From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Pierre Richard (born Pierre-Richard Maurice Charles Léopold Defays (originally de Fays, his grandfather changed the spelling for unknown reasons), 16 August 1934 in Valenciennes, Nord) is a popular French actor best known for the roles of a clumsy daydreamer in comedy films. Richard is considered by many, such as Louis de Funès and Gérard Depardieu, to be one of the greatest and most talented French comedians in the last 50 years. He is also a film director and occasional singer. Description above from the Wikipedia article Pierre Richard, licensed under CC-BY-SA,full list of contributors on Wikipedia.​