View source for Christopher Lambert

{{Short description|French–American actor (born 1957)}}
{{other people}}
{{Use American English|date=April 2026}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2023}}
{{Infobox person
| name         = Christopher Lambert
| image        = Christopher Lambert 2013.jpg
| imagesize    = 
| caption      = Lambert in 2013
| birth_name   = Christophe Guy Denis Lambert
| birth_date   = {{Birth date and age|1957|03|29|mf=y}}
| birth_place  = [[Manhasset, New York]], U.S.
| occupation   = {{flatlist|
* Actor
* producer
* novelist
}}
| citizenship  = {{hlist|[[France]]|[[United States]]}}
| years_active = 1979–present
| spouse       = {{plainlist|
* {{marriage|[[Diane Lane]]<br />|1988|1994|end=div}}
* {{marriage|Jaimyse Haft<br />|1999|2000|end=div}}
}}
| partner      = <!--Partner is for unmarried/long-term life partners. Not a dating history.-->
| children     = 1
}}

'''Christophe Guy Denis Lambert''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|l|æ|m|b|ər|t}}; {{IPA|fr|lɑ̃bɛʁ|lang}}; born March 29, 1957), often credited as '''Christopher Lambert''', is a French–American actor, producer, and writer.<ref>{{cite web | title=Lambert, Christopher 1957– | website=Encyclopedia.com | date=1957-03-29 | url=https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/lambert-christopher-1957 | access-date=2025-03-30}}</ref> He started his career playing supporting parts in several French films, and became internationally famous for portraying [[Tarzan]] in ''[[Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes]]'' (1984). For his performance in the film ''[[Subway (film)|Subway]]'' (1985), he received the [[César Award for Best Actor]]. He is known for his role as [[Connor MacLeod]] in the adventure-fantasy film ''[[Highlander (film)|Highlander]]'' (1986) and the [[Highlander (franchise)|subsequent television and film franchise of the same title]], [[Raiden (Mortal Kombat)|Raiden]] in ''[[Mortal Kombat (1995 film)|Mortal Kombat]]'' (1995), Methodius in ''[[Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance]]'' (2011), and Arne Seslum in ''[[Hail, Caesar!]]'' (2016). He also served as executive producer for ''[[Nine Months]]'' (1995).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://m.the-numbers.com/person/81400401-Christopher-Lambert|title=Christopher Lambert - Box Office|website=The Numbers}}</ref>

==Early life==
Christophe Guy Denis Lambert<ref name="apple">{{Cite web|title= Christophe Lambert |url= https://tv.apple.com/us/person/christopher-lambert/umc.cpc.577b80fmxo41xvjnzq2emzfz6|work= tv.apple.com|access-date=February 14, 2023}}</ref> was born in [[Great Neck, New York]], on March 29, 1957, the son of Yolande Agnès Henriette and Georges Lambert-Lamond, a French diplomat at the [[United Nations]].<ref name="afics">{{Cite web|url= https://afics.unog.ch/Bulletins/200x/2003-12-xx%20Bulletin,%20Vol.%2062,%20No.%205,%20December%202003.pdf |title= Association of Former International Civil Servants - Geneva AFICS Bulletin Vol.62, No.5, December 2003|date=1 December 2003|access-date=December 18, 2018}}</ref> His father was [[Jews|Jewish]].<ref name="record">{{Cite web |last=Brown |first=Annie |date=17 December 2018 |title=Highlander icon Christopher Lambert looks back on Scottish cult classic 32 years on |url=https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/scotland-now/highlander-icon-christopher-lambert-looks-13741888 |access-date=May 23, 2022 |work=[[Daily Record (Scotland)|Daily Record]] |quote=Christopher, the son of a French Jew, had a visceral response to dressing in the Nazi uniform of Frenzel.}}</ref> Due to his father's work, Lambert moved with his parents to Switzerland at the age of two,<ref name="apple"/> and was raised in [[Geneva]], where he attended the [[International School of Geneva]]<ref>{{Cite web |date=2017-12-20 |title=Echo 21 (Fall 2017) by International School of Geneva - Issuu |url=https://issuu.com/feig/docs/echo_21_web |access-date=2024-05-26 |website=issuu.com |language=en}}</ref> and the [[Institut Florimont]] until his teenage years,<ref name="apple"/> when the family moved to France and settled in [[Paris]].<ref name="art">{{Cite web|title= How Christophe Lambert went from action flops to arthouse acclaim |first=Lizzie|last=Davies|url= https://www.theguardian.com/film/2010/jun/17/christophe-lambert-white-material-highlander|work=The Guardian|date=17 June 2010|access-date=October 3, 2015}}</ref> Lambert's debut in acting was in a school play age 12.<ref name="apple"/>

