Francis Veber

Francis Veber

Francis Paul Veber (born 28 July 1937) is a French film director, screenwriter and producer, and theater playwright. Many of his French comedies feature recurring types of characters, named François Pignon (a bungler) and François Perrin (a bully). Several of them have been remade as Hollywood products with his participation (for instance, La chèvre as Pure Luck), or adapted (for instance, Le dîner de cons into Dinner for Schmucks). Some of his screenplays started as theater plays (for instance, Le dîner de cons). This theatrical experience contributes to his films' tight structure, making them "marvels of economy".

Veber was born in Neuilly-sur-Seine, Hauts-de-Seine, the son of a writer mother and Pierre-Gilles Veber, a screenwriter. Veber's father was Jewish and his mother was Armenian-Russian (Veber was baptized at birth). His grand-uncle was writer Tristan Bernard.