Jean-Claude Brialy

Jean-Claude Brialy (30 March 1933 – 30 May 2007) was a French actor and film director.

Early life Brialy was born in Aumale (now Sour El-Ghozlane), French Algeria, where his father was stationed with the French Army. Brialy moved to mainland France with his family in 1942. He was an alumnus of the Prytanée National Militaire. When he was 21 years old, he went to Paris to work as an actor.

Career In 1956, Brialy acted in his first role in the short film Le coup du berger (Fool's Mate) by Jacques Rivette.

By the late 1950s, he'd become one of the most prolific actors in the French nouvelle vague and a star. He appeared in films of nouvelle vague directors such as Claude Chabrol (Le Beau Serge, 1958; Les Cousins, 1959), Louis Malle (Ascenseur pour l'échafaud, 1958; The Lovers, 1958), François Truffaut (The 400 Blows, 1959), Jean-Luc Godard, (A Woman Is a Woman, 1961), Éric Rohmer (Claire's Knee, 1970), as well as in films of other filmmakers such as Jean Renoir (Elena and Her Men 1958), Roger Vadim (Circle of Love, 1964), Philippe de Broca (King of Hearts, 1966), Luis Buñuel (The Phantom of Liberty, 1974), and Claude Lelouch (Robert et Robert, 1978).

Accustomed to supporting roles, he starred in Le Beau Serge in 1957, La Chambre ardente in 1962, Carambolages in 1963, L'Année sainte (with Jean Gabin) in 1976, and Julie pot de colle the following year, but never managed to establish himself as a leading man like Alain Delon or Jean-Paul Belmondo. He made up to ten films a year in the 1960s.

In 2006, he appeared in his last role, as the eponymous character of the TV film Monsieur Max, directed by Gabriel Aghion. Godard described him as "the French Cary Grant," while Brialy's self-described "life models" had reportedly been actor Sacha Guitry and director Jean Cocteau.

Brialy directed a number of films, including Églantine in 1971, which was loosely inspired by his own memories of a happy childhood spent in Chambellay with his grandparents, and Les volets clos (Closed shutters) in 1972.

He owned the restaurant L'Orangerie, on the Île Saint-Louis; he'd also worked as a TV presenter, a singer, and a radio host. During the presentation of one of his books, Brialy described himself this way: "I'm a boy who got lucky enough to do what I love in life".

Personal life and death Brialy, in 1959, acquired a château in the commune of Monthyon, near Paris. There, he accommodated and entertained many friends from the cinema and the theatre, such as Jean Marais, Pierre Arditi, and Romy Schneider whom he'd met during the 1958 production of the film Christine. Schneider, after the 1981 fatal accident of her son David, found a "refuge from the paparazzi" in Brialy's home. French singer Barbara would often sing at the piano. Director Jean-Pierre Melville used the château to shoot the last scenes of his 1970 crime film Le Cercle Rouge, where Alain Delon and Yves Montand are killed by the police.

In his books, the autobiographical Le Ruisseau des singes (The river of monkeys) (2000) and the memoir J'ai oublié de vous dire (I Forgot to Tell You) (2004),During a presentation of the book, Brialy insisted that "The lives of other people are often more interesting than one’s own." See Sturmey (2005) Brialy revealed that, despite early affairs with women, he was gay.Têtu magazine, July–August 2007 issue, p.22

Brialy died on 30 May 2007, in his Monthyon home, after a long time with cancer. He bequeathed his Monthyon estate to the commune of Meaux, near Monthyon, with the following codicil: that the Meaux authorities would finance the estate's maintenance as long as his partner, Bruno Finck (1962-2021), would reside there. In the summer of 2020, Finck left the estate and, for "health reasons," moved to the south of France, upon which time the commune of Meaux assumed full ownership of the estate. At the end of January 2021, the mayor invited the association of the Friends of Jean-Claude Brialy to "work in close collaboration [with Meaux]" in the context of "enhancing" the star's "heritage."

