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Yves Jacques

Yves Jacques

Actor · Born May 10, 1956 (70) · Québec City, Québec, Canada

Yves Jacques OC (born 10 May 1956) is a Canadian film, television and stage actor. Jacques was born in Quebec City in 1956. He studied theatre at the Cégep de Saint-Hyacinthe, and began acting on stage in both Quebec City and Montreal. He became more widely known to film and television audiences beginning in 1981 as a sketch performer in Télévision de Radio-Canada's annual Bye Bye New Year's Eve variety special, and soon began appearing more widely in film and television roles. To international audiences, he is best known as Claude, the gay academic in Denys Arcand's The Decline of the American Empire and The Barbarian Invasions. On stage, he is noted for originating the role of Lydie-Anne in the premiere of Michel Marc Bouchard's play Lilies. He has been in several movies by French filmmaker Claude Miller, including Of Woman and Magic and Little Lili. His fame has continued to grow with films and theatrical productions in both France and Quebec. Since 2001, he has toured the world in two shows by Robert Lepage, Far Side of the Moon (La Face cachée de la lune) and Le Projet Andersen, where he played all the roles. Since 2018, he has appeared regularly in Mathieu Quesnel’s theatrical creations. More recently, he played in Aline by Valérie Lemercier, in Maria by Alec Pronovost, and in Chloé Robichaud’s Les jours heureux. In 2022, Yves Jacques played in Martin Villeneuve's The 12 Tasks of Imelda (Les 12 travaux d'Imelda), co-starring playwright Robert Lepage and actress-signer Ginette Reno. He was named Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the Ministère de la Culture et de la Communication de France in February 2001, and was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2009, for his performances in theatre, television and film, in Canada and abroad. He is openly gay. Source: Article "Yves Jacques" from Wikipedia in English, licensed under CC-BY-SA 3.0.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
May 10, 1956 (70)
From
Québec City, Québec, Canada
Works as
Actor
Titles
30 on MovieCove · 95 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Official site (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 33% in 30 days

What are Yves Jacques' films like?

Across their 18 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Self.

Genres

Drama9 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 69th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Comedy8 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 63rd percentile
: browse their Comedy movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Bonds
37%
Self
26%
Morality
12%
Survival
9%
Power
8%
Society
6%
Ideas
1%
Romantic love6 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity5 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds4 titles, browse their movies with this themeFriendship2 titles, browse their movies with this themeBetrayal2 titles, browse their movies with this themeOppression2 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose2 titles, browse their movies with this themeSelf-worth2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 18 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 7 · Serious 4 · Dark 7

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 8 · Stylized 8 · Heightened 2

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 3 · Charged 11 · Intense 4

Steady: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their steady movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 9 · Shifting 9 · Whiplash 0

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

A split, not a type: Straight-faced 9 · Some laughs 5 · Funny 4

Slow burn: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their slow burn movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 11 · Even-paced 6 · Relentless 1

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 6 · Engaged 9 · Full focus 3

Affecting: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their affecting movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

A split, not a type: Easy watch 4 · Affecting 5 · Heavy 9

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 9 · Open-ended 7 · Ambiguous 2

Roles they play

1 analyzed role

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Melancholic
9
Tense
8
Contemplative
6
Warm
5
Joyful
3
Other
14

How their films linger

Bittersweet7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 2 with a twist

  • Happy6
  • Bittersweet7
  • Tragic2
  • Ambiguous3

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Yves Jacques' films?

As of October 24, 2026, 11 of their 30 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Yves Jacques' titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

95 credits, 30 with a MovieCove page; 15 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Aurore: entre mythe et réalité (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2025)

    as Curé Leduc (archive footage)

  • Serge à Paris (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2024)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Sisters and Neighbors! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2024)

    as Monsieur Lebel

  • The Successor(2023)

    as Dominique Duchesne

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films

  • Days of Happiness (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2023)

    as Yves

  • Testament (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2023)

    as Emmanuel d'Argenson

  • Katak: The Brave Beluga(2023)

    as Cyrano (voice)

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • Imelda 7: Pipo (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2022)

    as Vétérinaire

  • The 12 Tasks of Imelda (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2022)

    as Vétérinaire

  • Embrasse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2022)

    as Yves Saint Laurent

  • Paris Paris (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2022)

    Show 13 episodes · as Fabioli

  • Aline(2020)

    as Second TV Presenter

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • Maria (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2021)

    as Yves Jacques

  • La face cachée de la Lune (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2021)

    Actor

  • Le chemin de Noël (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2020)

    Actor

  • Night Slice (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2020)

    as Antoine

  • This Is How I Love You(2020)

    Show 5 episodes · as Le Consigliere

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all shows

  • Forgotten Flowers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2019)

    as Marie-Victorin

  • Mythomaniac (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2019)

    Show 12 episodes · as Mr. Brunet

  • Cash Nexus(2019)

    as Michel

    Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • A Man in a Hurry(2018)

    as Eric

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • En tout cas (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2018)

    Show 30 episodes · Actor

  • Father and Guns 2(2017)

    as Bernard

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • False Confessions(2017)

    as Dubois

    Midcredits score: 14th percentile of all films

  • Father Son Therapy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)

    Actor

  • Boundaries (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)

    as Francis Perreault

  • Maurice (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2015)

    as Narrator (voice)

  • An Eye for Beauty(2014)

    as Pascal Montambault

    Midcredits score: 16th percentile of all films

  • Grace of Monaco(2014)

    as M. Delavenne

    Midcredits score: 28th percentile of all films

  • Mensonges (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    Show 6 episodes · as Martin Champagne

  • Darling Trap (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    as Nolan Smith

