Éric Bernard (actor)

Farid-Éric Pierre Bernard^[1] (born 18 April 1982^[2]), commonly known as Éric Bernard, is a French actor.

After starring in the 2018 film Sauvage, Bernard came out as a gay man, subsequently going through a decline in his career, which newspaper 20 minutes blamed on homophobia in French cinema.

Bernard was born in Paris, France, on 18 April 1982, to Tunisian parents who abandoned him when he was four months old.^[2][1] After that, he entered into the foster care system until being adopted by the Bernards, a French couple.^[1][3] They gave the boy the surname and added Pierre as a middle name for him.^[1] The family moved frequently, living in Nantes, Dijon, and Reims before settling in Évreux, the capital commune of the Eure department.^[1][3]

While recalling his childhood as beautiful, Bernard deeply disliked Évreux, describing the place as "cold, damp, and sad", adding that he began to suffer from depressive feelings.^[1] Bernard said that in his desire to return to Paris, he got a job at the age of 17 and moved back to the capital.^[1] His jobs included various fields, including working as a waiter, a dishwasher, and a receptionist. He took many jobs alleging that he did not want to be a burden on his parents.^[1]

In 1999, one of Bernard's friends answered a casting interview for him, and urged him to go.^[1] Beginning with roles as an extra, Bernard got his first major role in a film on France 2, subsequently getting an agent to represent him.^[1]

In 2011, Bernard earned a role in the Christophe Sahr film Voie rapide. Two years later, he was cast for the Philippe Godeau film 11.6.^[4]

Bernard's breakthrough role came in the 2018 film Sauvage of Camille Vidal-Naquet, where he interpreted a gay sex worker.^[5] The explicit sexual content in the film, as well as having exposed his genitals, caused a controversy around the production.^[5] Bernard's acting career began to sharply decline after his role in Sauvage, with Laure Beaudonnet of 20 minutes blaming homophobia in French cinema as a probable cause.^[5][4]

Sauvage was selected for the Critics' Week of the 2018 Cannes Film Festival and also won the Best Film award at the 44th César Awards.^[3][6] Bernard's co-star in the film is actor Félix Maritaud, who is also gay.^[7] Maritaud portrays a gay sex worker in Bois de Boulogne seeking tenderness and longing for love while also battling against drug addiction. Maritaud's character meets a masculine gay man (Bernard) who is also involved in prostitution and a life project.

The film received mostly positive reviews from critics.^[5][8][9] Magazine Télérama said that the "poetic and unsettling" ending was noteworthy while Les Inrockuptibles called the film "sensational."^[5] Bernard said that there were fewer calls after his role in Sauvage and that he faced hostility while attending the Cannes Film Festival.^[5] He and his husband recalled to 20 minutes that Bernard's agent, who is also gay, scolded them for holding hands on the red carpet, warning Bernard that publicly showing his relationship could affect possible roles as a straight man and that he was not there to do activism.^[5]

After the success of Sauvage, Bernard ended the contract with his manager, making minor appearances in other films after that. In 2020, he took part in South Korean film The Man Standing Next,^[5] where he got a role as a French henchman. Four years later, Bernard joined the cast of the film Serpent's Path,^[5][2] portraying a police officer. He also appeared as a cruise ship's on the TV film À qui profite le doute ?^[2]

In 2020, lesbian actress Muriel Robin denounced that homophobia was prevalent in the French film industry and that she knew gay and lesbian actors who concealed their sexuality because there were no successful careers for those who came out.^[5] Bernard supported Robin's theory and expressed similar concerns, receiving support from actor Raphaël Lenglet, who described Bernard as having an "undeniable raw talent" and high levels of professionalism.^[5] His former agent argued that being gay was not an issue against Bernard, instead pointing out to strategic mistakes by his new agent.^[5] Bernard has refuted these claims and reaffirmed any mismanagement by his new agent.^[5]

Bernard is gay, and is married.^[5][4]

In a November 2006 interview with Le Parisien, Bernard told reporter Elodie Le Maou that a friend had advised him to capitalise on his Tunisian background to pursue a successful career in the national industry, which Bernard disliked and rejected.^[1]