Although he is known today for his
work in main stream features such as "Clear and Present Danger," Patrick
Bauchau first established himself as an actor in numerous European art
films.
"When you are in a blockbuster movie, you tend to execute a pre-established
program and seem to be part of a giant battleship," says Bauchau. "In
the art films, it's more of a guerrilla style and less structured. In some ways,
TV and art movies have more in common, because you discover what's to be done,
and then you can be more creative."
As one of four brothers, the cosmopolitan Bauchau was born in Brussels and
raised in Belgium, England and Switzerland. His father was a writer -- although
he was serving as an officer in the Belgian underground when Patrick was born
near the end of World War II -- and his mother was a Russian who operated a
publishing company and a finishing school in Switzerland. He studied at Oxford
University, where he received a degree in modern languages (he speaks English,
French, German, Spanish and Italian).
Bauchau decided early that rather than follow his father as a writer, he would
embrace film acting as his form of artistic expression. He began his career at
the end of the French New Wave cinematic era, and he was greatly influenced by
writer-director Eric Rohmer, whom he considers his mentor. He appeared in
Rohmer's "La Collectioneuse," his first film, in 1966. After the film,
he temporarily abandoned his acting career, taking a 14 year break to pursue a
career as an artist. One of the more unusual commissions he received during this
period was a series of stuffed animals for Salvidor Dali. Also during this time,
he wrote for the journal "Film Culture." In 1980, he resumed his
acting career in Robert Kramer's "Guns" and continued to refine his
acting technique in such European films as "Lisbon Story" and "State
of Things" (both directed by Wim Wenders), "Entre Nous," and the
James Bond epic "A View to a Kill," among others.
Among Bauchau's American features are "Choose Me," "Blood Ties,"
"The Rapture" and "The New Age." He also appears in the
upcoming films "Three Wise Men" and "The Interview." On
television, he was a regular cast member in "Kindred: The Embraced"
(as the godfather of the immortals), and he guest-starred in "Earth 2"
and "Fortune Hunter." His TV movies include "And the Band Played
On," "Op Center," "Day of Reckoning,"
"Columbo," and "Murder: A Self-Portrait." He also co-starred
in the Canadian series "Mount Royal."
Bauchau plays a scientist in charge of programming extremely gifted children --
or "pretenders" -- at a shadowy think tank, often becoming an
unintentional parent. "Sydney is fond of Jarod and wants him to reach his
full potential," says Bauchau. "This causes problems for the people
who run the Centre when Jarod escapes, because he's so protective of him, like a
surrogate son. I find my character to be a professional man who runs his program
on the edge and could be seen as a guilty party to what's gone on before."
On his own time, Bauchau enjoys gardening, collecting Oriental art, carpentry
and practicing yoga ("I'm a good yogi"). He has one adult daughter,
Camille. He and his wife, Mijanou (a screenwriter), live in Los Angeles.
Bauchau's birthday is December 6.
|