Depardieu skips court to prepare for role as Strauss-Kahn

French film star Gerard Depardieu failed to show up in court to face drink-driving charges because he was preparing to play disgraced former IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn in a film, his lawyer said.

The no-show means the case will turn into a full trial — guaranteeing yet another day in the spotlight for the garrulous actor currently caught up in a scandal over his tax status.

It could also lead to the rotund, 64-year-old star of Cyrano de Bergerac and Asterix and Obelix getting a tougher sentence if convicted — in theory up to two years in prison.