The Diving Bell and the Butterfly - actors, characters and roles

All actors and their roles in the film "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly"
Le Scaphandre et le Papillon (2007)
Timing: 1:52 (112 min)
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly - TMDB rating
7.57/10
1135
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly - Kinopoisk rating
7.698/10
25426
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly - IMDB rating
8/10
113000

Actors and characters

Photo Mathieu Amalric #29526Photo Mathieu Amalric #29527Photo Mathieu Amalric #29528Photo Mathieu Amalric #29529

Mathieu Amalric

Mathieu Amalric
Character Jean-Dominique Bauby
Photo Emmanuelle Seigner #79897Photo Emmanuelle Seigner #79898Photo Emmanuelle Seigner #79899

Emmanuelle Seigner

Emmanuelle Seigner
Character Céline Desmoulins
Photo Marie-Josée Croze #79310

Marie-Josée Croze

Marie-Josée Croze
Character Henriette Durand
Photo Anne Consigny #98605Photo Anne Consigny #98606Photo Anne Consigny #98607Photo Anne Consigny #98608

Anne Consigny

Anne Consigny
Character Claude
Photo Patrick Chesnais #139127

Patrick Chesnais

Patrick Chesnais
Character Dr. Lepage
Photo Niels Arestrup #94424

Niels Arestrup

Niels Arestrup
Character Roussin
Olatz López Garmendia
Character Marie Lopez
Photo Jean-Pierre Cassel #88711Photo Jean-Pierre Cassel #88712Photo Jean-Pierre Cassel #88713Photo Jean-Pierre Cassel #88714

Jean-Pierre Cassel

Jean-Pierre Cassel
Character Father Lucien
Photo Marina Hands #140036

Marina Hands

Marina Hands
Character Joséphine
Photo Max von Sydow #20224Photo Max von Sydow #20225Photo Max von Sydow #20226Photo Max von Sydow #20227

Max von Sydow

Max von Sydow
Character Papinou
Photo Emma de Caunes #83026

Emma de Caunes

Emma de Caunes
Character Empress Eugenia
Photo Jean-Philippe Écoffey #121704
Jean-Philippe Écoffey
Character Doctor Mercier
Photo Gérard Watkins #39475

Gérard Watkins

Gérard Watkins
Character Doctor Cocheton
Nicolas Le Riche
Character Ninjinski
Théo Sampaio
Character Théophile
Photo Fiorella Campanella #142420
Fiorella Campanella
Character Céleste
Photo Talina Boyaci #142421

Talina Boyaci

Talina Boyaci
Character Hortense
Photo Anne Alvaro #113918
Anne Alvaro
Character Betty
Photo Françoise Lebrun #108857Photo Françoise Lebrun #108858Photo Françoise Lebrun #108859

Françoise Lebrun

Françoise Lebrun
Character Madame Bauby
Photo Agathe de La Fontaine #124320Photo Agathe de La Fontaine #124321
Agathe de La Fontaine
Character Inès
Photo Marie Meyer #142422
Marie Meyer
Character Mannequin
Photo Ilze Bajare #142423
Ilze Bajare
Character Mannequin
Photo Anna Chyzh #142424
Anna Chyzh
Character Mannequin
Photo Lenny Kravitz #10512

Lenny Kravitz

Lenny Kravitz
Character Himself
Photo Michael Wincott #46617Photo Michael Wincott #46618

Michael Wincott

Michael Wincott
Character Fashion Photographer

What's left behind the scenes

  • The film's screenplay is based on the autobiographical book by Jean-Dominique Bauby.
  • Julian Schnabel learned French in order to make this film.
  • Initially, the script was written in English, and Johnny Depp was considered for the role of Jean-Dominique Bauby. However, he left the project due to filming Gore Verbinski's adventure film "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" (2007). For some time, the filmmakers considered offering the lead role to Gary Oldman, but Julian Schnabel eventually managed to convince the heads of the Parisian studio "Pathe" to change the film's language from English to French and remain faithful to Bauby's autobiographical book.
  • In 2006, the film's script was included in the "Black List" of top unproduced screenplays.
  • Producer Steven Schneider included the film "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" in his list of "100 Films to See Before You Die".
  • To "get into the skin" of the main character, director Julian Schnabel filmed "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" in the same hospital where Bauby was treated. He spoke with the orderlies who cared for the patient, and filmed some scenes on the balcony where Bauby was taken, and on the beach where his loved ones took him.
  • For almost 40 minutes from the beginning of the film, the narrative is from the perspective of and through the eyes of the main character.
  • In reality, Jean-Dominique Bauby had two children, not three. The filmmakers couldn't decide between two of the three remaining candidates after the selection process and ultimately took all three.
  • In the film, Bauby is visited in the hospital by a friend named Russen (in the book his name is Jean-Paul K.). Bauby feels guilty towards him because he once gave Jean-Paul his plane ticket, resulting in him being taken hostage in Beirut (Lebanon). This man was actually held hostage in Beirut for some time, but not because Bauby gave him his ticket. In the book, Bauby apologizes for never contacting his friend after his release from captivity. Moreover, the book doesn't mention them ever meeting after the stroke Bauby suffered.
  • After the film was completed, it became definitively known that Bauby's partner, not the mother of his children, was constantly at his side after his stroke. It’s impossible to say why the filmmakers decided to switch these women around. Regardless, it was his partner who helped him write the book, and it was in her arms that he died, while the mother of his children was in the United States with a friend.
  • The main character watches a football match that took place on May 24, 1997, after he was already deceased. This is the famous Lyon vs. Marseille game (8-0), the final round of the 1996/97 French championship. The video shows the first minute of the match: at the moment the nurse turns off the television, the home team scores the first goal.
  • Initially, the script was written in English, and Johnny Depp was considered for the role of Jean-Dominique Bauby, but he left the project due to filming in Gore Verbinski’s adventure film "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" (2007). For some time, the filmmakers considered offering the lead role to Gary Oldman, but Julian Schnabel managed to convince the bosses of the Parisian studio "Pathe" to change the language of the film from English to French and not deviate from Bauby's autobiographical book.
  • In 2006, the screenplay for the film ended up on the "Black List" of the best unproduced screenplays.
  • Producer Steven Schneider included the film "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" in his list of "100 Films to Watch Before You Die".
  • To "get into the skin" of the main character, director Julian Schnabel filmed "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" in the same hospital where Bauby was treated. He spoke with the orderlies who cared for the patient, and filmed some scenes on the balcony where Bauby was taken, and on the beach where his loved ones took him.
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