Life and career

Patrick is the son of Pierre Benguigui and Augusta Kammoun, daughter of Elie and Céline ben Sidoun. His family became French in 1870 when the Crémieux Decree granted full French citizenship to the indigenous Jews of Algeria.

Although Bruel aspired to be a football star in his youth, he decided to pursue singing after seeing Michel Sardou in 1975. His first success came as an actor, however, in 1979's Le Coup de sirocco. He continued acting in films, on television and in the theater while pursuing his singing career. His first single, "Vide" ("Empty"), released in 1982, was not a success, but the follow-up, "Marre de cette nana-là" ("Fed up with that chick"), was a hit.

In 2003, he had his last name officially changed to Bruel-Benguigui, his stage name with his birthname, before his partner, the writer and playwright Amanda Sthers, gave birth to his first child, Oscar, on 19 August. On 21 September 2004, he wed the 24-year-old Sthers; it is his first marriage. His second child, Léon was born on 28 September 2005. The couple separated in 2007.

As of 2004 Bruel has acted in more than 40 different television and film productions and made five studio albums and several live albums. In 2002 Bruel released Entre Deux, a double CD of classic chanson that features duets with Charles Aznavour, Jean-Louis Aubert, Jean-Jacques Goldman, Alain Souchon and Renaud, among others. It sold two million copies and made Bruel France's best paid singer of the year. At the beginning of 2005, in response to the South Asian tsunami of 26 December 2004, Bruel wrote the song "Et puis la terre" with Marie-Florence Gros with who he began a long-term collaboration in 1998, to benefit the Red Cross. His latest album "Des souvenir devant" was his 4th charttopper in France.

In addition to acting and singing, Bruel is a world class professional poker player. He won a World Series of Poker bracelet in 1998 for the $5,000 Limit Hold'em event. As of 2009 he has earned more than $900,000 in live tournament play. His 10 cashes at the WSOP account for $411,659 of those winnings. He also comments the World Poker Tour in his home country.

World Series of Poker bracelet

Year	Tournament	Prize (US$)
1998	$5,000 Limit Hold'em	$224,000

Filmography

• The Missionaries (2014)
• Les Yeux jaunes des crocodiles (2014)
• What's in a Name? (2012)
• Paris Manhattan (2011)
• The Writer (2011)
• Comme les cinq doigts de la main (2010)
• Desperate Parents (2009)
• Le code a changé (2009)
• A Secret (2007)
• O Jerusalem (2006)
• Comedy of Power (2006)
• The Wolf (2004)
• Une vie à t'attendre (2004)
• The Milk of Human Kindness (2001)
• Pretty Things (2001)
• Le marquis (short) (2000)
• Lost & Found (1999)
• The Misadventures of Margaret (1998)
• Hors jeu (1998)
• Paparazzi (1998)
• K (1997)
• Le jaguar (1996)
• Sabrina (1995)
• A Hundred and One Nights (1995)
• Profil bas (1993)
• Toutes peines confondues (1992)
• Il y a des jours... et des lunes (1990)
• Force majeure (1989)
• L'union sacrée (fr) (1989)
• La maison assassinée (1988)
• Suivez mon regard (1986)
• Champagne amer (1986)
• Attention bandits! (1986)
• P.R.O.F.S. (1985)
• Le mariage blues (1985) TV
• Les amours des années 50 (1985) TV
• La tête dans le sac (1984)
• Marche à l'ombre (1984)
• Les malheurs de Malou (1984) TV
• Le grand carnaval (1983)
• Le bâtard (1983)
• Les diplômés du dernier rang (1982)
• Paris-Saint-Lazare (1982) TV
• Ma femme s'appelle reviens (1982)
• Les enquêtes du commissaire Maigret (1981) TV
• Le Rembrandt de Verrières (1981) TV
• La mort en sautoir (1980) TV
• Un pas dans la forêt (1980) TV
• Le coup de sirocco (1979)