==Career==
Director [[Hugh Hudson]] and [[Warner Brothers]] chose Lambert, wanting an unknown actor to play [[Tarzan]], a human raised by apes in the jungle.<ref name="char">{{Cite news|date=1984-03-29|title=The Charlotte News, 29 March 1984|pages=41|work=The Charlotte News|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/67020066/the-charlotte-news-29-march-1984/|access-date=2021-01-06}}</ref> Lambert got the role beating out [[Viggo Mortensen]] and [[Stellan Skarsgard]] partly thanks to his [[myopia]], because when he took off his glasses it seemed he was always looking into the distance.<ref name="tarzan">{{Cite news|url= https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/features/greystoke-inside-story-1984-tarzan-908081|title=The Secrets Behind That Other Tarzan Movie — The One That Earned a Dog a Screenwriting Oscar Nomination|work=The Hollywood Reporter|access-date=2018-03-29}}</ref> Released in 1984, ''[[Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes]]'', was nominated for many awards.<ref name="tarzan"/> Also that year, Lambert starred opposite [[Catherine Deneuve]] in ''[[Love Songs (1984 film)|Love Songs]]''.

He played the lead in [[Luc Besson]]'s stylistic film ''[[Subway (film)|Subway]]'' (1985), about a man being hunted in the underground subways of Paris.<ref name="subway">{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1985/11/06/movies/the-screen-subway.html|title=The Screen: 'Subway'|last=Maslin|first=Janet|work=The New York Times |date=6 November 1985 |access-date=2018-03-29}}</ref> 

In 1986, Lambert appeared in ''[[Highlander (film)|Highlander]]'' <ref name="high">{{Cite web|url= https://catalog.afi.com/Film/57357-Highlander?cxt=filmography |title=AFI Catelog of Feature Films 1893–1993 - Highlander (1986) 7 March 1986|website=catalog.afi.com|access-date=2019-12-31}}</ref> the role for which he would be best known. In the film, Lambert starred as [[Connor MacLeod]], an immortal warrior who could be killed only by decapitation.<ref name="high"/> Lambert was cast in the role after [[Kurt Russell]] dropped out of the film and after director [[Russell Mulcahy]] saw a picture of him in a magazine. Despite barely speaking English, Lambert spent weeks learning the language before filming with a dialect coach. The film became a cult hit and was an international box-office success, rock group [[Queen (band)|Queen]] composed and performed the soundtrack,<ref name="art"/> and Lambert also appeared as MacLeod in the music video for Queen's "[[Princes of the Universe]]".<ref name="queen">{{cite book |last1=Bartkowiak |first1=Matthew |title=Sounds of the Future: Essays on Music in Science Fiction Films |date=2010 |publisher=McFarland & Co. |location=North Carolina |isbn=978-0786444809 |page=19 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=i5mKZT5D3TMC&q=princes+of+the+universe+highlander&pg=PA19 |access-date=22 February 2019}}</ref> In 1987, Lambert played the leading role of [[Salvatore Giuliano]] in ''[[The Sicilian (film)|The Sicilian]]'',<ref name="tv">{{Citation|title= Christopher Lambert |url=https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/christopher-lambert/credits/3000491149/|work=tvguide.com|access-date=2023-02-23}}</ref> directed by [[Michael Cimino]]. In 1988, he starred in [[Agnieszka Holland]]'s ''[[To Kill a Priest]]'', in which he played a character based on [[Jerzy Popiełuszko]] and his murder under the [[People's Republic of Poland|Polish communist regime]].<ref name="kill">{{Citation|title=To Kill a Priest|url= https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/to_kill_a_priest/ |work= rottentomatoes.com|access-date=2018-03-29}}</ref>

He was offered the role of [[Martin Riggs]] in ''[[Lethal Weapon]]'', but he turned the role down. He was John Glen's first choice for the role of [[James Bond]] in ''[[The Living Daylights]]'', but he was ultimately turned down due to his accent. He was also considered for the lead role of Edward Lewis in ''[[Pretty Woman]]'' back when the film was known as "3000." 

In 1991, ''[[Highlander II: The Quickening]]'' premiered, reuniting Lambert with director [[Russell Mulcahy]] and fellow actor [[Sean Connery]].<ref name="h2">{{Cite web|url=https://catalog.afi.com/Film/58901-HIGHLANDER-2-THE-QUICKENING?cxt=filmography|title=AFI Catelog of Feature Films 1893–1993 - Highlander II: The Quickening|website=catalog.afi.com|access-date=2019-12-31}}</ref> Shot in [[Argentina]] (which was going through a financial crisis) to reduce production costs, much of the script was not filmed and the final result was a patchwork.<ref name="hh">{{Cite web|url=https://www.empireonline.com/movies/features/highlander/|title=Highlander: a history|last=Williams|first=Owen|website=Empire|access-date=July 11, 2016}}</ref> It was said, Lambert threatened to walk out of the project when it was nearing fruition, However, due to contractual obligations, he reconsidered.<ref name="hh"/> In 1992, he appeared in three projects. He appeared in the first episode of the television show ''[[Highlander: The Series]]'', passing on the lead role to actor [[Adrian Paul]].<ref name="hh"/> He also appeared in the French crime thriller ''[[Max et Jérémie]]'', co-starring [[Philippe Noiret]] and [[Jean-Pierre Marielle]].<ref name="dfi">{{Citation|title=Christopher Lambert Filmography|url=https://www.dfi.dk/en/viden-om-film/filmdatabasen/person/christopher-lambert |work=dfi.dk|access-date=2019-04-20}}</ref>

