Celebrities
Photos
Fan Sites
Apply
Directory
Support
Forums
Browse Forums
Request New Forum
Become Moderator
Hot List

Home Celebrities Jean Marais
|

Bullet Arrow Photos
Bullet Arrow News
Bullet Arrow Interviews
Bullet Arrow Premieres
Bullet Arrow Forums
Bullet Arrow Fan Sites
Bullet Arrow Get a Poster at AllPosters.com
Advertisement

Although he harbored a desire to act, Jean Marais was rejected by the top drama schools in France. The son of a doctor from whom his mother separated in 1917, he came to the attention of film director Maurice L'Herbier who cast him in small roles in "L'Epervier" and "L'Aventurier" (both 1933). Marais worked at the theater run by Charles Dullin in return for acting classes and a chance to play minor stage roles. In 1937, the actor met the man who would change his life--poet, playwright and designer Jean Cocteau....
Full Bio , Awards & Milestones

|
Comments (0)

Filmography

Stealing Beauty - ( Monsieur Guillaume / 1996 / Released / CFD )
Les Miserables - ( Bishop Myriel / 1995 / Released / CFP Distribution )
Les Enfants du Naufrageur - ( Old Man With a Limp / 1992 / Released / )
Next of Kin - ( Victor Blaise / 1985 / Released / )
Parking - ( / 1985 / Released / AM Films )
Ombre et secrets - ( / 1982 / Released / )
Petrochimika, I Kathedrikes Tis Erimou - ( / 1982 / Released / )
Donkey Skin - ( King / 1970 / Released / )
Le Jouet criminel - ( / 1970 / Released / )
Thomas the Imposter - ( Narrator(- Narration) / 1965 / Released / )
Fantomas - ( Newsman / 1964 / Released / )
The Testament of Orpheus - ( Oedipus / 1962 / Released / )
White Nights - ( Tenant / 1961 / Released / Sonoro Filme )
Austerlitz - ( Carnot / 1960 / Released / Lux )
Julietta - ( Andre Landrecourt / 1957 / Released / )
Royal Affairs in Versailles - ( Louis XV / 1957 / Released / )
Elena and Her Men - ( Rollan / 1956 / Released / Cinedis )
If Paris Were Told To Us - ( Francois I / 1956 / Released / )
Futures Vedettes - ( / 1955 / Released / Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group )
Napoleon - ( Count de Montholon / 1955 / Released / )
La Belle et la Bete - ( Beast/Prince / 1946 / Released / )
La Belle et la Bete - ( Avenant / 1946 / Released / )

TV Credits
Horst: Still in Vogue ( 1993 / Released ): Actor

Full Biography (Back to top)


Although he harbored a desire to act, Jean Marais was rejected by the top drama schools in France. The son of a doctor from whom his mother separated in 1917, he came to the attention of film director Maurice L'Herbier who cast him in small roles in "L'Epervier" and "L'Aventurier" (both 1933). Marais worked at the theater run by Charles Dullin in return for acting classes and a chance to play minor stage roles. In 1937, the actor met the man who would change his life--poet, playwright and designer Jean Cocteau. They became lovers and Cocteau began to utilize the handsome Marais in various stage productions like "Oedipe Roi" and as Sir Galahad in "Les Chevaliers de la table rond". The writer created the role of the smothered son in "Les Parents terribles" especially for the actor, which proved an artistic high point for both. With his striking looks, ethereal charm and vulnerability, Marais proved a perfect choice to embody Cocteau's tragic heroes. He first made his mark in the author's retelling of the Tristan and Isolde myth in "L'Eternal retourne/The Eternal Return" (1943), directed by Jean Delannoy. But perhaps their best-known collaboration remains the poetic masterpiece "La Belle et la bete/Beauty and the Beast" (1945). Of their remaining films together, the 1948 version of "Les parents terribles" ranks as the best. By the time of "Orphee" (1949), their personal relationship was ending, although they remained close friends.

