Trivia

Speaks Spanish, English, French and Italian.

Turned down the role of Agent Smith in the The Matrix (1999) to do Godzilla (1998)

Due to his tall, hulking frame, he most played villainous brutes early on in his career. Thanks to his skills as an actor, he has broken away from this stereotype and has played everything from romantic-comedy leads to action heroes.

His mother was born in Jerez de la Frontera, Cádiz (Spain), and his father was born in Sanlucar de Barrameda, Cádiz (Spain). They were republicans, and they left post-war Franquist Spain for North Africa. They left Casablanca to go to France when Juan "Jean" was 12 years old.

He has twice played characters whose occupation of "cleaner" - psychotic Victor the Cleaner (Victor nettoyeur) in La Femme Nikita (1990), and the calm assassin Léon in Léon: The Professional (1994).

Married model and actress Zofia Borucka at the city hall of Les Baux-de-Provence, France. His best men were France's President, then Interior Minister, Nicolas Sarkozy and singer Johnny Hallyday (29 July 2006).

He is appearing on UPS adverts in Britain and Europe as a man re-visiting his past and meeting himself at certain ages, promoting UPS services simultaneously. (March 2006)

He met his second wife, model Nathalie, on the Champs Elysées (Paris biggest avenue)

Father with Zofia Borucka of a boy named Cielo (b. July 2009 in New York).

He has two children from his first marriage to Geneviève: Sandra (b. 1978) and Mickael (b. 1980)

Lives in Paris with his two children and his wife, a model.

Mentioned by name in song "Cosmopolitan" by Vincent Delerm.

He has two children with Nathalie: Tom (b. 1996) and Serena (b. 1998)

Plays Bezu Fache in The Da Vinci Code (2006). Before that film was made, Harvey Keitel played a similar role in National Treasure (2004), which also deals with historical secrets being kept by ancient societies, including the Knights Templar. Keitel also played The Cleaner in Point of No Return (1993), which was a remake of La Femme Nikita (1990), in which Reno played the Cleaner.

He had a role in every play of stage director Didier Flamand from 1977 to 1981, and then had the lead role in Flamand's first short movie The Screw (1993).

In 2006 he received the honor of becoming "Cádiz's Predilect Son" [hijo predilecto de Cádiz]. Cádiz is the capital of his parents' region of origin. He is quoted as having said on the occasion: "I didn't cry when Chirac named me Knight of the Legion, but I did here" ["no lloré cuando Chirac me nombró caballero de la Legión de Honor, y sí aquí"].

Former student of the Cours Simon.

Appearing in television ads for Toyota in Japan. (August 2005)

Daughter born in Paris, France (June 28, 1998)