French actor of Armenian descent Charles Gérard died Thursday, September 19 at the age of 96, Figaro reports.

Born Gérard Adjémian, the actor was one of the go-to actors for filmmaker Claude Lelouch,starring in almost 20 of his films.

In total, Gérard has appeared in 42 films, playing one of his most famous roles in the movie "The Toy".

He was a close friend of French actor Jean-Paul Belmondo for over 70 years.