Depardieu Says He's Ending Career

PARIS (AP) _ Gerard Depardieu told a newspaper that he's ending his film career _ and swears he wasn't drunk when he said it. <br/><br/>``I'm in the process of stopping filming,'' the

Monday, October 31st 2005, 10:19 am

By: News On 6

PARIS (AP) _ Gerard Depardieu told a newspaper that he's ending his film career _ and swears he wasn't drunk when he said it.

``I'm in the process of stopping filming,'' the Academy Award-nominated actor was quoted as saying in weekly Le Parisien Dimanche. ``I'm a guy who's leaving! A guy who's not drunk. For once.''

Depardieu, one of France's most prolific actors, was speaking on the set of an upcoming French film and is scheduled to appear in a new installment of the ``Asterix'' series next year, the newspaper said.

But he insisted his career will soon be over.

``I have nothing to lose,'' the 56-year-old star said. ``I have done 170 films. I have nothing left to prove. I am not going to hang on like a jerk.''

Depardieu was a leading French actor of the 1980s and 1990s with such hits as ``Green Card,'' ``Jean de Florette'' and ``Cyrano de Bergerac,'' for which he was nominated for an Oscar.