Jean-Pierre Marielle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jean-Pierre Marielle
|
|
|---|---|
Jean-Pierre Marielle in 2011
|
|
| Born | 12 April 1932 Paris, France
|
| Died | 24 April 2019 (aged 87) Saint-Cloud, France
|
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1957–2016 |
| Spouse(s) |
Agathe Natanson
(m. 2003; died 2019) |
Jean-Pierre Marielle (born April 12, 1932 – died April 24, 2019) was a famous French actor. He acted in over one hundred films. He played many different kinds of characters. These included a regular person in Les Galettes de Pont-Aven and a World War II hero in Les Milles. He was also a spy in La Valise and an old actor in Les Grands Ducs. Many people remember him as Jacques Saunière in The Da Vinci Code. Jean-Pierre Marielle was known for his deep, booming voice. French comedians often copied his voice because he seemed like a classic French gentleman.
Contents
Growing Up and Starting Out
Jean-Pierre Marielle was born in Paris, France, in 1932. His father worked in factories, and his mother was a dressmaker. He started acting when he was in high school. He even put on plays by Anton Chekhov with his friends.
He first wanted to study literature at college. But one of his teachers told him he should be an actor instead. So, he joined a famous acting school called the Conservatoire National. There, he became good friends with other future stars like Jean-Paul Belmondo and Jean Rochefort. He finished school in 1954.
His Acting Journey
Jean-Pierre Marielle began his career on stage. He performed in plays, including those by Harold Pinter. By the late 1950s, he started getting small roles in movies. His special voice helped him play older characters even when he was young. At first, he was not happy with his movie roles. So, he worked in cabaret for a while.
In the 1960s, he got bigger movie parts. He acted with Louis de Funès in Faites sauter la banque! (1963). He also appeared in Weekend at Dunkirk (1964). A French director named Philippe de Broca gave him a great chance to show his talent in Un monsieur de compagnie (1965).
His fame really grew in the 1970s. He was in many comedies. In La Valise (1974), he played an Israeli spy hiding in a trunk. Movies like Les Galettes de Pont-Aven (1975) and Coup de Torchon (1981) proved he was a fantastic actor.
One of his most powerful roles was a sad police officer. This was in the movie Les mois d'avril sont meurtriers (1987). Another very important role was Monsieur de Sainte-Colombe. He played this character in Tous les matins du monde (1994).
He also had a wonderful career in theater. He won the highest French award for a theater actor, the Molière Award, in 1994. Later, he played Jacques Sauniere in the popular movie The Da Vinci Code (2006). He was also given a special French honor, the Légion d’Honneur, in 1992.
Life Outside of Acting
Jean-Pierre Marielle was married to French actress Agathe Natanson. They were married from 2003 until he passed away. He also had a son from an earlier relationship. He loved jazz music very much. He also really enjoyed visiting New York City.
Jean-Pierre Marielle died on April 24, 2019. He was 87 years old.
Awards and Recognition
Jean-Pierre Marielle received several awards for his acting:
- In 1995, he won the Golden Goblet Award for Best Actor for his role in Les Milles.
- He won the 7 d'Or Award for Best Actor in 1992 for the TV film La controverse de valladolid.
- In 1987, he received the Mystfest Award for Best Actor for the film Les mois d'avril sont meurtriers.
- He was given an Honorary Lumières Award in 2008.
He was also nominated for the César Award (a top French film award) several times:
- For Best Actor in Les Galettes de Pont-Aven (1976) and Tous les matins du monde (1992).
- For Best Supporting Actor in Coup de Torchon (1982), Quelques jours avec moi (1989), Max et Jérémie (1993), and La Petite Lili (2004).
Images for kids
-
Jean-Pierre Marielle in 2011