In 1993, [[Carl Schenkel]]'s suspense thriller ''[[Knight Moves (film)|Knight Moves]]'' premiered, in which Lambert was both an executive producer and the lead.<ref name="knight"/> Lambert plays a [[chess]] [[Grandmaster (chess)|grandmaster]] suspected of murder.<ref name="knight">{{Cite web|url= https://catalog.afi.com/Film/59579-KNIGHT-MOVES?cxt=filmography|title= AFI Catelog of Feature Films 1893–1993 - Knight Moves (1993)|website= catalog.afi.com|access-date=2019-06-09}}</ref> Later that year, [[Stuart Gordon]]'s science fiction film ''[[Fortress (1992 film)|Fortress]]'' premiered, with Lambert playing the lead.<ref name="fort">{{Cite web|url= https://catalog.afi.com/Film/59529-FORTRESS?cxt=filmography |title= AFI Catelog of Feature Films 1893–1993 - Fortress (1993) |website= catalog.afi.com|access-date=2019-06-08}}</ref> The story takes place in a dystopian future where a man and his wife are sent to a maximum-security prison because they are expecting a second child, which is against the strict one-child policy.

1994 saw the release of two collaborations with actor [[Mario Van Peebles]].<ref name="hh"/> They played the side by side leads in the action film ''[[Gunmen (1994 film)|Gunmen]]'', and Van Peebles was the main villain in ''[[Highlander III: The Sorcerer]]''.<ref name="hh"/> In this third installment of the franchise, Connor MacLeod is forced to face a new, dangerous enemy, a powerful sorcerer known as Kane who wants to gain world domination.<ref name="hh"/> Lambert also starred in the action film ''[[Roadflower]]''. In France, he produced his second [[Patrick Braoudé]] film called ''[[Neuf mois]]'', which was nominated for two [[César Award|Césars]].<ref name="neuf">{{Citation|title= Neuf mois|url= https://www.academie-cinema.org/films/neuf-mois-28083/ |work= academie-cinema.org|date=1994|access-date=2023-02-22}}</ref>

In 1995, he played the role of the thunder god [[Raiden (Mortal Kombat)|Raiden]] in the [[Paul W. S. Anderson]]'s [[Mortal Kombat (1995 film)|movie adaptation]] of the popular video game series ''[[Mortal Kombat]]''.<ref name="Kombat">{{Citation|first= Wesley |last= Yin-Poole |title= Mortal Kombat 11's Klassic movie skin pack gives us the Christopher Lambert Raiden we remember |url= https://www.eurogamer.net/mortal-kombat-11s-klassic-movie-skin-packs-gives-us-the-christopher-lambert-raiden-we-remember |work= eurogamer.net|date=2020-11-25}}</ref> The plot of the film follows the warrior monk [[Liu Kang]], the actor [[Johnny Cage]], and the soldier [[Sonya Blade]], all three guided by the god [[Raiden (Mortal Kombat)|Raiden]],<ref name="Kombat"/> on their journey to combat the evil sorcerer [[Shang Tsung]] and his forces in a tournament to save Earth.<ref name="Kombat"/> Lambert later reprised the role in the MK Movie Skin Pack in the 2020 game ''[[Mortal Kombat 11]]''.<ref name="Kombat"/> Also that year, he also starred in the American-Japanese martial arts action film ''[[The Hunted (1995 film)|The Hunted]]'', directed by [[J. F. Lawton]], with a cast that included [[John Lone]], [[Joan Chen]], [[Yoshio Harada]], and [[Yoko Shimada]],<ref name="hunted">{{Citation|first=Joey|last=O'Bryan|title=The Hunted 1995 |url= https://www.austinchronicle.com/events/film/1995-03-03/138318/ |work=austinchronicle.com| date=1995-03-03}}</ref> and produced [[Xavier Beauvois]]'s ''[[Don't Forget You're Going to Die]]'', which won the Special Jury Award at the [[Gijón International Film Festival]], won the [[Prix Jean Vigo]], won the [[Jury Prize (Cannes Film Festival)|Jury Prize]] and was nominated for the [[Palme d'Or]] at the [[Cannes Film Festival]].<ref name="tv"/><ref name="die">{{Citation|title= Don't Forget You're Going to Die (N'oublie pas que tu vas mourir)|url= https://mubi.com/films/dont-forget-youre-going-to-die|work=mubi.com|access-date=2013-11-21}}</ref> Lambert was also an executive producer on [[Chris Columbus (filmmaker)|Chris Columbus]]' ''[[Nine Months]]'',<ref name="tv"/> an English-language remake of ''[[Neuf mois]]''.<ref name="tv"/>

