I gave four stars to the book but I give five to Gerard Depardieu. Through it I was able to affirm my admiration for the actor, realize the other side of the so called Oscar and the american media and to know a very good writer.

'Depardieu, The Biography' is an intelligent and amazingly entertaining biography of France's best known actor. Paul Chutkow takes us from the poverty-striken childhood of Gerard in France to his fame in Hollywood. The Depardieu Chutkow shows us is complex and yet warm and human, and, unlike many actors of his generation, completely unpretentious and unbelievably talented -- like all fascinating biographies of 'stars', this one is a typical rag-to-riches tale, where the 'star' faces greater odds of becoming an actor than can be believed -- if this had been fiction, no one would believe it. A trully amazing portrait of a remarkable actor.

After reading this book, I now feel like I know Depardieu way beyond what he has been described in the press.

There are a couple of great chapters on how Time Magazine nearly destroyed Depardieu's career (and life) by 'fabricating quotes' and doing a hack job at translating a French-language-based interview at the height of his fame with 'Green Card'.

An eye-opener and a must read for anyone interested in Depardieu or actors in general. HIGHLY COMMENDED.

I loved this book, couldn't put it down. This biography is well written and about a very interesting man. This is a must read for any Gerard Depardieu fan. I only wish the biography was more recent as Gerard Depardieu continues a to be an excellent actor and has accomplished much more since this book was written. Maybe Paul Chutkow might consider Part II of this biography.