Popeck

Biography

Popeck (born Judka Herpstu; 18 May 1936) is a French actor and stand-up comedian.

The son of Jewish immigrants from Poland and Romania, Judka Herpstu was born in Paris. He was among the children saved from the Holocaust by the OSE, but his mother was murdered in Auschwitz. He studied acting at the Cours Simon and started his career on stage under the name Jean Herbert.

In 1968, Herpstu created the character of Popeck, a grumpy Eastern-European immigrant dressed in a 3-piece suit, wearing a bowler hat and speaking French with a strong Yiddish accent. Sketches featuring Popeck made Herpstu known to the larger public, and the actor identified with his character so far as to finally adopt the name Popeck for himself in 1978.

In addition to his work on stage, Popeck has acted in movies. He had a small role in Roman Polanski's The Pianist.

Source: Article "Popeck" from Wikipedia in English, licensed under CC-BY-SA 3.0.

Known For

The Mad Adventures of Rabbi Jacob
The Mad Adventures of Rabbi Jacob
Cousin, Cousine
Cousin, Cousine
The Station
The Station
L'humour c'est mieux à deux
L'humour c'est mieux à deux
Simon Konianski
Simon Konianski
La rêverie ou le mariage de Sylvia
La rêverie ou le mariage de Sylvia
Popeck à l'Olympia
Popeck à l'Olympia
Popeck - C'est la dernière fois... !
Popeck - C'est la dernière fois... !

Filmography

2024 Popeck: fini de rire, on ferme!
as
2022 Il était une fois Champs-Élysées
as Self (archive footage)
2022 L'humour c'est mieux à deux
as Self
2019 Sixty
as Self - Comedian
2018 Scènes de ménages - Ça s'enguirlande pour Noël
as Marcel Perrault
2017 Les Chevaliers du fiel : Les fous rires de 2017
as Self
2016 The Jews
as Lucien
2015 Ruben fête ses 25 ans
as Self
2011 A Child's Battle
as Toussaint
2011 Popeck - C'est la dernière fois... !
as Him Self
2009 Simon Konianski
as Ernest
2009 Il était une fois... « Les aventures de Rabbi Jacob »
as Self
2009 L'Amour foot
as
2002 The Pianist
as Rubenstein
2001 Face à face
as Paul Laffargue
1994 La rêverie ou le mariage de Sylvia
as Léonide
1992 Shabbot Shalom!
as Grand-père Rabbin
1990 The Station
as
1990 Cellini: A Violent Life
as
1990 Popeck à l'Olympia
as him self