In 1996, Lambert was an executive producer and the lead in [[Nils Gaup]]'s western film ''[[North Star (1996 film)|North Star]]'', co-starring [[James Caan]].<ref name="tv"/> The same year he was a producer of ''[[When Saturday Comes (film)|When Saturday Comes]]'', a football sport drama starring [[Sean Bean]].<ref name="tv"/> In 1997, he starred in Gabriele Salvatores' [[cyberpunk]] [[science fiction film]] ''[[Nirvana (1997 film)|Nirvana]]''.<ref name="dfi"/> The film tells the story of a [[virtual reality]] [[game designer]], played by Lambert, who discovers that the main character of his game has achieved sentience due to an attack by a [[computer virus]]. The film was screened out of competition at the [[1997 Cannes Film Festival|Cannes Film Festival]].<ref name="cannes">{{Cite web|url=http://www.festival-cannes.com/en/films/nirvana |title=Nirvana - Festival de Cannes|website=Festival de Cannes|language=en|access-date=2018-03-30}}</ref> The same year, he also co-lead with [[Ice-T]] in the action film ''[[Mean Guns]]'',<ref name="tv"/> and starred in the French film [[Arlette (1997 film)|''Arlette'']] by [[Claude Zidi]].<ref name="tv"/>

In 1998, he produced and starred in ''Operation Splitsville,'' a remake of ''Génial, mes parents divorcent'', which he produced several years earlier. The same year, he produced and played a man with a mental disability, who moved into a nursing home, in the film ''[[Gideon (film)|Gideon]]''.<ref name="dfi"/> In 1999, he produced and starred in [[Russell Mulcahy]]'s ''[[Resurrection (1999 film)|Resurrection]]'',<ref name="tv"/> where he plays a detective who is assigned to investigate the savage murder of a man who has bled to death from a severed arm. He also starred in [[science fantasy]]-[[action film]] ''[[Beowulf (1999 film)|Beowulf]]''.<ref name="dfi"/> In 2000, he played in the fourth installment of the [[Highlander (franchise)|''Highlander'' franchise]], ''[[Highlander: Endgame]]''.<ref name="hh"/> The film reunited him with [[Adrian Paul]], and would be last sequel Lambert appeared in.<ref name="hh"/> The same year, he was still on the run from authorities in the sequel ''[[Fortress 2: Re-Entry]]''.<ref name="dfi"/>

[[File:Christopher Lambert, Isabelle Huppert, Claire Denis 66ème Festival de Venise (Mostra) 2.jpg|thumb|Lambert, [[Isabelle Huppert]], and [[Claire Denis]] at the [[66th Venice International Film Festival|66th Venice Film Festival]] 2009]]
He also starred in [[John Glen (director)|John Glen]]'s ''[[The Point Men (2001 film)|The Point Men]]'', about a team of Israeli agents being killed off one-by-one after a botched anti-terrorist operation. In 2003, he played in ''[[Absolon (film)|Absolon]]'', a [[Apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction|post-apocalyptic]] [[Science fiction film|science fiction]] [[Thriller (genre)|thriller film]].<ref name="tv"/> He was an executive producer on the film [[The Confessor (film)|''The Confessor'']] (also known as [[The Confessor (film)|''The Good Shepherd'']]) starring [[Christian Slater]], [[Molly Parker]], and [[Stephen Rea]]. In 2006, he was an executive producer and star on the film ''[[Day of Wrath (2006 film)|Day of Wrath]]''.<ref name="tv"/> He also played a supporting role in [[Richard Kelly (director)|Richard Kelly]]'s ''[[Southland Tales]]''.<ref name="tv"/>

In 2007, he starred in the vampire film ''Metamorphosis''.<ref name="tv"/> He starred in the [[Sophie Marceau]] directed French film ''[[Trivial (film)|Trivial]]''.<ref name="tv"/> In 2009, Lambert was a lead in [[Claire Denis]]' ''[[White Material]]''; both the film and Lambert's performance received critical acclaim.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.indiewire.com/article/white_material|title=Review: Running Scared: Claire Denis' ''White Material''|date=15 September 2009|access-date=18 January 2011}}</ref><ref name="art"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/white_material/ |title=Rotten Tomatoes|website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]] |access-date=13 January 2011}}</ref> The film stars [[Isabelle Huppert]] as a struggling French coffee producer in an unnamed French speaking African country, who decides to stay at her coffee plantation in spite of an erupting civil war.<ref name="art"/> The film has appeared on a number of critics' top ten lists of the best films of 2010.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://moviecitynews.com/2011/01/top-tens-january-8-2011/|title=Top Tens: January 8, 2011|website=moviecitynews.com|language=en-US|access-date=2018-03-31|archive-date=1 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180401003740/http://moviecitynews.com/2011/01/top-tens-january-8-2011/|url-status=dead}}</ref> That year, he also acted in ''[[Cartagena (film)|Cartagena]]'', with Sophie Marceau starring as a beautiful, free-spirited woman who becomes bedridden following a terrible accident. Against her better judgement, she hires a drunk middle-aged former boxer (Lambert) to cook and care for her. Although unqualified for the position, he is desperate for work, and slowly he wins the trust of the woman, who teaches him how to read. The film also won several awards in France.{{citation needed|date=November 2022}}

