James Thiérrée
James Spencer Henry Edmond Marcel Thierrée (born 2 May 1974) is a Swiss-French circus performer, violinist, actor and director who is best known for his theatre performances which blend contemporary circus, mime, dance, and music. He is the son of circus performers Victoria Chaplin and Jean-Baptiste Thierrée, the grandson of filmmaker Charlie Chaplin and the great-grandson of playwright Eugene O'Neill.
Also recorded as James Thierree
James Thiérrée

James_Thierrée.jpg: Svalvola at it.wikipedia Marc_Lavoine.jpg: Georges Biard Marie-Josée_Croze_au_Défilé_Channel,_Printemps-Eté_2010.jpg: nicolas genin derivative work: MorelMWilliam at en.wikipedi · James_Thierrée.jpg Marc_Lavoine.jpg Marie-Josée_Croze_au_Défilé_Channel,_Printemps-Eté_2010.jpg · CC BY-SA 3.0
- Name
- James Thiérrée
- Birth Name
- James Spencer Henry Edmond Marcel Thierrée
- Born
- 2 May 1974
- Birthplace
- Lausanne, Switzerland
- Education
- Piccolo Teatro CNSAD Acting International (Paris) Harvard Theater School
- Occupation
- Circus performer, actor, theatre director
- Nationality
- Switzerland · France
- Teachers
- Jean-Baptiste Thierrée
- Honours
- Knight of the Legion of Honour · César Award · César Award for Best Supporting Actor
- Languages
- French
VALÉORINE Encyclopedia
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Documentary summary
James Spencer Henry Edmond Marcel Thierrée (born 2 May 1974) is a Swiss-French circus performer, violinist, actor and director who is best known for his theatre performances which blend contemporary circus, mime, dance, and music. He is the son of circus performers Victoria Chaplin and Jean-Baptiste Thierrée, the grandson of filmmaker Charlie Chaplin and the great-grandson of playwright Eugene O'Neill.
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Note VALÉORINE
James Thiérrée (born 1974) is a French and Swiss acrobat, actor and circus performer, among other activities. The acrobat was born in Lausanne. James Thiérrée studied at Conservatoire national supérieur d'art dramatique and Harvard University.
Languages used include French. The acrobat received César Award, César Award for Best Supporting Actor and Knight of the Legion of Honour.
Composed from admitted, traceable facts · 26 September 2026
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Authority files
wikidata · Q1132228
In this article
Biography
Biography
James Thiérrée studied at Conservatoire national supérieur d'art dramatique and Harvard University. Training under Jean-Baptiste Thierrée is recorded. Jean-Baptiste Thierrée is recorded as having studied under James Thiérrée. the recorded working language is French. Distinctions recorded are Knight of the Legion of Honour, César Award and César Award for Best Supporting Actor.

