Léon: The Professional

Year:

1994

Duration:

110 min | France:136 min (uncut version) | 133 min (International version)

Genres:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

IMDB rate:

8.6

Director:

Luc Besson

Awards:

3 wins & 8 nominations

Details

Country: France

Release Date: 1994-11-18

Filming Locations: 1 Centre Street, New York City, New York, USA

Earnings

Opening Weekend: $5,306,558 (USA) (20 November 1994)

Gross: $19,251,002 (USA)£3,400,349 (UK)

Cast

Actor

Character

Jean-Hugues Anglade

Carl J. Matusovich

Léon: The Professional

Jean Reno

Léon

Gary Oldman

Stansfield

Natalie Portman

Mathilda

Danny Aiello

Tony

Peter Appel

Malky

Willi One Blood

1St Stansfield Man

Don Creech

2nd Stansfield man

Keith A. Glascoe

3rd Stansfield man (Benny)

Randolph Scott

4th Stansfield man

Michael Badalucco

Mathilda's Father

Ellen Greene

Mathilda's Mother

Elizabeth Regen

Mathilda's Sister

Frank Senger

Fatman

Lucius Wyatt Cherokee

Tonto

Eric Challier

Bodyguard Chief

Luc Bernard

Mickey

Maïwenn

Blond Babe

Jessie Keosian

Old Lady

George Martin

Receptionist

Abdul Hassan Sharif

Mathilda's Taxi driver

Stuart Rudin

Leon's Taxi driver

Kent Broadhurst

1st Policeman

Tommy Hollis

2nd Policeman

Peter Linari

1st Security man

Johnny Limo

2nd Security man

Danny Peled

Kid's Leader

Seth Jerome Walker

Pauly

Michael Mundra

Cigarette Kid

Alex Dezen

Ball Kid

Betty Miller

Orphanage Headmistress

Geoffrey Bateman

Swat Chief

Arsène Jiroyan

Swat Hostage

Peter Vizard

Doctor

Joseph Malerba

Stairway Swat

David W. Butler

Important Jogger

Robert LaSardo

Client #1 (as Robert Lasardo)

Steve Gonnelo

3rd Security Guard

William James Stiggers Jr.

Subway Rapper

Anthony Ragland

Uniformed Guard

Crystal Michelle Blake

Girl

Sonny Zito

DEA Security Guards

Rocky Hernandez

Cop

Randy Pearlstein

Security Guard

Trevor Walace

Policeman

Keith S. Bullock

Bodyguard

Jeff McBride

Bodyguard

Fred Fischer

Newspaperman

Peter Justinius

Secret Service

Denis Bellocq

Jogger

Thomas Delehanty

CIA Agent

Ed Ventresca

Fatman Bodyguard

Wallace Wong

Chinatown Boss

Cary Wong

Chinatown Boss' sidekick

Amimul Rolly

Bellhop #1

Mohammed Rashid

Bellhop #2

Adam Busch

Manolo

Mario Todisco

Tony's Barber

James Melissinos

Girl Chaser

Jernard Burks

Stansfield man

Matt De Matt

Stansfield man

Samy Naceri

Swat 1

Christophe Gautier

Swat 2

Junior Almeida

Swat 3

David Gregg

Swat 4

Michel Montanary

Swat 5

Hervé Husson

Swat 6

Didier Legros

Swat 7

Marc Andréoni

Swat 8

Gilles Kleber

Swat 9

Junior John Levis

Swat 10

Tony Sauraye

Bodyguard 1

Thierry Maurio

Bodyguard 2

James Fahrner

Bodyguard 3

Daniel Schenmetzler

Bodyguard 4

Alyssia Dujmovich

Student

Michael Wehrhahn

Jimmy, SWAT Team Member (uncredited)

Did you know?

Trivia

The scene in which Gary Oldman's character Stansfield talks about his appreciation of Beethoven to Mathilda's father was completely improvised. The scene was filmed several times, with Oldman giving a different improvised story on each take.

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Natalie Portman was originally turned down by Todd Thaler (the casting director) due to being too young, but she returned to the auditions and performed the scene where Mathilda laments the loss of her brother. Luc Besson was so impressed with the depth of emotion she summoned during the audition that he gave her the role.

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Mathilda wants Stansfield dead in order to avenge the death of her brother, which was the only member of her family that she cared about. Although Stansfield kills the rest of Mathilda's family, her brother is actually killed by Stansfield's henchman Willi (you can hear Malky scolding him for it when Mathilda walks by the entrance to the apartment, right after the raid). This means that she is actually present to witness the death of her brother's killer, as she is in the room when Léon shoots him.

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Goofs

When Stansfield is walking into the DEA building, followed by Mathilda, a cameraman is standing in the window high above the entrance.

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Léon's milk rises and falls in his glass, depending on the camera angle, immediately prior to the charades game. He pours a less than full glass for himself when his back is to the camera, but it is at the top line when the camera faces him. As he talks with Mathilda, there are several shots back and forth with the level changing back and forth each time.

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There are no other chalk marks visible for the dad or the sister, both shot in the hallway.

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Quotes

Mathilda: You killed my brother.

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Mathilda: I've decided what to do with my life. I wanna be a cleaner.

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Pauly: C'mon, asshole! C'mon faggot. C'mon, gun trick.

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Faq

Q

What film does Léon go to see?

A

It's Always Fair Weather (1955), directed by Stanley Donen and Gene Kelly, and starring Gene Kelly.

Q

Why does Leon save Mathilda's life?

A

As part of his code of conduct, Leon's main rule is "no women, no kids," and Mathilda fits both categories. He knew that she would suffer the same fate as her family at the hands of Stansfield and his men if he didn't open the door. Although he would not be the one who pulled the trigger, he would have felt responsible for her death, since he could have prevented it.

Q

What are the differences between the theatrical cut, the director's cut, and the extended version?

A

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