Jean-Pierre Marielle (12 April 1932 – 24 April 2019) was a French actor. He appeared in more than a hundred films in which he played very diverse roles, from a banal citizen (Les Galettes de Pont-Aven), to a World War II hero (Les Milles), to a compromised spy (), to a has-been actor (Les Grands Ducs), to his portrayal of Jacques Saunière in The Da Vinci Code. He was well known for his distinctive cavernous voice, which is often imitated by French humorists who considered him to be archetypical of the French gentleman.
Early life Marielle was born in 1932 in Paris to an industrialist father and a dressmaker mother. His first acting experiences dated back to his high school years during which he staged some of Chekhov's plays with his comrades. He initially wanted to study literature but one of his teachers encouraged him to become an actor instead, so that he joined the Conservatoire National where he became close friends with Jean-Paul Belmondo and Jean Rochefort and from where he left with the comedy second prize in 1954.
Career
Marielle's early career consisted of stage roles with the Grenier-Hussenot company, notably in Harold Pinter's plays, and some small appearances on the large screen by the late 1950s, with his particular voice giving him the abilities to play older characters. However, disappointed by his first movie roles, he turned to cabaret for a certain time.
He obtained a little more consistent roles in the 1960s in movies such as Faites sauter la banque! (1963), starring alongside Louis de Funès, Weekend at Dunkirk (1964) and in particular Un monsieur de compagnie (1965), where French director Philippe de Broca gave him the opportunity to express all of his talent. But his popularity really exploded during the 1970s as he appeared in a lot of comedies. In (1974) he played an Israeli spy having to hide in a trunk in order to be extracted from a country in the Middle East. Les Galettes de Pont-Aven (1975), Que la fête commence (1974) and Coup de Torchon (1981) confirmed him as a great actor.
One of his darker performances is his interpretation of a disillusioned and suicidal cop in (1987). The other major role of his career was Monsieur de Sainte-Colombe in Tous les matins du monde (1991).
In parallel he made a brilliant stage career and received the highest French award for a theater actor, the Molière, in 1994. He played Jacques Sauniere in The Da Vinci Code (2006). He was awarded the Légion d'Honneur in 1992.
Personal life
Marielle was married to French actress Agathe Natanson from 4 October 2003 until his death and had a son from a previous union. He was a great fan of jazz music and New York City.
Marielle died on 24 April 2019, at the age of 87.
Awards 1995 : Golden Goblet Award for Best Actor (2nd Shanghai International Film Festival) for the film Les Milles. 1992 : 7 d'Or Award for Best Actor for the TV film . 1987 : Mystfest Award for Best Actor for the film . 2008 : Honorary Lumière Awards (13th Lumière Awards)
Nominations 2004 – César Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for the film La Petite Lili. 1993 – César Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for the film Max et Jérémie. 1992 – César Award for Best Actor for the film Tous les matins du monde. 1989 – César Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for the film Quelques jours avec moi. 1982 – César Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for the film Coup de Torchon. 1976 – César Award for Best Actor for the film Les Galettes de Pont-Aven.
