Appeared in Cyrano et d'Artagnan (1964), opposite José Ferrer. Ferrer's wife, Rosemary Clooney, was also aunt to actor George Clooney, who appeared in Ocean's Twelve (2004) and Ocean's Thirteen (2007), opposite Jean's son, Vincent Cassel. Clooney's role has also been parodied by his cousin, Miguel Ferrer.
Being good friends with Serge Gainsbourg for decades, he climbed back on stage at the age of 74 for a retrospective called "Jean-Pierre Cassel chante et danse Gainsbourg Suite", which featured three unpublished songs from the 1960s (2006).
Born to Georges Crochon, a doctor, and his wife Louise-Marguerite Fabrègue, an opera singer, he grew up in Paris.
Engaged to Françoise Dorléac in the early 1960s.
Father of Vincent Cassel, Olivia Cassel (deceased) and Mathias Crochon (aka 'Rockin Squat') from his first marriage and Cécile Cassel from his second marriage.
Father-in-law of Monica Bellucci.
Has played both "d'Artagnan the Musketeer" and "Cyrano de Bergerac". In neither role, however, was he appearing in an adaptation of a literary work in which that character appears. In Cyrano et d'Artagnan (1964), he played "d'Artagnan". That film was not based on any of Alexandre Dumas père's novels, or on the play "Cyrano de Bergerac", which featured a cameo by "d'Artagnan". In The Return of the Musketeers (1989), he played "Cyrano", but Cyrano does not appear in any of Dumas's novels.
Head of the French Actors Union from 1966 to 1974.
Studied acting at the Cours Simon.
Was originally scheduled to appear with his son, Vincent Cassel, in Mesrine: Public Enemy #1 (2008), before his deadly cancer disease in 2007. They previously appeared together in The Crimson Rivers (2000), Valse nocturne (1995) and Café au lait (1993).