[[File:Lambert Marceau avp skyfall.jpg|thumb|Lambert with [[Sophie Marceau]] in October 2012]]
In 2011, Lambert starred as the villainous head monk Methodius in the ''[[Ghost Rider (2007 film)|Ghost Rider]]'' sequel ''[[Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance]]'', starring [[Nicolas Cage]], in 2011.<ref name="christopherlambert">{{cite web|url=http://www.debzdesignz.com/christopherlambert|title=Announcement of ''Ghost Rider 2'' casting|publisher=Official Christopher Lambert Website|date=17 November 2010|access-date=25 March 2011}}</ref> He underwent sword training for three months<ref name="lambertrumored">{{cite web|url=http://www.fusedfilm.com/2010/10/ghost-rider-2-casting-updates-ciaran-hinds-idris-elba-johnny-whitworth-christopher-lambert|title=''Ghost Rider 2'' Casting Updates|publisher=Fusedfilm.com|date=12 October 2010|access-date=26 March 2011|archive-date=25 December 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111225153116/http://www.fusedfilm.com/2010/10/ghost-rider-2-casting-updates-ciaran-hinds-idris-elba-johnny-whitworth-christopher-lambert/|url-status=dead}}</ref> and shaved his head.<ref name="lambertinterview">{{cite web|url=http://tvmag.lefigaro.fr/programme-tv/article/people/59695/la-bonne-etoile-de-christophe-lambert.html|title=La bonne étoile de Christophe Lambert|language=fr|publisher=TVMag.com |date=25 February 2011|access-date=23 March 2011}}</ref> The film made $132.6 million worldwide.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=ghostrider2.htm|title=Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance (2012) - Box Office Mojo|website=www.boxofficemojo.com|language=en|access-date=2018-04-01}}</ref> Shortly afterwards, he got the role of Marcel Janvier (alias "The Chameleon"), a recurring villain in award-winning hit police crime TV drama ''[[NCIS: Los Angeles]]''. His character was in six episodes from 2012 to 2013 – the two highest-rated seasons of the show.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.timbrooks.net/ratings/|title=ratings » Television and Record Industry History Resources|website=www.timbrooks.net|language=en-US|access-date=2018-04-01}}</ref>

In 2014, he played in the biographical crime drama film ''[[Electric Slide (film)|Electric Slide]]'', about the Los Angeles-based bank robber [[Eddie Dodson]]. In 2015, he co-starred in Claude Lelouch's ''[[Un plus une]]'', a French [[romantic comedy]] film. He also co-starred in the biographical film ''[[10 Days in a Madhouse]]'', about the experiences of undercover journalist [[Nellie Bly]]. In 2016 he co-starred in ''[[Hail, Caesar!]]'', a comedy film written, produced, edited, and directed by [[Coen brothers|Joel and Ethan Coen]]. It is a fictional story that follows the real-life "[[Cleaner (crime)|fixer]]" [[Eddie Mannix]] (Josh Brolin) working in the [[Classical Hollywood cinema|Hollywood film industry in the 1950s]], trying to discover what happened to a cast member who vanished during the filming of a biblical epic. That year, he cameoed as a French Army Captain in ''[[La folle histoire de Max et Léon]]'', a French [[World War II]] comedy film. He also had a recurring role in the Russian-Portuguese biographical television show ''[[Mata Hari (TV series)|Mata Hari]]''. That year, he also played the lead villain in the martial arts film ''[[Kickboxer: Retaliation]]''.

Lambert plays the role of SS officer [[Karl Frenzel]] in the Russian film ''[[Sobibor (film)|Sobibor]]'' by director [[Konstantin Khabensky]], which was released in 2018. The film is a World War II drama about the only successful uprising in a Nazi death camp.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://rg.ru/2017/09/21/konstantin-habenskij-stal-rezhisserom-filma-sobibor.html|newspaper=[[Rossiyskaya Gazeta]]|title=Константин Хабенский стал режиссером фильма "Собибор"}}</ref> It was selected as the Russian entry for the [[Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film|Best Foreign Language Film]] at the [[91st Academy Awards]].<ref name="Russia">{{cite web |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/oscars-russia-selects-sobibor-foreign-language-category-1141729 |title=Oscars: Russia Selects 'Sobibor' for Foreign-Language Category |last=Kozlov |first= Vladimir |work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |date=10 September 2018 |access-date=10 September 2018}}</ref> Lambert received high praise for "an outstanding and nuanced performance; he is unrecognisable as Frenzel, a demonic, fractured character".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/scotland-now/highlander-icon-christopher-lambert-looks-13741888|title=Highlander icon Christopher Lambert looks back on Scottish cult classic 32 years on|last=Brown|first=Annie|newspaper=Daily Record|date=17 December 2018|access-date=19 December 2018}}</ref>

