Jean-Louis Barrault facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jean-Louis Barrault
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Jean-Louis Barrault, photographed by Carl Van Vechten, 1952.
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| Born | 8 September 1910 Le Vésinet, France
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| Died | 22 January 1994 (aged 83) Paris, France
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| Spouse(s) | Madeleine Renaud (m. 1940–1994) |
Jean-Louis Barrault (born September 8, 1910 – died January 22, 1994) was a famous French actor, director, and mime artist. He worked in both movies and on stage, becoming well-known for his amazing performances.
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Early Life
Jean-Louis Barrault was born in Le Vésinet, France, in 1910. His father was a pharmacist who sadly died in the First World War. Jean-Louis studied at the Collége Chaptal until 1930. After that, he continued his studies at the École de Louvre.
Career Highlights
Working in Theatre
From 1931 to 1935, Barrault studied and acted at a theatre called L'Atelier, run by Charles Dullin. His very first performance was a small part in a play called Volpone. At that time, Barrault didn't have much money for rent. Dullin kindly let him sleep inside the theatre on the bed used in the Volpone play.
While at L'Atelier, he met and learned from Étienne Decroux, a famous mime artist. Together, they created a pantomime (a play without words) called La Vie Primitive in 1931.
Barrault joined the Comédie-Française, a famous French theatre company, from 1942 to 1946. There, he played lead roles in classic plays like Shakespeare's Hamlet and Corneille's Le Cid.
In 1946, he and his wife, actress Madeleine Renaud, started their own theatre group. It was called Compagnie Renaud-Barrault and was based at the Théâtre Marigny in Paris. In 1951, he wrote his memoirs, which are like a life story, called Reflections on the Theatre.
He became the director of the Théâtre de France in 1959 and stayed in that role until 1969. Later, in 1971, he was again made director of the Théâtre des Nations. He stopped working in theatre in 1990.
Working in Film
Jean-Louis Barrault got his first movie role in 1935. It was in a film called Les Beaux Jours, directed by Marc Allégret. Over his career, he acted in almost 50 movies.
One of his most famous movie roles was in Marcel Carné’s film Les Enfants du Paradis (1945). In this movie, he played a mime artist named Baptiste Deburau. This role helped make him very well-known.
Family Life
Jean-Louis Barrault was the uncle of another actress, Marie-Christine Barrault. He also helped and supported Peter Brook, who became a famous theatre director.
In 1940, Jean-Louis married the actress Madeleine Renaud. They worked together a lot, starting several theatres. They also traveled widely, performing their shows in many places, including South America.
Later Life and Death
Jean-Louis Barrault passed away from a heart attack in Paris on January 22, 1994. He was 83 years old. He is buried with his wife, Madeleine Renaud, in the Passy Cemetery in Paris.
See also
In Spanish: Jean-Louis Barrault para niños
