Trivia

He was noted for his wit and his frankness about his weakness for cocaine and alcohol, about which he published a book in 1997.

His younger brother Francois served as France's culture and then defence minister under conservative governments before being appointed to the post of the European Union's envoy to Macedonia. When his brother became minister of defence in 1993, he (Philippe) jokingly announced that he was the minister of "defonce" - a French word that means "getting stoned".

Brother of former Defence Minister François Léotard.

He was a founding member of the Theatre du Soleil, an avant-garde Paris stage ensemble created by the director Ariane Mnouchkine.

He released four albums and had a book of poetry published in 1992 under the title "Pas un jour sans une ligne" (Not a day without a line).

Started his career as a literature and philosophy teacher.

Buried in Montparnasse Cemetery, Paris.