- He can't swim, never practiced any sport and doesn't have a driving licence. On the set of The Unfaithful Wife (1969), director Claude Chabrol insisted that he'd learn to drive for a few scenes. After a two months driving course, Bouquet almost ran over the movie's camera operator, future writer/director Claude Zidi, while shooting the scene where his character, Charles, has to park his car near a drugstore. After the accident, he immediately decided to give up any attempt to learn driving.
- He's known to need a lot of concentration on the set of a movie. During the shooting of Il manoscritto del principe (2000), Italian character actor Leopoldo Trieste was constantly distracting Bouquet by talking to him while he was trying to get in character. One very day, this caused Bouquet to explode and furiously scream to Trieste to shut up. Trieste, who couldn't speak a word of French, didn't understand that this fit of anger was directed at him and reproached the other people on the set for having broken Bouquet's concentration.
- Bruno Cremer, Jean-Pierre Marielle and Jean-Paul Belmondo have all been greatly inspired by Bouquet's stage performances. Marielle stated that they preferred Michel's "devilish, black magnetism" to the "angelic" side of Gérard Philipe.
- He loves the cinema of Jean Renoir and Fritz Lang.
- He has huge admiration for the acting abilities of his occasional co-star, the late actor Maurice Ronet.
- Graduated from the CNSAD, the National Conservatory of Dramatic Arts.
- He once jokingly compared his childhood to that of the little protagonists of Jean Vigo's Zero for Conduct (1933), which takes place in a repressive boarding school similar to the one he attended (L'École Privée Catholique Fénelon).
- In her autobiography "Le roman de ma vie", Bernadette Lafont recalls Bouquet getting mad at script-girl Lydie Maïas during a dinner at the time of the shooting of Vincent mit l'âne dans un pré (et s'en vint dans l'autre) (1975). Maïas had commented that actors are paid too much, which had caused Bouquet to explode and accuse her of having no idea of what it means to 'carry the burden of a character who invades your life and haunts you even at night'. Michel soon went on to regret his actions, stating that they had been caused by the Burgundy wine he had had.
- He declined a role in The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (1972) for salary reasons.
- In 2014, he won the Honorary Molière Award for his stage work.
- Over the years, he and wife Juliette Carré played the roles of King Bérenger I and Queen Marguerite in over 800 performances of 'Exit the King' together.
- Over the years, Bouquet recorded his readings of the works of Cervantes, Victor Hugo, Jean-Paul Sartre and other authors that were released on discs.
- Has been Commander of France's Legion of Honor since 13 July 2007.
- Collaborated with Jean Anouilh and André Barsacq at the Théatre de l'Atelier.
- Was chosen "Best Actor" twice (1998, 2005) at the Molière Awards, the national theater award of France.
- He's been raised to the title of "Grand Officier" of the French Legion of Honor on the 12th July 2013.
- He won the "Prix du Syndicat de la critique" for his stage performances for a record three times, more than any other actor: in 1967 (1966/1967 season) for "Inadmissible Evidence", in 1976 (1975/1976 season) for "Monsieur Klebs et Rozalie " and in 1983 (1982/1983 season) for "Rameau's Nephew". Delphine Seyrig is his female counterpart with three Best Actress wins.
- In 1994 he was awarded the "Grand Prix national du théâtre" for his stage work.
- In 1999 he was awarded the "Prix Plaisir du théâtre" for his stage work.
- He was nominated both for the 1987 and 1988 Molière Award for Best Actor for his performance in "The Imaginary Invalid".
- In 2006 he received the "Grand Prix In Honorem" of the "Académie Charles-Cros" for his body of work.
- He had a long career as a radio actor.
- When he started his theatrical career, his main acting models were Louis Jouvet, Charles Dullin and stage luminary Caroline-Eugénie Segond-Weber.
- Some of his acting pupils at the CNSAD (the Paris Conservatoire) include Anne Brochet and Maria de Medeiros.
- He's the author of several books about stage acting.
- He was nominated for the 2007 Molière Award for his stage performance in "The Miser".
- He was nominated for the 2000 Molière Award for his stage performance in "Taking Sides".
- He and actress Marie Otal were originally supposed to play the leads of Le goût des myrtilles (2014), but she died a few months before the shooting would start and the movie was indefinitely postponed. The roles were eventually played by Michel Piccoli and Natasha Parry.
- Was very good friends with Jean Carmet and Claude Piéplu.
- He won the 2009 "Prix Henri-Langlois" for his film work.
- Believed by many people in France to be Carole Bouquet's father. There's actually no family relationship between them.
- He's received the Grand-Croix of the French Legion of Honor on the 14th July 2018.
- Bouquet worked as a baker's apprentice, then a bank clerk, to provide for the family.
- An audio book of his readings of 13 selected fables of Jean de La Fontaine was released in 2019 to wide critical acclaim.
- He aspired to become a doctor but had to quit school at the age of 15 after his father had been taken prisoner during World War II.
- Once credited Jean Anouilh, Albert Camus and Jean Grémillon as the three figures most responsible to form him as a man during his youth.
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