# Christopher Lambert
**Christopher Lambert** (born Christophe Guy Denis Lambert, 1957) is a French and American actor, producer, and writer who gained worldwide fame with his first starring role as Tarzan in *Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes* (1984) and became a pop culture icon through the *Highlander* (1986) franchise, in which he played the immortal Scottish swordsman [Connor MacLeod](https://www.edgepedia.org/connor-macleod).[1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/christopher-lambert/) Born in [Great Neck, New York](https://www.edgepedia.org/great-neck-new-york), to a French diplomat working for the United Nations, he was raised in Geneva, Switzerland, and has worked continually between French and Hollywood cinema.[2](https://www.nanarland.com/personnalites/acteurs/les-tetes-d-affiche/christophe-lambert.html)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full name | Christophe Guy Denis Lambert; credited internationally as Christopher Lambert[3](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/lambert-christopher-1957) |
| Born | 1957, Great Neck, New York, USA; raised in Geneva, Switzerland[3](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/lambert-christopher-1957) |
| Breakthrough | Tarzan in *Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes* (1984), chosen by director Hugh Hudson from hundreds of candidates[4](https://medias.unifrance.org/medias/123/93/155003/presse/un-une-dossier-de-presse-anglais.pdf) |
| César Award | Best Actor for Luc Besson's *Subway* (1985)[4](https://medias.unifrance.org/medias/123/93/155003/presse/un-une-dossier-de-presse-anglais.pdf) |
| Signature role | Connor MacLeod in *Highlander* (1986) and three sequels, plus one episode of the *Highlander* TV series[5](https://www.tvinsider.com/1280343/christopher-lambert-medical-emergency-collapse-steel-city-con/) |
| Other notable roles | Lord Rayden in *Mortal Kombat* (1995); the farmer in Claire Denis's *White Material* (2009)[6](https://www.tmz.com/2026/08/08/highlander-star-christopher-lambert-collapses-at-comic-con/) • [7](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2010/jun/17/christophe-lambert-white-material-highlander) |
| Other careers | Producer of his own features; European business investments including a winery, a mineral water business, and a food processing plant[1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/christopher-lambert/) |
## Early life and training
Lambert was born in the United States, where his father served as a French diplomat at the United Nations, and spent his childhood in Switzerland before moving to Paris as an adolescent.[2](https://www.nanarland.com/personnalites/acteurs/les-tetes-d-affiche/christophe-lambert.html) • [7](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2010/jun/17/christophe-lambert-white-material-highlander) He became drawn to performing at 12, when he took part in a school play, though his parents considered acting an insecure career choice; following a period of service in the French military, he spent six months working at the [London Stock Exchange](https://www.edgepedia.org/london-stock-exchange) before going back to Paris.[1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/christopher-lambert/) He studied drama at the Paris Conservatoire and began appearing in minor roles in French-language films in the late 1970s, including *Ciao, les mecs* (1979) and *Asphalte* (1981); his performance as a crook in Claude Barrois's *Le Bar du téléphone* (1981) attracted the attention of producers.[1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/christopher-lambert/) • [4](https://medias.unifrance.org/medias/123/93/155003/presse/un-une-dossier-de-presse-anglais.pdf)
## Greystoke and international stardom
In 1982, a casting agent looking for an unknown to play Tarzan discovered Lambert and was taken by his intense gaze, which was the result of extreme myopia; he wore severe glasses and, without them, his far-off look suited the character.[1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/christopher-lambert/) Director Hugh Hudson selected him from hundreds of candidates for *Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes* (1984), joining a cast that included [Ian Holm](https://www.edgepedia.org/ian-holm), Ralph Richardson in his final screen role, and newcomer [Andie MacDowell](https://www.edgepedia.org/andie-macdowell).[4](https://medias.unifrance.org/medias/123/93/155003/presse/un-une-dossier-de-presse-anglais.pdf) • [1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/christopher-lambert/) The film was a huge worldwide success and launched him to international stardom.[4](https://medias.unifrance.org/medias/123/93/155003/presse/un-une-dossier-de-presse-anglais.pdf)
