He is also the winner of two César Awards for Best Actor, one in 1987 as Ugolin Soubeyran in Jean de Florette and Manon des Sources and one for his role in Girl on the Bridge.

[1] At age 16, thanks to André Benedetto, who led a company in Avignon, Auteuil began stage acting in Chekhov's La Demande en mariage.

[4] To please his parents he began studies in topography, and he worked in a nightclub cloakroom on Saturday nights to earn money.

In 1977, he played the detective Camaret in the six-episode series Rendez-vous en noir, based on the novel by William Irish.

Auteuil's starring role in the historical drama film Jean de Florette (1986) and its sequel Manon des Sources (1986) brought him international recognition.