CHRISTIAN AND GERARD

Christian Clavier and Gérard Depardieu make up an awesome tandem. Nowadays, anyone versed in French film can't think of one without forgetting the other.
It may be because Christian is short and slender, while Gérard is far taller and endowed with a more impressive physique. They contrast at first sight, giving French filmmakers a clue on which part to give them.

Christian and Gérard as the renowned Gauls...
Featuring Laetitia Casta as local belle Falbala.

The Asterix and Obelix films may have been the most internationally popular ones featuring Clavier and Depardieu (because of the widespread bande dessinée by René Goscinny used as source material), but, by no means, their only tandem effort.

In 2000, both starred in Les Misérables. As it sounds. Gérard played, obviously, the burly Byronic hero Jean Valjean, while a thinner and shorter Christian got into the uniform of Sgt. Thénardier, one of the bad guys. It was somewhat ironic having them on opposing sides of the conflict.

Voilà le sergent de Waterloo!

Strawberry-blond, broad-shouldered Gérard makes a better Valjean than Jackman.

Warming up with Cosette... Compare with Jackman and the little blond girl!

Two years later, Christian honoured his physique as none other than Napoleon Bonaparte, while Gérard co-starred as his more physically imposing confidant (and resident Varys!), Joseph Fouché.

There we have our Corsican on the battlefield, on horseback,
sporting his trademark overcoat...

...and at court, in a rather elegant uniform.

And here's Fouché, excellently portrayed by Depardieu!

The Napoleon series, which has aired on Spain's History Channel, is renowned for its detailed costumes, sceneries, battles, courtly entertainments, and all of the research needed for such an enthralling epic. 

And from its star-studded cast, not only starring Clavier and Depardieu, but also:

• Isabella Rosellini as Josephine
• John Malkovich (Javert in 2000 Les Mis) as Talleyrand
• Mavie Hörbiger as Marie Louise of Habsburg (Napoleon's Austrian second wife)
• Julian Sands as Klemens von Metternich (Austrian Chancellor)