Lambert was part of the ensemble cast of ''[[Bel Canto (film)|Bel Canto]]'' from director [[Paul Weitz (filmmaker)|Paul Weitz]], an adaptation of the 2002 novel of the [[Bel Canto (novel)|same name]], by [[Ann Patchett]]. Lambert played the role of a French ambassador who was part of the [[Japanese embassy hostage crisis]] (also called the Lima Crisis) of 1996–1997 in Lima, Peru. Lambert received praise, along with the rest of the cast, for "performances [that] are uniformly excellent".<ref name="Farber">{{cite web | last=Farber | first=Stephen | title=‘Bel Canto’: Film Review | website=The Hollywood Reporter | date=2018-09-10 | url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/bel-canto-review-1141655/ | access-date=2025-03-30}}</ref>

== Other ventures ==
Lambert has written two novels: ''La fille porte-bonheur'' in 2011 and ''Le juge'' in 2015.<ref>{{Cite book|title=La fille porte-bonheur|last=LAMBERT|first=Christophe|date=2011-02-24|publisher=Plon|isbn=9782259213141|location=Paris}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|title=Le juge|last=Lambert|first=Christophe|date=2015-08-17|publisher=Plon|isbn=9782259230032|language=fr}}</ref>

Along with owning a mineral water business and food processing plant, Lambert produces [[Côtes du Rhône AOC|Côtes du Rhône]] wines with his business partner Eric Beaumard at a vineyard in [[Sainte-Cécile-les-Vignes]]. The label, ''Les Garrigues de Beaumard-Lambert'', tops out at 4,000 cases and is sold mostly in Europe. Beaumard has primary creative control of the winery, but Lambert conducts barrel tests and monitors the various stages of the wine's evolution.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.gayot.com/wine/interviews/christophe-lambert-and-eric-beaumard.html|title=Christophe Lambert & Eric Beaumard Interview - Les Garrigues {{!}} Gayot|website=www.gayot.com|access-date=2018-04-01}}</ref>

==Personal life==
Lambert was married to American actress [[Diane Lane]] from 1988 until their divorce in 1994.<ref name="Dougherty">{{cite news|last1=Dougherty |first1=Margot|last2=Hutchings |first2=David|title=Diane Lane, with a New Husband and No Fear of Flying, Takes Wing Again in ''Lonesome Dove''|date=13 February 1989|url= http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20119558,00.html|work=[[People (American magazine)|People]]|access-date=1 May 2008|archive-date=18 May 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160518045938/http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20119558,00.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> Their daughter was born in 1993.<ref name="art"/> Lambert married American actress Jaimyse Haft in 1999, and they divorced in 2000.{{Citation needed|date=November 2023}} From 2007 to 2014, he dated French actress [[Sophie Marceau]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Atkinson|first=Michael|title=Exile cinema: filmmakers at work beyond Hollywood|publisher=SUNY Press|year=2008|pages=82–86}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://sz-magazin.sueddeutsche.de/texte/anzeigen/38113/2/1|title=Sophie Marceau interview|website=sz-magazin.sueddeutsche.de|date=6 September 2012|language=de|access-date=16 March 2016}}</ref>

