Born in Jonquière, Quebec, Girard is the son of politician Fernand Girard and began university studies in law at Université Laval before joining the campus theatre troupe and redirecting his path toward acting; he completed formal training at the Conservatoire de théâtre du Québec, graduating in 1974. He achieved early fame portraying Rémy in Denys Arcand’s 1986 film The Decline of the American Em…