James Thierrée à la cérémonie des César
Georges Biard

James Thierrée à la cérémonie des César
Georges Biard
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — James Thiérrée • Birth Name — James Spencer Henry Edmond Marcel Thierrée • Born — 2 May 1974 • Birthplace — Lausanne, Switzerland • Education — Piccolo Teatro CNSAD Acting International (Paris) Harvard Theater School • Occupation — Circus performer, actor, theatre director • Years Active — 1978–present • Parents — Victoria Chaplin Jean-Baptiste Thierrée • Relatives — Charlie Chaplin (maternal grandfather) Eugene O'Neill (great-grandfather)
Biography
Biography
Thierrée made his stage debut aged four in 1978, appearing alongside his older sister, Aurélia Thierrée, at his parents' small circus, Le Cirque Imaginaire. He toured with the circus and its follower, Le Cirque Invisible, throughout his childhood and teenage years, until 1994. Due to this, he was taught by tutors up to the age of twelve, when he was enrolled at the American School of Paris. Later he studied at the Piccolo Teatro in Milan, the CNSAD and the Acting International in Paris, and the Harvard Theater School in the United States. In 1991, aged fifteen, he made his film debut in the role of Ariel in Peter Greenaway's film Prospero's Books, and has since appeared in several films. He was nominated for the César Award for Most Promising Actor in 2006 for his role in Antoine de Caunes's film Twice upon a Time (2006). In 1998 Thierrée founded his own theatre company, La Compagnie du Hanneton, and directed his first stage show, The Junebug Symphony (La Symphonie du Hanneton), in which he also performed. It toured several countries around the world and received favourable reviews from, for example, the New York Times and the Los Angeles Times. Thierrée won four Molière Awards for the show, including that of the best director and the best newcomer in 2006, and it was chosen in 2009 as one of the ten most important theatre pieces of the decade by Le Figaro. His next pieces, the Bright Abyss (2003, La Veillée des Abysses) and Au Revoir Parapluie (2007) were similarly acclaimed, and he was awarded a Molière for the latter. In 2008 he also received Le Prix Plaisir du Théâtre from the Société des Auteurs et Compositeurs Dramatiques. His fourth stage show, Raoul (2009) received more mixed reviews. Thierrée's fifth spectacle, titled Tabac Rouge, is to premiere in Lausanne in the summer of 2013.
Theatre roles
Theatre roles
• Year — Production — Location — Role — Notes • 1995 — Pre-Paradise, Sorry Now — Espace Toulouse-Lautrec, Paris — Unknown — Adaption of play by Rainer Werner Fassbinder, directed by Julien Collet. • La Splendida Vergogna Del Fet Mal Fet — Barcelona — Unknown — Written and directed by Carlos Santos. Toured. • 1995–1997 — Lapin Lapin — Théâtre de la Porte Saint-Martin, Paris — Unknown — Written by Coline Serreau, directed by Benno Besson. • 1998 — Le Soleil Est Rare — Théâtre de la Criée, Marseille — Unknown — Written and directed by Michael Cohen. • 2000 — La Chauve-Souris — Paris Opera — Unknown — Adaptation of Johann Strauss II's Die Fledermaus, directed by Coline Serreau.
La Compagnie du Hanneton
La Compagnie du Hanneton
• Year — Production — Premiere location — Role — Notes • 1998–2005 — The Junebug Symphony — Orion Theatre, Stockholm — Original French title: La Symphonie du Hanneton. Toured internationally. • 2003–2010 — Bright Abyss — La Coursive, La Rochelle — Original French title: La Veillée des Abysses. Toured internationally. • 2007–2011 — Au Revoir Parapluie — Théâtre Vidy, Lausanne — Toured internationally. • 2009– — Raoul — Théâtre Royal, Namur — First solo show. Still touring internationally. • 2013– — Tabac Rouge — Théâtre Vidy, Lausanne — He works on the stage with the company. Tours internationally.
Filmography
Filmography
• Year — Title — Role — Notes • 1991 — Prospero's Books — Ariel • 1993 — Stefano Quantestorie — Teenage Stefano • The Girl in the Watermelon — Matt Carrere — Credited as James Spencer Thierrée • 1995 — Total Eclipse — Frederic • 1996 — The Green Beautiful — Mesaje • Reckoning — Pino — Television film. • 1997 — Genealogies of a Crime — Young American actor • On Guard — Marcello • 1999 — Appassionate — Joel • Une Femme dans la Rue — Unknown — Short film • 2000 — Vatel — Duc de Longueville • 2001 — A Long Long Long Night of Love — Gabriele • 2002 — Oui Non — Jerome — a film by Jon Jost • 2003 — 18 Years Later — Arthur • 3 Women — Unknown • 2004 — Rien, voilà l'ordre — Alexis • 2005 — Bye Bye Blackbird — Josef • Carmen — Mercier — Television film. • 2006 — Twice Upon a Time — Paul Gaylord • 2007 — Buchstaben/Letters — Unknown • The Vanishing Point — Vincent • 2009 — Korkoro — Félix Talouche • 2010 — Bartleby – Geschichte der Wall Street — Bartleby — Television film. • 2011 — See How They Dance — Victor/Clément • 2013 — Love Battles — He • 2016 — Chocolat — George Foottit — César Award for Best Supporting Actor Nominated—Lumière Award for Best Actor • 2020 — L'Autre — Paul
Identity
Identity
James Thiérrée is recorded as having received Knight of the Legion of Honour, César Award and César Award for Best Supporting Actor. The authorities additionally record the heading James Thierree.
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Greenfield, Elana. Flight & Bliss: The Work of James Thierrée. The Brooklyn Rail. 5 November 2010.
- 2.Théâtre national de Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées. Dossier de Presse: Raoul.
- 3.Ellis, Samantha. Clown prince. The Guardian. 2004-04-07.
- 4.Ross, Lillian. Son of a Clown. The New York Times. 2008-01-07.
- 5.Perth International Arts Festival. Raoul: Education Resource.
- 6.Winship, Lyndsey. A Big Pair of Shoes to Fill. The Guardian. 2007-10-18.
- 7.Van Gelder, Lawrence. Sleepless and Wordless, He Leaves 'Em Speechless. The New York Times. 2002-10-09.
- 8.Segal, Lewis. Dreams Come Alive on A Bed of Whimsy. The Los Angeles Times. 2002-10-19.
- 9.Lauréats 2006, Les Molières . Retrieved 20 June 2012.
- 10.Le Figaro. Les pièces de théâtre de la décennie : les choix du Figaro. 12 November 2009.
- 11.Zinoman, Jason. Blood Lines the Blend Old Performance Arts with the New. The New York Times. 2005-11-11.
- 12.Gardner, Lyn. La Veillée des Abysses. The Guardian. 2004-04-10.
- 13.Brantley, Ben. The Dreams and Horrors of the Ties That Bind. The New York Times. 2007-12-07.
- 14.Gardner, Lyn. Au Revoir Parapluie. The Guardian. 2007-11-01.
- 15.Théâtre Marigny. Au Revoir Parapluie.
- 16.SACD. James Thiérrée et Clotilde Hesme récompensés.
- 17.Gardner, Lyn. Raoul. The Guardian. 2009-10-16.
- 18.Cavendish, Dominic. Raoul at the Barbican Theatre. The Telegraph. 2009-10-15.
- 19.La Rocco, Claudia. An Elephant, a Jellyfish and a Man With a Lot on, and in, His Mind. The New York Times. 2010-11-07.
- 20.Paré, Isabelle. James Thiérrée de retour au Québec. Le Devoir. 2012-04-05.
References
Citations
References
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James Thiérrée studied at Conservatoire national supérieur d'art dramatique and Harvard University. He trained under Jean-Baptiste Thierrée. Each of those relationships is stated by the authority record rather than inferred from style.
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 14 August 2026.
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