Lambert has severe [[Near-sightedness|myopia]] and cannot see without his [[glasses]]. He cannot wear [[contact lens]]es and often has to perform while virtually blind, which has led to injuries while performing his own stunts.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://ew.com/article/1993/09/24/apeman-mogul/|title=From Apeman to Mogul|work=EW|date=23 September 1993|access-date=19 February 2020|archive-date=11 October 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121011021035/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,308067,00.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Filmography==
{{BLP sources section|date=November 2023}} 
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! Language
! class="unsortable" | Notes
|-
| 1979 || ''[[Ciao, les mecs]]'' || Thug at the dance party || rowspan="8" |French|| Credited as Christophe Lambert
|-
| 1980 || ''{{sortname|The|Telephone Bar}}'' || Paul "Bébé" Franchi || as Christophe Lambert
|-
| rowspan="4" | 1981 || ''Douchka'' || || TV film
|-
| ''Asphalte'' || Un médecin à l'hôpital / The doctor || rowspan="4" | as Christophe Lambert
|-
| ''Une sale affaire'' || Mullard 
|-
| ''Putain d'histoire d'amour'' || Inspecteur de police 
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1982 || ''Légitime violence'' || Jockey 
|-
| ''Cinéma 16: La Dame de cœur'' || Marcel || TV series episode
|-
| 1984 || ''[[Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes]]'' || [[John Clayton, Lord Greystoke|John Clayton]] / [[Tarzan]] ||English||
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1985 || ''[[Love Songs (1984 film)|Paroles et Musique]]'' || Jeremy || rowspan="2" |French|| as Christophe Lambert
|-
| ''[[Subway (film)|Subway]]'' || Fred || [[César Award for Best Actor]] as Christophe Lambert
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1986 || ''[[Highlander (film)|Highlander]]'' || [[Connor MacLeod]] ||English||
|-
| ''[[I Love You (1986 film)|I Love You]]'' || Michel ||French|| as Christophe Lambert
|-
| 1987 || ''{{sortname|The|Sicilian|dab=film}}'' || [[Salvatore Giuliano]] || rowspan="7" |English||
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1988 || ''[[Priceless Beauty]]'' ({{aka}} ''Love Dream'') || Menrou ||
|-
| ''[[To Kill a Priest]]'' || Father Alek ||
|-
| 1990 || ''[[Why Me? (1990 film)|Why Me?]]'' || Gus Cardinale ||
|-
| 1991 || ''[[Highlander II: The Quickening]]'' || Connor MacLeod ||
|-
| rowspan="4" | 1992 || ''[[Knight Moves (film)|Knight Moves]]'' || Peter Sanderson ||
|-
| ''[[Highlander: The Series]]'' || Connor MacLeod || TV (one episode)
|-
| ''[[Max et Jérémie]]'' || Jeremie Kolachowsky ||French|| as Christophe Lambert
|-
| ''[[Fortress (1992 film)|Fortress]]'' || John Henry Brennick || rowspan="10" |English||
|-
| 1993 || ''[[Loaded Weapon 1]]'' || Man with Car Phone || Deleted scene, uncredited
|-
| rowspan="3" |1994 || ''[[Gunmen (1994 film)|Gunmen]]'' || Dani Servigo ||
|-
| ''[[Roadflower]]'' || Jack ||
|-
| ''[[Highlander III: The Sorcerer]]'' || Connor MacLeod / Russell Nash ||
|-
| rowspan="3" | 1995 || ''{{sortname|The|Hunted|dab=1995 film}}'' || Paul Racine ||
|-
| ''[[Nine Months]]'' || — || Executive producer
|-
| ''[[Mortal Kombat (1995 film)|Mortal Kombat]]'' ||  [[Raiden (Mortal Kombat)|Rayden]] ||
|-
| rowspan="3" | 1996 || ''[[North Star (1996 film)|North Star]]'' || Hudson Saanteek || as Christophe Lambert
|-
| ''[[Adrenalin: Fear the Rush]]'' || Lemieux ||
|-
| ''[[Hercule et Sherlock]]'' || Vincent ||French|| as Christophe Lambert
|-
| rowspan="3" | 1997 || ''[[Nirvana (1997 film)|Nirvana]]'' || Jimi Dini ||Italian||
|-
| ''[[Arlette (1997 film)|Arlette]]'' || Frank Martin ||French|| as Christophe Lambert
|-
| ''[[Mean Guns]]'' || Lou || rowspan="7" |English||
|-
| rowspan="4" | 1999 || ''Operation Splitsville'' || Max, P.E. Teacher ||
|-
| ''[[Resurrection (1999 film)|Resurrection]]'' || John Prudhomme || also writer
|-
| ''[[Beowulf (1999 film)|Beowulf]]'' || [[Beowulf (hero)|Beowulf]] ||
|-
| ''[[Gideon (film)|Gideon]]'' || Gideon Oliver Dobbs ||
|-
| rowspan="2" | 2000 || ''[[Fortress 2: Re-Entry]]'' || John Henry Brennick ||
|-
| ''[[Highlander: Endgame]]'' || Connor MacLeod ||
|-
| rowspan="4" | 2001 || ''Aparté'' || |||| Short film
|-
| ''[[Druids (film)|Druids]]'' || [[Vercingetorix]] ||English|| as Christophe Lambert
|-
| ''[[Mazinkaiser]]'' || Additional Voices |||| Video game
|-
| ''{{sortname|The|Point Men|The Point Men (2001 film)}}'' || Tony Eckhardt ||English||
|-
| rowspan="2" | 2002 || ''[[King of Bandit Jing]]'' || Additional Voices |||| TV miniseries, credited as Chris Lambert
|-
| ''{{sortname|The|Piano Player|nolink=1}}'' || Alex Laney || rowspan="2" |English||
|-
| rowspan="2" | 2003 || ''[[Absolon (film)|Absolon]]'' || Detective Norman Scot ||