After a role in Élie Chouraqui's *Love Songs* (*Paroles et musique*, 1984), opposite [Catherine Deneuve](https://www.edgepedia.org/catherine-deneuve), Lambert joined [Luc Besson](https://www.edgepedia.org/luc-besson) for *Subway* (1985), a performance that earned him the César Award for Best Actor.[4](https://medias.unifrance.org/medias/123/93/155003/presse/un-une-dossier-de-presse-anglais.pdf) • [7](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2010/jun/17/christophe-lambert-white-material-highlander)
## Highlander and the action years
Meeting director [Russell Mulcahy](https://www.edgepedia.org/russell-mulcahy) in 1986 gave Lambert the role of Connor MacLeod, the immortal Scottish swordsman of *Highlander*, co-starring [Sean Connery](https://www.edgepedia.org/sean-connery).[4](https://medias.unifrance.org/medias/123/93/155003/presse/un-une-dossier-de-presse-anglais.pdf) • [8](https://unterhaltungmagazin.de/christopher-lambert-heute/) The film became an object of cult worship and cemented him in audiences' minds as an action star, a mantle he carried for the better part of the next two decades.[1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/christopher-lambert/) He reprised MacLeod in *Highlander II: The Quickening* (1991), *Highlander III: The Sorcerer* (1994), and *Highlander: Endgame* (2000), and appeared in one episode of the *Highlander* television series.[5](https://www.tvinsider.com/1280343/christopher-lambert-medical-emergency-collapse-steel-city-con/)
One unusual bit of preparation: the AFI Catalog reports that Lambert said he worked with a voice coach for four or five weeks prior to shooting, honing the mid-Atlantic accent required for the New York scenes and the Scottish accent required for the Highlands sequences.[9](https://catalog.afi.com/Film/57357-HIGHLANDER)
Through the 1990s Lambert kept an eclectic slate, moving among action films (*Gunmen*, *North Star*), comedies (*Hercule & Sherlock*, *Arlette*), thrillers (*Knight Moves*), and science fiction (*Fortress*).[4](https://medias.unifrance.org/medias/123/93/155003/presse/un-une-dossier-de-presse-anglais.pdf) He played Lord Rayden in the 1995 film adaptation of *Mortal Kombat*, a performance fans frequently cite as a highlight of the movie.[6](https://www.tmz.com/2026/08/08/highlander-star-christopher-lambert-collapses-at-comic-con/) • [10](https://www.cinemablend.com/movies/i-know-everybody-excited-for-new-highlander-gush-over-1986-original) He also launched a second career as a producer of his own features, including *The North Star* (1996), *Resurrection* (1999), and 2004's *The Good Shepherd* with [Christian Slater](https://www.edgepedia.org/christian-slater).[1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/christopher-lambert/)
## Return to French cinema and later work
Lambert's standing with French critics revived with [Claire Denis](https://www.edgepedia.org/claire-denis)'s *White Material* (2009), in which he played a white farmer on an African coffee plantation who realizes the family must abandon the land as civil war closes in; the Guardian described the role as his greatest level of approval from the Parisian cinematic establishment since the mid-1980s.[7](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2010/jun/17/christophe-lambert-white-material-highlander) He has continued to work steadily into the 21st century in both languages, with credits including *Sobibor* (2018), *Bel Canto* (2018), and *Kickboxer: Retaliation* (2018), the latter his highest-rated film on Rotten Tomatoes at 93 percent.[11](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/christopher_lambert) Recent projects announced in 2026 include *The Dog Stars* and *It Happened Yesterday*, and he is co-producing *Maestros del sabor*, a program about cooks from Spain and France.[12](https://www.elespanol.com/malaga/cultura/20261004/christopher-lambert-comic-malaga-paso-inmortales-unico-no-puede-repetir/1003744407523_0.html)