Filmography Year Title Role Director Notes1957 Le grand bluff Philippe Norbert Patrice Dally Fernand clochard Pierre Chevalier Anyone Can Kill Me Jérôme Henri Decoin Charming Boys The Deauville's receptionist Henri Decoin (2)1958 La fille de la pluie Xavier de la Mauge Jean Prat TV movie1960 Les trois soeurs Toujenbach Jean Prat (2) TV movie La papesse René Lucot TV movie La brune que voilà Cauteret Robert Lamoureux Le mouton The chief of the police headquarters Pierre Chevalier Pierrot la tendresse Emile François Villiers Les joueurs Outiechitelny Marcel Bluwal TV movie1961 La caméra explore le temps Philip IV of France Stellio Lorenzi TV series (1 Episode: "Les Templiers")1962 Climats Philippe Marcenat Stellio Lorenzi (2) Il est minuit docteur Schweitzer Doctor Albert Schweitzer Gilbert Pineau TV movie La caméra explore le temps Louis XIII Guy Lessertisseur TV series (1 Episode: "La conjuration de Cinq-Mars") La nuit des rois Malvolio Claude Barma TV movie1963 L'inspecteur Leclerc enquête Michel Duquesnoy Maurice Cazeneuve TV series (1 Episode: "Le passé d'une femme") Sweet and Sour Monsieur Rakanowsky Jacques Baratier Peau de banane Paul Reynaldo Marcel Ophüls1964 Faites sauter la banque! André Durand-Mareuil Jean Girault Dernière enquête de Wens Jo Adams Ivan Govar Relax Darling David Kouglov Jean Boyer Échappement libre Van Houde Jean Becker Les cabinets particuliers Jacquart Alain Boudet TV movie Male Companion Balthazar Philippe de Broca Weekend at Dunkirk Pierson Henri Verneuil1965 La bonne occase Landrut Michel Drach Cent briques et des tuiles Justin Pierre Grimblat1966 Monnaie de singe Raymond Vernet Yves Robert Roger la Honte Lucien de Noirville Riccardo Freda Tendre Voyou Bob Jean Becker (2)1967 All Mad About Him Reverend Father Fouquet Norbert Carbonnaux1968 L'homme à la Buick The Marquis Gilles Grangier1969 The Devil by the Tail Jean-Jacques Leroy-Martin Philippe de Broca (2) Quarante-huit heures d'amour Mazoillac Jacques Laurent Les Femmes The editor Jean Aurel1970 La perfection des jeunes filles Narrator Ulysse Laugier Short Les caprices de Marie Léopold Panneton Philippe de Broca (3) Le pistonné Le lieutenant Casanova Claude Berri1971 L'amour c'est gai, l'amour c'est triste Maxime Jean-Daniel Pollet The Married Couple of the Year Two Narrator Jean-Paul Rappeneau Voice, Uncredited On est toujours trop bon avec les femmes Mac Cormack Michel Boisrond Without Apparent Motive Perry Rupert-Foote Philippe Labro Four Flies on Grey Velvet Gianni Arrosio Dario Argento1972 Sex-shop Lucien Claude Berri (2) The Ogre Michel Boisrond (2) P'pa je serai serrurier Ulysse Laugier (2) Short, Voice1973 L'affaire Crazy Capo Commissioner Martin Patrick Jamain Major Bloch Georges Lautner Charlie et ses deux nénettes Tony Joël Séria1974 Comment réussir quand on est con et pleurnichard Gérard Malempin Michel Audiard Un linceul n'a pas de poches Doctor Carlille Jean-Pierre Mocky Dis-moi que tu m'aimes Richard Le Royer Michel Boisrond (3)1975 The Common Man Léo Tartaffione Yves Boisset Let Joy Reign Supreme The marquis de Pontcallec Bertrand Tavernier La traque Albert Danville Serge Leroy Les Galettes de Pont-Aven Henri Serin Joël Séria (2) Nominated - César Award for Best Actor1976 Calmos Paul Dufour Bertrand Blier On aura tout vu Morlock Georges Lautner (2) Paul Sturmtruppen Salvatore Samperi Salvatore Samperi1977 The More It Goes, the Less It Goes Inspector Pignon Michel Vianey Comme la lune Pouplard Joël Séria (3) The Accuser Roustev Jean-Louis Bertuccelli Pierre Claude Berri (3)1979 Cause toujours... tu m'intéresses! François Perrin Édouard Molinaro1980 L'entourloupe Castelard Gérard Pirès Voulez-vous un bébé Nobel? Victor Delacroix Robert Pouret (2)1981 Asphalte Albert Pourrat Denis Amar Pétrole! Pétrole! Jean-Marie Tardel Christian Gion Coup de Torchon Georges Le Peron Bertrand Tavernier (2) Nominated - César Award for Best Supporting Actor1982 