Born in a small village of the South of France, Jean-Claude Carrière had a traditional education, which led him to the ENS in Saint-Cloud.
While still a student, he published his first novel, Lézard, before meeting Jacques Tati and Pierre Etaix.
He wrote novelisations of Tati's films, Monsieur Hulot's Holiday and Man Oncle, both books illustrated by Pierre Etaix. Carrière and Etaix immediately found a rapport and together made two film shorts in 1961 - Rupture and Happy Birthday (Heureux Anniversa