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 | Fake ‘Rockefeller’ now a French celebrity Christopher Rocancourt has a new life without crime. This time he’s a celebrity, with book deals, beauty queen girlfriends, a movie role, a clothing line — and his own red carpet moments. Dateline NBC |
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The Cannes Film Festival: Where sex and celluloid meet on the French Riviera and papparrazi cameras light up the stars of the moment.
And on the red carpet, arriving celebrities are hailed by first names only. “Angelina,” “Brad,” the photographers shout.
And "Naomi" -- as in Campbell.
And this year there was a new name on the red carpet: "Christopher," they shouted.
Can you believe it? Christopher... as in Rocancourt.
There he was dwarfed by the towering supermodel Naomi Campbell, her hand locked on his shoulder.
Christopher Rocancourt: To be in Cannes is nothing-- [no] big deal. It's just a bit funny that it would be with Naomi.
Since his return to France two years ago, Rocancourt has become a big celebrity, and Cannes was just one of the subjects Christopher was all too happy to talk about last week in Paris.
But the orphan-playboy millionaire-conman was not just another storyline for the tabloids as Naomi Campbell's escort.
Rocancourt: No, I didn't have an affair with her. (laughs)
Far from being just a supermodel accessory, Christopher was in Cannes to launch a new role in his life: believe it or not, as a movie actor.
Rocancourt: It's great to be an actor because you can dream. You can fly. So that I like. You can be somebody else for the fun of it.
Which pretty much sums up his life story, as long as you include money in the motivational mix.
Two years ago, we could barely contain our skepticism when he first told us he wanted to act, but a well known French director matched him up with his co-star and red carpet partner Naomi Campbell in a movie called "Bad Love."
Now the clips from Christopher's audition tape might not have Hollywood directors running after him with new offers, but the French director who hired him is known for casting people with no acting experience -- and for graphic love scenes.
Rocancourt: How many men would don't like to go to bed, with Naomi naked? (laughs)
The movie's plot, Campbell as a movie star who has an affair with an imposter, played by Rocancourt. Not much of a stretch for either co-star.
But this is just the tip of the iceberg of Rocancourt's growing celebrity in France. His own life story as a conman with any number of phony names will be another movie, called “A.K.A.,” police jargon, of course, for... “also known as.”
The producer, Thomas Langmann says his inspiration for the movie came from "Dateline."
Thomas Langmann, producer: It's your fault. I watch your program and that's when the idea of making a movie about Christopher Rocancourt came.
But Rocancourt, now 41, won't play himself in his own story.
Langmann: And I've even considered that he could play his own role in “A.K.A.” But it's tricky because it's his own role and he's a bit older now. But maybe five years ago, he would've been perfect to play himself.
Still, there's no shortage of other projects for the aging conman. He recently published his third book in France, and his third best seller called "Hoaxes." And just this week, Christopher Rocancourt turned up on French television in an unlikely role: TV show host. Christopher is now anchoring a series of television shows for French National Geographic.
Rocancourt: Maybe people can think, stop the dreaming to be a bad boy, to have the gangster life. I've been there, I did think it would be cool... it's just dumb. It's just a waste of life.
But don't go adding the description “reformer” to Christopher's resume just yet. He still owes more than a million dollars in restitution to his U.S. victims as part of a plea agreement. And even though he's been making money hand over fist, his victims shouldn't be looking for that check in the mail anytime soon.
Det. George Mueller: Christopher's out for one person. And that's himself.
L.A. Detective George Mueller bristles at Rocancourt's recent success saying it reflects a pathetic fascination by the public, both the French and American public, that glorifies criminals.
Det. Mueller: It's pretty sad that people look at him as, if you want to call it famous or infamous. But at the end of the day he really hurt a lot of people's lives and took a lot of money from them, and he will go back to those ways.
Mueller predicted two years ago that Rocancourt would eventually go back to a life of crime. It seems it hasn't happened so far.
But Mueller says that in the big picture while Christopher may be making money now, crime, for him, did not pay.
Det. Mueller: He went to jail. He was on the run. And, you know, it's always look over your shoulder and always wonder who's gonna come after you, whether it's the police or that victim, that you ruined their life. In this case, Christopher, crime does not pay.
And while Rocancourt's business life has been a success, his private life has not.
He divorced his wife Pia, the mother of his son Zeus. And since coming home to France, has had a very public relationship with the former Miss France, Sonja Roland. They had a child together, a little girl named Tess. But Rocancourt ended that second run at domestic happiness when he walked out on Roland and their baby. He says he continues to see both of his children and to support them.
But Rocancourt has never been much of a stay-at-home dad. And while he complains about the loss of privacy now that he's bold face name in France, a day in the life of Christopher Rocancourt is hardly an attempt to stay out of the public eye.
It usually begins at a Paris see-and-be seen restaurant, one time at lunch with another former Miss France, another budding actress. In the afternoon, the wannabee movie star shows up at the most chi-chi gym in Paris to battle the bulge like any other over-indulged Parisian star.
Of course his trainer and constant companion is also a former world champion kick boxer.
Later in the day, meetings with another screen writer, and then off to a bistro where he and his entourage take the center table in a room frequented by French intellectuals.
Not a bad life for an ex-orphan and ex con man.
And Rocancourt's bravado seemed to hit new heights last March when he attended an award ceremony for a filmmaker friend at the Elysee Palace, the French equivalent of the white house.
Rocancourt: I did go in, you know where they have the nice flag, in the front, you have the guard (saluting) (laughs).
French president Nicolas Sarkozy was there to do the honors.
How do you explain it? A convicted felon in the U.S., now a famous French celebrity rubbing elbows with his government's top officials.
Others joked that they're glad to meet him here and not in prison.
When he left the palace, reporters asked him if he talked to president Sarkozy.
Rocancourt responded (translated from French): "I let the president do his job tonight. When I'm prime minister we'll be talking."
And after this visit, he says he thought about another career once the acting roles dry up, although he might be conning us again.
Rocancourt: I would go to politics. Why not? It's full of crooks. (laughs)
But Det. George Mueller, Rocancourt's long time nemesis, is not amused.
Det. Mueller: He's always been a liar. He's always been a cheater. But if Christopher goes into politics and he runs for office, wherever that may be, well, I think that's gonna be a sad day.
Sad for Mueller, but amusing for Rocancourt, a man who still thanks the country he adopted for a while, the U.S., for letting him live the American dream as Christopher Rockefeller, while pulling off the great American con.
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