Honours : Commander of the Order of Cultural Merit (November 2002)

Filmography

As actor Year Title Role Director Notes1956Fool's MateClaudeJacques RivetteShortLa Sonate à KreutzerTrukhacevskijÉric Rohmer1957 A Friend of the FamilyPhilippe LemonnierPaolo SorrentinoYoung Girls BewareLe client du sexy-barYves AllégretUncreditedAmour de pocheJean-LoupPierre KastAnyone Can Kill MeJean-ClaudeHenri Decoin1958Elevator to the Gallowsa chess playerLouis MalleUncreditedSchool for CoquettesRobertJacqueline AudryLe Beau SergeFrançois BaillouClaude Chabrol White Cargo Jean Georges LacombeThe Loversthe house husbandLouis MalleUncredited And Your Sister?Bruno PuymartinMaurice DelbezChristineThéo KaiserPierre Gaspard-Huit1959Les CousinsPaul ThomasClaude ChabrolThe 400 BlowsMan in StreetFrançois TruffautAll the Boys Are Called PatrickPatrickJean-Luc GodardShortWay of YouthPaul TiercelinMichel BoisrondBad Girls Don't CryScintilloneMauro BologniniEyes of LovePierre SégurDenys de La Patellière1960Jean-ClaudePierre KastThe GigoloJackyJacques DerayThe Army GameCapitaineFrançois Truffaut and Claude de GivrayUncredited1961A Story of Wateryoung man in a carJean-Luc Godard and François TruffautShortWise GuysRonaldClaude ChabrolA Woman Is a WomanÉmile RécamierJean-Luc GodardThree Faces of SinLaurent RenaudFrançois VilliersThe Lions Are LooseDidier MarèzeHenri VerneuilAmores CélebresTörringMichel Boisrond(segment "Agnès Bernauer")Paris Belongs to UsJean-MarcJacques Rivette1962A Very Private AffairnarratorLouis MalleVoice, UncreditedThe Burning CourtMarc DesgrezJulien DuvivierThe Seven Deadly SinsArthurClaude Chabrol(segment "Avarice, L'")Girl on the RoadJean-ClaudeJacqueline AudrySentimental EducationFrédéric MoreauAlexandre AstrucCléo from 5 to 7the male nurseAgnès VardaUncredited Arsène Lupin Versus Arsène LupinFrançois de VierneÉdouard MolinaroThe Devil and the Ten CommandmentsDidier MartinJulien Duvivier(segment "Bien d'autrui ne prendras")1963Two Are GuiltyJean-Philippe PrévostAndré CayattePeople in Lucka young man in a carJack Pinoteau(segment "Un gros lot"), UncreditedCarom ShotsPaul MartinMarcel BluwalLa banda CasaroliCorrado MinguzziFlorestano VanciniNutty, Naughty ChateauSébastienRoger Vadim1964La Bonne SoupeJacquotRobert ThomasTonio KrögerTonio KrögerRolf ThieleMale HuntAntoine MonteilÉdouard MolinaroCircle of LoveAlfredRoger VadimMale CompanionAntoinePhilippe de BrocaPhilippe LambertMichel BoisrondLes siffleursJean-Claude BrialyCorneliu PorumboiuLove at SeaL'homme qui aime la nuit et la jeunesseGuy Gillescameo appearance1965L'Amour à la chaîneLe spectateur du cabaretClaude de GivrayUncreditedLa bonne occaseMichel DrachCameo AppearanceCent briques et des tuilesMarcelPierre GrimblatThe MandrakeLigurioAlberto LattuadaI Knew Her WellDario MarchionniAntonio Pietrangeli1966Our HusbandsOttavioLuigi Zampa(segment "Il marito di Olga")King of Heartsthe Duke of TrèflePhilippe de Broca1967AnnaSergePierre KoralnikTV movieShock TroopsJeanCosta-GavrasThe Oldest ProfessionPhilibertPhilippe de Broca(segment "Mademoiselle Mimi")Lamielthe Count of AubignéJean AurelOperation St. Peter'sCajellaLucio Fulci1968Manon 70Jean-PaulJean Aurel Darling Caroline Comte de BoimussyDenys de La PatellièreThe Bride Wore BlackCoreyFrançois Truffaut1970The Ball of Count OrgelCount of OrgelMarc AllégretClaire's KneeJérômeÉric Rohmer1971Gang WarDomenico "Mimì" GargiuloStenoA Season in HellPaul VerlaineNelo Risi1972Paul KastnerÉtienne Périer1973A Rare BirdArmand, 'l'oiseau rare'Jean-Claude Brialy1974Loving in the RainLe dragueurJean-Claude BrialyThe Phantom of LibertyMonsieur FoucaultLuis BuñuelLike a Pot of StrawberriesNorbertJean