Discography

Albums

Studio albums

Year	Album	Chart
1982	Vide	—	—	—	—	—
1984	De face	32	—	—	—	—
1989	Alors, regarde	1	—	—	—	35
1994	Bruel	2	—	—	—	47
1995	Plaza de los héroes	—	—	—	—	—
1999	Juste avant	1	1	—	32	43
2002	Entre deux	1	1	—	2	49
2006	Des Souvenirs devant	1	1	—	6	69
2012	Lequel de nous	1	1	58	7	—
2015	Très souvent, je pense à vous...	5	4	119	6	—

Live albums

Year	Album	Chart
1987	À tout à l'heure	—	—	—	—	—
1991	Si ce soir...	1	—	—	—	51
1995	On s'était dit...	25	9	—	—	—
2001	Rien ne s'efface...	2	1	—	12	—
2003	Entre deux à l'Olympia	21	16	—	—	—
2007	Des Souvenirs... ensemble	12	8	—	45	—
2009	Seul... ou presque	9	3	—	41	—
2014	Live 2014	6	4	119	25	—

Compilations

Year	Album	Chart
2001	L'Essentiel	81	—	—
2003	Les Talents essentiels	23	—	—
2004	Puzzle	1	2	21
2007	S'laisser aimer (3 cd)	—	—	—

Singles

Year	Single	Chart				Album
1984	"Marre de cette nana-là !"	—	—	—	—	De face
1985	"Comment ça va pour vous ?"	27	—	—	—
1986	"Non, j'veux pas"	—	—	—	—
	"J'roule vers toi"	—	—	—	—
1987	"Tout l'monde peut s'tromper"	—	—	—	—
1989	"Casser la voix"	3	—	—	77	Alors regarde
1990	"J'te l'dis quand même"	12	—	—	—
	"Alors regarde"	3	—	—	—
1991	"Place des grands hommes..."	4	—	—	—
	"Décalé"	15	—	—	66
	"Qui a le droit..." (Live)	1	—	—	—	Si ce soir...
1992	"Casser la voix" (Live)	—	—	—	8
	"J'te l'dis quand même" (Live)	—	—	—	45
	"Décalé" (Live)	—	—	—	70
	"Elle m'regardait comme ça"	—	—	—	82	Alors regarde / Si ce soir...
1994	"Bouge!"	22	—	—	—	Bruel
	"Combien de murs..."	8	—	—	—
	"Pars pas..."	—	—	—	—
1995	"J'suis quand même là"	—	—	—	—
1996	"Pour exister" (Live)	—	18	—	—	On s'était dit...
1999	"J'te mentirais..."	—	—	—	81	Juste avant
2000	"Pour la vie"	13	22	90	92
	"Au Café des délices"	13	20	—	—
	"Tout s'efface"	36	32	—	95
2002	"Mon Amant de Saint Jean"	14	33	—	—	Entre deux
	"La Complainte de la butte"	48	—	—	—
	"Ménilmontant"	—	—	—	—
2006	"J'm'attendais pas à toi"	—	39	—	—	Des Souvenirs devant
2008	"Raconte-moi"	—	68	—	—	Des Souvenirs... ensemble
2009	"Combien de murs..." (Live)	—	—	—	—	Seul... ou presque
2012	"Lequel de nous"	35	32	—	—
2015	"Pourquoi ne pas y croire..."	168	—	—	—
	"Corsica"	31	—	—	—

Featured in and collective collaborations

Year	Single	Chart				Album
2006	"Dit is mijn stem (Casser la voix)"	—	—	—	64	Succes
2009	"Je n'attendais que vous"	—	38	—	—	2009: Les Enfoirés font leur cinéma
2010	"Parce que c'est toi"	—	30	—	—	2010: Les Enfoirés... la crise de nerfs!
2013	"Un arc en ciel" (Téléthon 2013)	1	—	—	—

[ Source: Wikipedia ]