Christopher Lambert as Connor MacLeod in Highlander (1986).
Christophe Guy Denis "Christopher" Lambert is a French actor, known for playing the Immortal Connor MacLeod, "The Highlander".
He is also known for his roles as Tarzan in Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes and as the thunder god, Raiden, in the movie adaption of the video game Mortal Kombat. He is credited in French-speaking countries as Christophe Lambert.
Early life[]
Lambert was born in Great Neck, New York. His father was a French diplomat in the United Nations. Lambert grew up in Geneva, Switzerland, where his family moved when he was two, before returning to Paris when he was 16. He first caught the acting bug after participating in a school play at the age of twelve. His parents however wanted him to have a job with security and saw acting as unsafe, so to please his parents he took a job with the London Stock Exchange, but after about six months he left the L.S.E. to help a friend run a shop in Paris. He also served in the French military at his father's insistence.
Acting Career[]
After appearing in supporting roles in several French films, he was discovered by international audiences when director Hugh Hudson cast him in the title role of Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes (1984). That same year, he also played his first lead role in a French film by appearing opposite Catherine Deneuve in Paroles et musique. In 1985, he played the lead in Luc Besson's Subway, for which he was awarded a César Award for Best Actor, the next year he appeared in Highlander (1986), in which he starred as Connor MacLeod, it was an international success. He reprised his role as Connor in sequel, and had a guest appearance in the pilot of Highlander: The Series entitled "The Gathering".
During the 1990s, he starred in action, thriller and science fiction films such as Knight Moves (1991), Fortress (1993), Gunmen (1994) and Mean Guns (1997), the Italian-produced Nirvana (1997). He also occasionally appeared in French films such as Max et Jérémie (1992) and also producing the films Génial, mes parents divorcent (1990) and Neuf mois (1994).
In 1995 he played the role of the thunder god, Raiden, in a movie adaptation of the video game, Mortal Kombat. It was a hit and went straight to Number 1 at the box office. Lambert was interested in reprising his character in the sequel, Mortal Kombat: Annihilation, but he was committed to his role in Beowulf (1998), so the role was given to James Remar. In 2001, he played the lead role of Gallic chieftain Vercingetorix in the France-Canada production Druids, which was a critical and financial failure. 2009 saw him get the lead role in Tales of an Ancient Empire.
In 2010 it was announced that he was to appear in Ghost Rider : Spirit Of Vengeance with Nicholas Cage.
Trivia[]
Lambert has myopia and has great difficulty seeing without his glasses. Because he cannot wear contact lenses, he is often forced to act while virtually blind. This has led to injuries while performing his own stunts without glasses. His myopia is often credited as being part of his appeal, by giving his stare a peculiar charm.
He is the owner of a Winery along with owning a mineral water business and food processing plant, Lambert produces Côtes-du-Rhône wines with partner Éric Beaumard. The vineyard is located in Sainte-Cécile-les-Vignes, France. The label, Les Garrigues de Beaumard-Lambert, tops out at 4,000 cases and is sold mostly in Europe. Beaumard has primary creative control of the winery, but Lambert conducts barrel tests and monitors the various stages of evolution. Novus Vinum gave his vintage 1998 Les Garrigues a score of 13/20.