Aurel1975Catherine & Co.GuillaumeMichel BoisrondLes Onze Mille VergesLe client de la gallerie d'artÉric LipmannUncredited1976The Judge and the AssassinVilledieuBertrand TavernierUn animal doué de déraisonClaudePierre KastScrambled EggsBrumaireJoël SantoniL'Année saintePierre BizetJean GiraultBaroccoWalt, the editorAndré Téchiné1977Jean-LucPhilippe de BrocaThe AccuserLe RantecJean-Louis BertucelliPour ClémenceNarratorCharles BelmontVoiceDouble MurderVan NijlenSteno1978Robert et RobertJacques MilletClaude LelouchThe Song of RolandLe SeigneurFrank Cassenti1979Le Maître-nageurLoganJean-Louis TrintignantBobo JaccoGuillaumeWalter Bal1980L'oeil du maîtreCazeauStéphane KurcThe Lady BankerPaul CisterneFrancis Girod1981Les Uns et les Autresthe Lido's directorClaude Lelouch1982That Night in VarennesMonsieur JacobEttore ScolaThe Girl from TriesteProfessor MartinPasquale Festa Campanile1983Le Démon dans l'îleDr. Paul Henry MarshallFrancis LeroiCap CanailleSamuel KedabjanJuliet Berto and Jean-Henri RogerDeadly CircuitMonsieur VoragineClaude MillerÉdith et MarcelLoulou BarrierClaude LelouchSarahGabriel LarcangeMaurice DugowsonStellaRoland CaronLaurent HeynemannJean-François RambertPhilippe LabroGramps Is in the Resistancetennis player sycophantJean-Marie Poiré1984Pinot simple flicMorcyGérard Jugnot1985Le téléphone sonne toujours deux fois!!the inspectorJean-Pierre VergneLe 4ème pouvoirSerge LeroyTV directorLe Mariage du siècleKaffenbergPhilippe GallandAn Impudent GirlSamClaude Miller1986Inspecteur LavardinClaude AlvarezClaude ChabrolSuivez mon regardFreddy Langlois, l'impresarioJean CurtelinA Man and a Woman: 20 Years LaterUn spectateur de '40 ans déjà'Claude LelouchUncreditedLe DébutantWillyDaniel Janneau1987Lévy et GoliathBijou / DelarocheGérard OuryGrand GuignolM. AlbertJean MarboeufMaschenkaKolinJohn GoldschmidtLe MoustachuLeroyDominique ChaussoisMaladie d'amourFrédéricJacques DerayLes InnocentsKlotzAndré Téchiné1989Comédie d'étéGastonDaniel Vigne1990There Was a Castle with Forty Dogsthe judgeDuccio TessariMy New Partner IILe banquierClaude ZidiFaux et usage de fauxCharles LaumièreLaurent HeynemannNo Fear, No DiePierre ArdennesClaire Denis1991AoûtMartinHenri Herré1994La Reine MargotColignyPatrice ChéreauThe MonsterMr. RoccarottaRoberto Benigni1995One Hundred and One Nightsthe guide for Japanese touristsAgnès VardaA French WomanArnoultRégis WargnierBeaumarchaisAbbotÉdouard MolinaroLe Fils de GascogneHimselfPascal Aubier1996BeaumarchaisAbbotÉdouard MolinaroUnpredictable Nature of the RiverMonsieur de Saint-ChamontBernard GiraudeauPortraits chinoisRené SandreMartine Dugowson1999L'Homme de ma vieLucien VilnerStéphane KurcKennedy et moiBenny GrimaldiSam Karmann2000Les ActeursHimselfBertrand BlierIn extremisThe lawyerÉtienne Faure2001Concorrenza slealeNonno MattiaEttore ScolaSouth KensingtonFernandinoCarlo Vanzina 2002Les Filles, personne s'en méfieLe projectionnisteCharlotte SilveraSpecial DeliveryRobert FresnelJeanne Labrune2003The Car KeysHimselfLaurent Baffie2004PeopleMinimoFabien Onteniente2005Quartier V.I.P.FerdinandLaurent FirodeLes Rois mauditsHugues de BouvilleJosée DayanEpisode: "Le Roi de Fer"2007Vous êtes de la police ?Alfred LamproieRomuald Beugnon(final film role)

As director Eglantine (1972) Closed Shutters (1973) A Rare Bird (1973) Loving in the Rain (1974) La nuit de l'été (1979) Les malheurs de Sophie (1981) Cinq-Mars (1981) A Good Little Devil (1983) Vacances bourgeoises (1996) Georges Dandin de Molière (1997) La dame aux camélias (1998) with Cristiana Reali and Michaël Cohen Les parents terribles (2003)

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