner was Robert De Niro. Audiences couldn't take their eyes off Jean's character, who once again played the silent professional dancing on the edge of death.

Jean Reno in the film «The Crimson Rivers»

In 2000, the audience saw a new French thriller with Jean Reno «The Crimson Rivers», that sent chills down viewers' spines. The actor played the part of an experienced policeman who together with his partner investigates the brutal murders of girls in the mountains near Grenoble.

Reno later admitted that filming was exhausting and intense, with the crew working at high altitudes in glacial conditions. When the movie was released, the actor was already 52 years old, but in his opinion, all the sacrifices paid off – the film turned out flawless in its genre.

The success of the thriller prompted the director, Mathieu Kassovitz to create the continuation of the film.

At the beginning of the new century, Jean got the leading role in the comic action film «Wasabi». Despite a solid script and concept, the film bombed at the box office. Reno played a French cop on a mission to far-off Japan. Next were the roles in the films «Ruby and Quentin» with Gerard Depardieu, another work with Christian Clavier ‒ «The Corsican File».

Jean Reno and Gerard Depardieu in the film «Ruby and Quentin»

Reno made a strong Hollywood comeback in 2006, starring in the historical and adventure drama «Flyboys» with James Franco, the comedy «The Pink Panther» with Steve Martin, and in the sensational thriller «The Da Vinci Code» with Tom Hanks and Audrey Tautou. Reno eagerly accepted the chance to appear in the adaptation of Dan Brown's novel, although this book and later the film was criticized by the Vatican.

Jean Reno in the film «22 Bullets»

The action film «22 Bullets» (2010) starring the French actor became a worldwide hit, in which the actor played the French godfather, who sets out to get revenge on those who wronged him. In 2016, Reno starred in the historical melodrama «The Promise» with Christian Bale and Oscar Isaac.

In 2017, alongside Tony Servillo, the star of Paolo Sorrentino's film «The Great Beauty», Jean Reno appeared in the thriller «Girl in the Fog», which the viewers liked very much. In the same year, the actor took part in a French-Chinese project – the action film «The Adventurers», in which he delivered one of his best performances as a detective.

An interview with Jean Reno

The actor has never forgotten his passion for theater either. For example, at different times he played in the performance «Magnificent Occasions» in Edward VII Theatre in Paris and staged «Manon Lescaut» in Turin's opera. He's still eager to take on the roles of Othello, King Lear, and Falstaff.

Jean Reno's personal life

Jean Reno was married three times; in total, he has six children. From the first marriage with Genevieve, he has a daughter Sandra and son Mickael. He left his wife after beginning an affair with Polish model Natalia Dyshkevich. And she became the second wife of the actor. The girl gave birth to his son Tom and daughter Serena. In 2001, the couple broke up.

Five years later, Jean Reno married another model – Zofia Borucka, who was 24 years younger. The groomsman at their wedding was Nicolas Sarkozy (at that time he was not the president of France, but the Minister of the Interior). Sarkozy and Reno are neighbors and good friends.

Nicolas Sarkozy and Jean Reno are neighbors and good friends

A couple of years later, Zofia gave birth to their first child, and then in 2011, their second child, whom Reno had been eagerly anticipating.

The actor is crazy about his children: in order to spend more time with the family, he appears in no more than two films a year. It's a disappointment for fans and film directors and a joy for the wife and children.

Jean Reno now

In 2019, the actor starred in the movie "Cold Blood Legacy", which talks about the wanted killer who became a hermit.

Jean Reno continues to star, but no more than in two films a year

In 2020, the film "Da 5 Bloods" premiered on Netflix. Jean Reno's partners on the set will be Chadwick Boseman and Paul Walter Hauser. Jean Reno remains true to himself, mainly appearing in French films while preserving his individuality and European style.

Jean Reno: latest news and articles

Ivan Padilla

In general I don`t like French movies but Jean Reno achieved a lot in his job ladder.

2021-05-17 10:42:31
John Moore

Of course Reno is good as an actor but anyways I never liked the movies with him, however he is professional and playing cool there.

2021-05-15 19:07:58
Logan Eric Rivera

I liked very much the movie Wasabi. I can watch it hundred times and never tired of this movie.

2021-03-14 15:14:25
William Summers

The Crimson Rivers is a very good film. Reno there is young and fresh.

2021-03-06 12:34:46
Lucas Wyatt Hernandez

Jean Reno for me is an example of a cool man without showing off and artificial rudeness.

2021-03-05 16:13:49

Photos: Jean Reno