Jean-Louis Trintignant was originally offered the role of Philippe but he refused. Paul Gégauff took it upon himself to play the role, acting alongside his ex-wife Danièle Gégauff and their daughter Clémence Gégauff
Both leading actors in this film were anxious to state publicly that it was in no way biographical, although their real-life divorce had been an acrimonious one (much-publicized at the time).