Philippe Clévenot ranks among the greatest actors of a generation who, in the 1960s and 1970s, embarked on the adventure of collective creations and sought to reach a new, popular audience, following in the footsteps of Jean Vilar or Ariane Mnouchkine. From 1962 to 1965, he studied at the Centre dramatique de l’Est, then directed by Hubert Gignoux, Paul Lefèvre, and Claude Petitpierre. At the same time, he continued studying the organ, harpsichord, and piano. After two years of military service (1965–1967), during which he learned German, he joined the Maison de la Culture in Bourges, directed by Gabriel Monnet.

In 1971, he took part in the early days of the Théâtre de l’Espérance with Jean Jourdheuil and Jean‑Pierre Vincent, then in 1976 joined the school of the TNS (the higher school of dramatic arts in Strasbourg), also directed by Jean‑Pierre Vincent. From 1985 to 1987, he was a resident actor at the Comédie‑Française.