|-
| ''Janis and John'' || Léon || rowspan="3" |French||
|-
| 2004 || ''[[À ton image]]'' || Thomas ||
|-
| 2005 || ''[[Dalida (2005 film)|Dalida]]'' || Richard Chanfray, Comte de Saint-Germain || TV miniseries
|-
| rowspan="3" | 2006 || ''[[Day of Wrath (2006 film)|Day of Wrath]]'' || Ruy de Mendoza || rowspan="2" |English||
|-
| ''[[Southland Tales]]'' || Walter Mung ||
|-
| ''{{sortname|Le|Lièvre de Vatanen}}'' || Tom Vatanen ||French|| as Christophe Lambert
|-
| rowspan="2" | 2007 || ''Metamorphosis'' || Constantine Thurzo ||English||
|-
| ''[[Trivial (film)|Trivial]]'' || Jacques ||French|| as Christophe Lambert
|-
| 2008 || ''{{sortname|The|Chauffeur|nolink=1}}'' (''Kierowca'') || Devereaux ||Polish||
|-
| rowspan="3" | 2009 || ''[[White Material]]'' || Andre Vial || rowspan="3" |French|| as Christophe Lambert <ref name="art"/>
|-
| ''{{sortname|Les|Associés|nolink=1}}'' || Philippe Kaminski || TV film, credited as Christophe Lambert
|-
| ''[[Cartagena (film)|Cartagena]]'' || Leo || as Christophe Lambert
|-
| 2010 || ''{{sortname|Das|Geheimnis der Wale}}'' || Chris Cassell ||German|| TV film
|-
| 2011 || ''[[Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance]]'' || Methodius || rowspan="4" |English||
|- 
| 2013 ||''Blood Shot''|| The President ||
|-
| 2012–2013 || ''[[NCIS: Los Angeles]]'' || Marcel Janvier / The Chameleon || TV series (6 episodes)
|-
| 2014
| ''[[Electric Slide (film)|Electric Slide]]''||Roy Fortune||
|-
| 2015 || ''[[Un plus une]]'' || Samuel Hamon ||French||
|-
| rowspan="2" | 2016 || ''[[Hail, Caesar!]]'' || Arne Slessum ||English||
|-
| ''{{sortname|La|folle histoire de Max et Léon}}'' || Captain Lassard ||French|| Also co-produced
|-
| rowspan="4" | 2017 || ''Mothers''<ref>{{Cite news|url= https://condor-pictures.com/filmography/mothers.html|title= Mothers (2017)|access-date= 15 April 2020|archive-date= 23 January 2022|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20220123223937/https://condor-pictures.com/filmography/mothers.html|url-status= dead}}</ref> ||  ||English||Film
|-
| ''[[Mata Hari (TV series)|Mata Hari]]'' || Gustav Kramer ||Russian||TV miniseries
|-
| ''[[Everyone's Life]]'' || Antoine de Vidas || rowspan="2" |French||
|-
| ''[[Call My Agent!]]'' || Himself || TV series (1 episode)
|-
| rowspan="3" |2018 || ''[[Kickboxer: Retaliation]]'' || Thomas Moore ||English||
|-
| ''[[Sobibor (film)|Sobibor]]'' || [[Karl Frenzel]] ||Russian|| Russian Holocaust film
|-
| ''[[Bel Canto (film)|Bel Canto]]'' || Simon Thibault || rowspan="2" |English||
|-
| rowspan="2" | 2019 || ''[[The Blacklist]]'' || Bastien Moreau / The Corsican || rowspan="3" | TV series
|-
|[[Doctor Giorgia|''Dottoressa Giò'']]
|Sergio Monti
|Italian
|-
| 2020 || ''[[Capitaine Marleau]]'' || Thierry Bégodeau ||French
|-
| 2024 || ''[[Falla Girare 2: Offline]]'' || ||Italian
|-
| 2025<ref>{{cite web |title=The Creeps, a promising retro creature feature ready for release! |url=https://subversiverabbit.com/movie-news/the-creeps-a-promising-retro-creature-feature-ready-for-release/ |website=Subversive Rabbit |access-date=17 September 2024}}</ref><ref>https://www.imdb.com/title/tt14096946/</ref> || ''The Creeps''<ref>Jeremy Kay: ''[https://www.screendaily.com/news/finnish-creature-feature-the-creeps-starring-christopher-lambert-gears-up-for-production-start-exclusive/5157812.article Finnish creature feature ‘The Creeps’ starring Christopher Lambert gears up for production start (exclusive)]'', ''[[Screen Daily]]'', March 5, 2021. Retrieved March 18, 2021.</ref><ref>{{cite web | last=Miska | first=Brad | title=‘The Creeps’: Christopher Lambert Celebrates Monsterfest In Finnish Creature Feature | website=Bloody Disgusting! | date=2021-03-08 | url=https://bloody-disgusting.com/movie/3654877/creeps-christopher-lambert-celebrates-monsterfest-finnish-creature-feature/ | access-date=2025-03-30}}</ref> || ||English||
|}

===Video games===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! Language
! class="unsortable"| Notes
|-
| 2020 
| ''[[Mortal Kombat 11]]'' 
| Raiden ("Earthrealm")
| English
| Voice and model based on his past performance as the character in the 1995 live action film<ref>{{cite tweet|number=1330996225823240192|user=MortalKombat|title=🤔 #MKUltimate|date=23 November 2020}}</ref>
|}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
*{{IMDb name}}
*{{Rotten Tomatoes}}
*{{metacritic person}}
*{{discogs artist|Christophe Lambert|name=Christophe Lambert}}

{{César Award for Best Actor}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lambert, Christopher}}
[[Category:1957 births]]
[[Category:Cours Florent alumni]]
[[Category:Best Actor César Award winners]]
[[Category:Film producers from New York (state)]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:French people of Jewish descent]]