  • Me, Myself and Mum(2013)

    as Le psychanalyste tuyau

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • Anna et Otto (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

    as Art critic at the Montreal exhibition

  • La danse de l'albatros (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)

    as Jacques

  • Thérèse(2012)

    as L'avocat de Thérèse Desqueyroux

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films

  • Laurence Anyways(2012)

    as Michel Lafortune

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • French Immersion (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    as Pierre-Émile

  • See How They Dance (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    as George Bliss

  • Second Chance(2010)

    as Maxime Dupont

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films

  • Cabotins (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)

    as Lady Moon

  • Sans laisser de traces(2010)

    as Maître Bardon

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • The Last Escape (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)

    as Andre

  • Les figures (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    as Jean

  • You'll Miss Me (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    as André, le coiffeur

  • 48 Hours a Day (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)

    as Arnaud

  • A Secret(2007)

    as Le commandant Beraud

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • Mafiosa(2006)

    Show 8 episodes · as Mathieu Zamponi

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all shows

  • Twice Upon a Time(2006)

    as Doctor Trudeau

    Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films

  • L'État de Grace (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    Show 6 episodes · as Bertrand Saint-Amor

  • René Lévesque (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    Show 4 episodes · as Doris Lussier

  • Aurore(2005)

    as Curé Leduc

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Let's Be Friends(2005)

    as Germain

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films

  • The Girl from the Chartreuse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    as Baldi

  • The Aviator(2004)

    as Waiter

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • H2O (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    Show 2 episodes · as Québec Premier Marcel Coté

  • Ordo (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    as Richard Féraud

  • La petite Lili(2003)

    as Serge

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • The Barbarian Invasions(2003)

    as Claude

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • Séraphin: Heart of Stone(2002)

    as Notaire Le Potiron

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films

  • Napoleon (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    Show 2 episodes · as Lucien Bonaparte

  • The Collector (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    as François Berger / Babette Brown

  • Alias Betty(2001)

    as René le Canadien

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • Wedding Night (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    as Bernard

  • Léon Blum : Thérèse et Léon (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    as Marcel Bouchard

  • Requiem contre un plafond (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    Actor

  • Via crucis (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    Actor

  • Life after love (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    as Docteur Bilodeau

  • Of Woman and Magic (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    as le docteur Fish

  • Widow of St. Pierre(2000)

    as le contre-amiral

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • Le bogue de l'an 2000 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    as Hubert Hyves

  • Memories Unlocked (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    as Mortimer

  • Changement de cap (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    as Cariou

  • Class Trip (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

    as The Visitor

  • Michael Kael vs. the World News Company (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

    as Charles Robert

  • Ces enfants d'ailleurs (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)

    Show 8 episodes · as Jerzy Pawlowski

  • Belle Époque (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

    Show 3 episodes · as Augustin

  • Louis the 19th, King of the Airwaves (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)

    as Michel Gobeil

  • Les grands procès (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

    Show 1 episode · as Me Cohen

  • The Evening Traveler (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

    as Arthur

  • Montreal Stories (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    as Accessoiriste studio

  • Milena (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    as Max Brod

  • Duplex (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    as Albert

  • Ding et Dong : Le film (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

    as Jigi

  • Jesus of Montreal(1989)

    as Richard Cardinal

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • The Decline of the American Empire(1986)

    as Claude

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • Avec un grand A (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Hold-Up(1985)

    as Un otage (400 $)

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • The Crime of Ovide Plouffe (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    as Bob

  • The Crime of Ovide Plouffe (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    Show 6 episodes · Actor

  • Sonatine (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    as The Subway Station Janitor

  • Poivre et sel (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

    Show 56 episodes · as Pierrot Séguin

  • Les yeux rouges(1982)

    Actor

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • C'est pas le pays des merveilles (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)

    Actor

  • Bye Bye (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1968)

    Show 1 episode · as Comédien supplémentaire

  • Les jumeaux (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    as Pierrot Langlois

Career shape

Star power in the 96th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 95 titles, 94 of them dated from 1968 to 2025; peak year 2013.

Biggest box office

The Barbarian Invasions (2003)

$35M worldwide

Highest rated

Laurence Anyways (2012)

Midcredits 95th

Most popular right now

Katak: The Brave Beluga (2023)

Film career

19682025

Peak 2013 · their film career is on the way up. Top draw in 2 MovieCove titles. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

  • 1985Screen debut· Hold-up
  • 2023Career best· The Successor

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting95 of 95: 95 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score60th

By decade

1960s1 · acting1980s10 · acting1990s14 · acting2000s27 · acting2010s25 · acting2020s17 · acting

Billing

usually 8th · top billed in 0% of 26 roles
850515

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.

How do Yves Jacques' films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 58th percentile, the median of all 28; across their 18 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 64th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

64thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 18

Approval · how many liked their films

67thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 18

Reach · how many have seen their films

72ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 18

Midcredits score across 30 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up8
  • 50th to 74th12
  • 25th to 49th7
  • Below 25th3

Shape of the crowd

12 of their 30 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved6
  • Crowd Pleaser12
  • Broadly Agreed5
  • Mixed7

Most divisive · actor

Katak: The Brave Beluga (2023)

64th percentile spread · 17% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

Laurence Anyways (2012)

Midcredits 95th · 83% liked

Reviewers score the acting 77/100 in their films, across 15 reviewed titles; fans 85, detractors 47. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Yves Jacques' work okay for kids?

Across a limited sample of up to 4 MovieCove titles with content scores.

Their medianMedian of all films
Sex & Nudity4 titlesmedian 51 · moderateMedian of all films: 32

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted.

Who does Yves Jacques work with?

People who share at least 2 of Yves Jacques' MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Rémy Girard shares the most, 5.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Cinematographers and editors

Producers