Jean Marais facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jean Marais
photograph by Carl Van Vechten, 1947
Born	Jean-Alfred Villain-Marais (1913-12-11)11 December 1913 Cherbourg, France
Died	8 November 1998(1998-11-08) (aged 84) Cannes, France
Occupation	Actor film director theatre director painter sculptor visual artist writer photographer
Years active	1933–1996
Children	Serge Villain-Marais (adoptive)

Jean Marais (born Jean-Alfred Villain-Marais, December 11, 1913 – November 8, 1998) was a famous French actor. He also worked as a film director, theatre director, painter, sculptor, writer, and photographer. Jean Marais starred in over 100 movies. He was a close friend and artistic partner of the well-known director Jean Cocteau. In 1996, Jean Marais received the French Legion of Honor, a very important award, for his great work in French movies.

Early Life

Jean Marais was born in Cherbourg, France. His parents were Alfred Emmanuel Victor Paul Villain-Marais and Aline Marie Louise Vassord.

Career Highlights

Starting in Films

Jean Marais began his acting career with small roles. His first movie part was in Song of the Streets (1933). He also appeared in Etienne (1933). Filmmaker Marcel L'Herbier gave him roles in several films, like The Sparrowhawk (1933) and The Scandal (1934).

He continued to get small parts in movies such as Bizarre, Bizarre (1937) by Marcel Carné. He also acted in Abused Confidence (1937) and The Patriot (1938).

Working with Jean Cocteau

Even though he had small film roles, Jean Marais also performed on stage. In 1937, he was in a play called Oedipe. There, he met Jean Cocteau, a famous writer and director. Cocteau was very impressed by Marais and cast him in his play Les Chevaliers de la table ronde.

Marais also starred in Cocteau's play Les Parents terribles (1938), which was a huge success. This play was said to be inspired by Marais' own family life.

Jean Marais started getting bigger film roles, like in The Pavilion Burns (1941) and The Four Poster (1942). He also directed a play called Britannicus in 1941. For a while, he left acting to fight in Alsace with the Free French Forces during World War II, where he earned a military award called the Croix de Guerre.

Becoming a Star

Jean Marais' first movie as a leading actor was L'Éternel retour (1943). This film was a modern version of the old story of Tristan and Isolde. Jean Cocteau wrote the script. The movie was very popular and made Marais a big star.

He then played the main male role in Voyage Without Hope (1943) and Carmen (1944). Carmen became one of the most popular movies in France when it came out.

Beauty and the Beast

Jean Marais became even more famous for his role in Beauty and the Beast (1946). Jean Cocteau wrote and directed this classic film.

Marais also performed in a popular new version of Cocteau's play Les Parents terribles on stage. He continued to work with Cocteau on films like The Eagle with Two Heads (1948) and Les Parents Terribles (1949).

Another classic film Marais made with Cocteau was Orpheus (1950). This movie is still considered a masterpiece today.

Life After Cocteau's Directing

After working closely with Cocteau, Jean Marais continued to be a popular actor. He starred in The Glass Castle (1950) and many other films.

He appeared in various movies like Miracles Only Happen Once (1951) and Leathernose (1952). He also made films such as Julietta (1953) and The Faith Healer (1954).

Marais starred in a very popular movie version of The Count of Monte Cristo (1954). He also appeared in historical films like Royal Affairs in Versailles (1954) and Napoleon (1955).

He worked with famous actors like Ingrid Bergman in Elena and Her Men (1956) and Marcello Mastroianni in White Nights (1957).

Swashbuckler and Spy Films

Jean Marais became a big star in "swashbuckler" films, which are adventure movies with sword fights and daring heroes. His role in Le Bossu (1959) was a huge success and started a new part of his career. He also appeared in Captain Blood (1960).

He continued making adventure films like Captain Fracasse (1961) and Blood on His Sword (1961). He even played Pontius Pilate in an Italian film in 1962.

With the popularity of James Bond movies, Marais also starred in spy films. He played the hero in The Reluctant Spy (1963). He had a massive hit with Fantomas (1964), where he played both the hero and the villain.

He continued with more spy movies like Killer Spy (1965) and Operation Double Cross (1965). He also made two more Fantomas sequels: Fantomas Unleashed (1965) and Fantomas vs. Scotland Yard (1967).

Later Career and Stage Work

After 1970, Jean Marais chose to focus more on his theatre work. He appeared in fewer movies.

His later films included Donkey Skin (1970) with Catherine Deneuve. He also acted in TV movies like Les Parents terribles (1980), based on Cocteau's play.

Marais directed stage plays, including Le bel indifférent (1975) and Les Parents terribles. He even took Les Parents terribles to London in 1978.

In his later years, he continued to act in films such as Parking (1985) and Les Misérables (1995). His very last film role was in Stealing Beauty (1996).

Jean Marais performed on stage until he was in his 80s. He was also a talented sculptor. His famous sculpture called Le passe muraille (The Walker Through Walls) can be seen in the Montmartre area of Paris.

Personal Life

Jean Cocteau was a very important person in Jean Marais' life. Cocteau was his mentor, artistic partner, and a close friend for many years. After Cocteau passed away, Marais wrote a book about him called L'Inconcevable Jean Cocteau. Jean Marais also wrote his own autobiography, Histoires de ma vie, which was published in 1975.

In 1942, Marais became good friends with actress Mila Parély. They even acted together in Cocteau's Beauty and the Beast. They remained lifelong friends, and Mila Parély later managed Marais' pottery shop in Paris.

In the early 1960s, Jean Marais adopted a young man named Serge Ayala, who later became Serge Villain-Marais. Serge became a singer and an actor, and he passed away in 2012.

Death

Jean Marais passed away from a heart condition in Cannes, Alpes-Maritimes, in 1998. He is buried in the village cemetery at Vallauris, which is near Antibes.

Filmography

See also

In Spanish: Jean Marais para niños

• Place Jean-Marais