Papillon

About this Broadcast

Fact-based drama about a Frenchman wrongly imprisoned for life for a crime he did not commit, who made an extraordinarily courageous bid to escape from the notorious Devil's Island - a former leper colony turned into a maximum-security prison. Starring Steve McQueen, Dustin Hoffman, Anthony Zerbe, Don Gordon and George Coulouris

1973 HD subtitles continued

Factual Historical/Period Drama Indie Movie/Drama Prison Drama

Cast & Crew

Steve McQueen (Actor) .. Henri Charriere, `Papillon"

Dustin Hoffman (Actor) .. Louis Dega

Anthony Zerbe (Actor) .. Toussaint

Don Gordon (Actor) .. Julot

George Coulouris (Actor) .. Dr Chatal

Robert Deman (Actor) .. Maturette

Woodrow Parfrey (Actor) .. Clusoit

Billy Mumy (Actor) .. Lariot

Franklin J Schaffner (Director)

More Information

Did You Know..

Steve McQueen (Actor) .. Henri Charriere, `Papillon"

Born: March 24, 1930 in Beech Grove, Indiana

Dustin Hoffman (Actor) .. Louis Dega

Born: August 08, 1937 in Los Angeles

Best Known For: Tackling difficult roles.

Early-life: Dustin Lee Hoffman was born in Los Angeles on August 8, 1937, the son of a furniture salesman and an amateur actress. He was named after silent-movie star Dustin Farnham and has an older brother, Ronald. He trained to be a doctor and a pianist, but preferred studying acting at the Pasadena Playhouse. He and classmate Gene Hackman were voted least likely to succeed. He shared an apartment with Hackman and later with Robert Duvall, and studied at the famous Actors Studio in New York.

Career: Hoffman spent 10 years trying to get decent roles, making ends meet by teaching and appearing in commercials and TV series. In 1967 he landed the lead role in The Graduate which made him a star and secured his first Oscar nomination. He gained further nods from the Academy for Midnight Cowboy, Lenny, Tootsie and Wag the Dog, and has won twice for Kramer vs Kramer and Rain Man. Other notable films include Straw Dogs, Little Big Man, Sleepers, Runaway Jury, Finding Neverland, I Heart Huckabees, Meet the Fockers and Stranger Than Fiction. More recent projects include Last Chance Harvey, Little Fockers, the short-lived TV series Luck and Esio Trot. He also directed the BBC-backed film Quartet.

Quote: "I don't like the fact that I have to get older so fast, but I like the fact that I'm ageing so well."

Trivia: Hoffman is a huge fan of the Archie series of comics, and owns a copy of every issue ever published.