French star is top dog at awards yet again

The world should plan on hearing a lot more from Jean Dujardin, the handsome and expressive actor whose portrayal of a silent film star has won him acting’s top honour.

The actor, dubbed a French George Clooney, beat the real Clooney on Sunday night for the best actor Oscar, capping a run of accolades heaped on him and The Artist in recent months.

“I love your country,” the first Frenchman to win an acting Oscar said. He looked out on the audience packed and declared: “So many of you here tonight have inspired me.”

Dujardin singled out the first Oscar host, silent screen star Douglas Fairbanks, as helping make his remarkable success possible.

He then invoked his Artist character, saying George Valentin would have screamed exclamations at the win. Dujardin shouted them in French, which he translated backstage for reporters wondering if one of the words he used was the French equivalent of the F-word.

“It’s amazing, it’s incredible, it’s unbelievable. Thank you,” he said, before his translator stepped in to clarify the question. Smiling, he said, “Yeah. I’m sorry.”

While no French actor has won an Oscar, several actresses have, including Claudette Colbert, Juliette Binoche and Marion Cotillard.

He downplayed any plans to try to make it big in the US. “I’m not American actor. I’m a French actor. (I’ll) continue in France,” Dujardin said.

His translator explained a bit further.

“If he can make another silent movie in America, he’d like to.” The remark drew laughs.