A new *Highlander* film directed by [Chad Stahelski](https://www.edgepedia.org/chad-stahelski) and starring [Henry Cavill](https://www.edgepedia.org/henry-cavill) began filming in Scotland in January 2026; Lambert said at a 2026 convention appearance that he had not been called for the remake and would see it at a private screening, while calling the original an unrepeatable combination of music, story, characters, and cast.[8](https://unterhaltungmagazin.de/christopher-lambert-heute/) • [12](https://www.elespanol.com/malaga/cultura/20261004/christopher-lambert-comic-malaga-paso-inmortales-unico-no-puede-repetir/1003744407523_0.html)
## Personal life and business interests
Lambert married the American actress [Diane Lane](https://www.edgepedia.org/diane-lane) in 1988; the marriage ended in divorce in 1994, and he married the entrepreneur Jaiymse Haft on February 6, 1999. His daughter Eleanor Jasmine was born of the first marriage.[3](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/lambert-christopher-1957) From around 2010 he was in a relationship with the French actress [Sophie Marceau](https://www.edgepedia.org/sophie-marceau), and he has described living between Paris, Los Angeles, and Geneva.[7](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2010/jun/17/christophe-lambert-white-material-highlander) Outside of cinema, he has also prospered as an entrepreneur on the European continent; his holdings have included a highly rated winery, a mineral water venture, and a food processing facility.[1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/christopher-lambert/)
In August 2026, Lambert collapsed while signing autographs at Steel City Con near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and was transported by ambulance from the Monroeville Convention Center; his representative shared a health update afterward, and he was expected to attend the upcoming FAN EXPO Chicago.[5](https://www.tvinsider.com/1280343/christopher-lambert-medical-emergency-collapse-steel-city-con/) Fan reports from convention appearances in 2025 and 2026 had described him as visibly frail, and a fall on hotel stairs in March 2025 was reported in the press as a back injury from which he was recovering.[13](https://lagefokus.de/blog/christopher-lambert-highlander-star-gesundheit-filme/)
## References
1. [Christopher Lambert – Actor, Producer, Writer, TV Insider](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/christopher-lambert/)
2. [Christophe Lambert – la biographie par Nanarland](https://www.nanarland.com/personnalites/acteurs/les-tetes-d-affiche/christophe-lambert.html)
3. [Lambert, Christopher 1957–, Encyclopedia.com](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/lambert-christopher-1957)
4. [Christophe Lambert, UniFrance press kit](https://medias.unifrance.org/medias/123/93/155003/presse/un-une-dossier-de-presse-anglais.pdf)
5. [Christopher Lambert Medical Emergency: 'Highlander' Actor Collapses, TV Insider](https://www.tvinsider.com/1280343/christopher-lambert-medical-emergency-collapse-steel-city-con/)
6. ['Highlander' Star Christopher Lambert Collapses at Pittsburgh Comic Con, TMZ](https://www.tmz.com/2026/08/08/highlander-star-christopher-lambert-collapses-at-comic-con/)
7. [How Christophe Lambert went from action flops to arthouse acclaim, The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2010/jun/17/christophe-lambert-white-material-highlander)
8. [Christopher Lambert heute und der neue Highlander, Unterhaltungsmagazin](https://unterhaltungmagazin.de/christopher-lambert-heute/)
9. [Highlander, AFI Catalog](https://catalog.afi.com/Film/57357-HIGHLANDER)
10. [I Know Everybody's Excited For The New Highlander..., CinemaBlend](https://www.cinemablend.com/movies/i-know-everybody-excited-for-new-highlander-gush-over-1986-original)
11. [Christopher Lambert Movies & TV Shows List, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/christopher_lambert)
12. [Christopher Lambert, en la Comic Con de Málaga, El Español](https://www.elespanol.com/malaga/cultura/20261004/christopher-lambert-comic-malaga-paso-inmortales-unico-no-puede-repetir/1003744407523_0.html)
13. [Christopher Lambert: Highlander-Star, Gesundheit und Filme, Lagefokus](https://lagefokus.de/blog/christopher-lambert-highlander-star-gesundheit-filme/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Screen actors of the Anglosphere and Europe › French actors › Surnames E to M*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license