The 1950s saw Marais undertake swashbuckling roles and become France's version of Errol Flynn in a number of popular but critically-derided vehicles like "The Count of Monte Cristo" (1954) and "Le Bossu" (1959). On the advice of Cocteau, he accepted the role of "Fantomas" in the 1964 remake and went on to essay the athletic master criminal in several sequels. In 1970, Jacques Demy tapped him to appear as the widowed king seeking a new queen in the fairy tale "Peau d'ane/Donkey Skin", which was an homage to Cocteau. By then, though, his film career was all but over and Marais returned to the stage, reviving Cocteau plays and appearing as "King Lear". He reteamed with Demy to play the Devil in "Parking" (1985), an ill-advised musical version of "Orphee". His last screen appearances were in Claude Lelouch's "Les Miserables" (1994) and Bernardo Bertolucci's "Stealing Beauty" (1995).


Profession(s):
Actor, director, stage designer, photographer's apprentice, newspaper vendor, golf caddy
Sometimes Credited As:
Jean-Alfred Villain-Marais
Horizontal Line
Family
son:Serge Marais (adopted; survived him)
Companion(s)
Jean Cocteau , Companion , ```..directed Marais in several features including "La Belle et la bete" (1946) and "Orphee" (1950)


Horizontal Line
Education
College de St Germain Paris, France
St Nicholas School Buzenval, France
Awards (Back to top)

Honorary Cesar 1993

Milestones (Back to top)

1996 Final film role as an elderly art dealer in "Stealing Beauty", directed by Bernardo Bertolucci
1995 Acted in Claude Lelouch's "Les miserables"
1985 Appeared as the Devil in "Parking", in a musical remake of "Orphee" directed by Demy
1978 Made London stage debut playing the father in a revival of "Les parents terribles", opposite Lila Kedrova
1970 Cast as the king in Jacques Demy's fairy tale "Peau d'ane/Donkey Skin"
1969 Acted in and directed a stage revival of Cocteau's "Oedipe Roi"
1964 Undertook the leading role in the remake of "Fantomas"; reprised role in several sequels
1960 Appeared in Abel Gance's "Austerlitz"
1959 Reunited with Cocteau for "Le testament d'Orphee"; also marked Cocteau's final film
1957 Appeared with Maria Schell and Marcello Mastroianni in Luchino Visconti's "Les nuits blanches/White Nights"
1954 Had title role in "The Count of Monte Cristo"
1949 Reteamed with Cocteau for "Orphee"; last collaboration for a decade
1948 Recreated stage role in Cocteau's filming of "Les parents terribles"
1946 Originated the role of Stanislas, a poet chosen to assassinate a Queen with whom he instead falls in love in Cocteau's play "L'aigle a deux tetes/The Eagle With Two Heads"; recreated role on screen in
1945 Had one of his greatest screen triumphs as the Beast in Cocteau's "La Belle et la bete/Beauty and the Beast"
1943 Starred in "L'eternal retour/Eternal Return", a modern-day version of the Tristan and Isolde, directed by Jean Delannoy and scripted by Cocteau
1941 Acted in, directed and designed the stage production "Britannicus"
1939 - 1940 Served in the French Air Force
1938 Created role of the son smothered by his moter in play "Les Parents terribles"; part written especially for him by Cocteau
1937 Met Jean Cocteau; acted on stage in Cocteau's productions of "Oedipe roi/Oedipus Rex" and "Les chevaliers de la table rond/Knights of the Round Table"
1936 Studied acting with Charles Dullin; acted in minor roles with Dullin's company
1930 Left school and worked as a photographer's apprentice
After WWI, moved to just outside Paris with his mother
Began studying acting; came to the attention of Marcel L'Herbier who cast him in first film role in "L'Epervier" (1933)
Briefly spent time as a company member of the Comedie-Francaise; did not act on stage
Returned to the Comedie-Francais
Began playing swashbuckling roles in the 1950s
Toured as "King Lear"
Played Prospero in a staging of Shakepeare's "The Tempest"

•To suggest updates to this information, click here


Advertisement