Emmenez-moi au théâtre: L'étrangleur s'excite Gene Cornflakes Alexandre Tarta TV movie L'indiscrétion Daniel Pierre Lary Jamais avant le mariage Patrick Le Kermadec Daniel Ceccaldi1983 Signes extérieurs de richesse Jérôme Bouvier Jacques Monnet1984 ...e la vita continua Arnoldo Betocchi Dino Risi TV movie Les capricieux Simon Michel Deville TV movie Partenaires Gabriel Gallien Claude d'Anna1985 L'amour en douce Antoine Garnier Édouard Molinaro (2) Hold-Up Simon Labrosse Alexandre Arcady1986 Tenue de soirée The Rich and Depressed Man Bertrand Blier (2)1987 Les mois d'avril sont meurtriers Fred Laurent Heynemann Mystfest - Best Actor Les idiots Kubac Jean-Daniel Verhaeghe TV movie Les 2 crocodiles René Boutancard Joël Séria (4)1988 Un château au soleil Artus de Montdeny Robert Mazoyer TV Mini-Series A Few Days with Me Monsieur Fonfrin Claude Sautet Nominated - César Award for Best Supporting Actor1989 Bouvard et Pecuchet François Bouvard Jean-Daniel Verhaeghe (2) TV movie1990 Six crimes sans assassins Commissioner Bastien Darnancourt Bernard Stora TV movie Clérambard The Count Hector de Clérambard Marcel Bluwal (2) TV movie Uranus Archambaud Claude Berri (4)1991 Tous les Matins du Monde Monsieur de Sainte-Colombe Alain Corneau Nominated - César Award for Best Actor1992 La controverse de Valladolid Bartolomé de las Casas Jean-Daniel Verhaeghe (3) TV movie7 d'Or - Best Actor Max & Jeremie Almeida Claire Devers Nominated - César Award for Best Supporting Actor1993 1, 2, 3, Sun The lonely man Bertrand Blier (3)1994 Le parfum d'Yvonne Dr. Rene Meinthe Patrice Leconte Le Sourire Pierre-François Le Clainche Claude Miller1995 Les Milles Commander Perrochon Sébastien Grall Golden Goblet Award for Best Actor1996 Les Grands Ducs Georges Cox Patrice Leconte (2) L'élève Armand Olivier Schatzky1999 One 4 All Commissioner Bayard Claude Lelouch2000 Les Acteurs Himself Bertrand Blier (4)2001 Madame De... The general Jean-Daniel Verhaeghe (4) TV movie2003 Le nouveau testament Jean Marcelin Yves Di Tullio Bernard Murat TV movie Little Lili Simon Marceaux Claude Miller (2) Nominated - César Award for Best Supporting Actor2004 Tomorrow We Move Popernick Chantal Akerman Pride James's voice John Downer TV movie Atomik Circus - Le retour de James Bataille Bosco Didier & Thierry Poiraud2005 Galilée ou L'amour de Dieu Pope Barberini Jean-Daniel Verhaeghe (5) TV movie Grey Souls Pierre-Ange Destinat Yves Angelo2006 The Da Vinci Code Jacques Saunière Ron Howard Le Grand Meaulnes M. de Galais Jean-Daniel Verhaeghe (6)2007 Let's Dance Salomon Bellinsky Noémie Lvovsky Nominated - César Award for Best ActorNominated - Globes de Cristal Award for Best Actor Ce que mes yeux ont vu Jean Dussart Laurent de Bartillat2008 Livrez-nous Grynszpan Narrator Joël Calmettes TV movie Elles et Moi Emile de Montellier Bernard Stora (2) TV Mini-Series (1 Episode)2009 Micmacs Placard Jean-Pierre Jeunet Darwin (r)évolution Charles Darwin Philippe Tourancheau TV movie2010 Pièce montée Victor Denys Granier-Deferre The Skin of Sorrow Oswald Alain Berliner TV movie Santa's Apprentice Luc Vinciguerra Voice Le mystère Octave Jean-Teddy Filippe2011 Bouquet final Jean-Pierre Josée Dayan TV movie Chez Maupassant Sosthène Gérard Jourd'hui TV series (1 Episode : "Mon oncle Sosthène")2012 Nos retrouvailles The psychoanalyst Josée Dayan (2) TV movie Rondo Abraham Olivier van Malderghem Les seigneurs Titouan Leguennec Olivier Dahan Max Nick Stéphanie Murat La fleur de l'âge Hubert Dassonville Nick Quinn2013 Indiscrétions Bernard Lefort Josée Dayan (3) TV movie2014 The Missionaries Himself Tonie Marshall Des roses en hiver Jean Lorenzo Gabriele TV movie Do Not Disturb Michel's father Patrice Leconte2016 Phantom Boy L'homme au visage cassé Jean-Loup Felicioli and Alain Gagnol Voice2016 Capitaine Marleau Frantz Meyer Josée Dayan (4) TV series (1 Episode)
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