Michel Serrault

Michel Lucien Serrault (Brunoy, on January 24th, 1928 - Équemauville , on July 29th, 2007) est a actor French.
It one of the most popular and atypical actors of its generation, was appreciated as well by the Intelligentsia as by the General public to be itself cast with ease and authenticity, throughout a strong career of one hundred thirty five feature-length films, in very different and original roles: boulevard ( the Cage with insane the ), comedy absurdity or delirious ( cold Dresser , Miraculé , Nothing goes more ) with a more dark register ( Police custody , Phantoms of the hatter , Mortelle excursion , Doctor Petiot ) while passing by a pallet of dramatic interpretations moderate ( Nelly and Mr Arnaud , Le Monde de Marty ). He is the only actor to have obtained three César of the best actor.

Biography

Entered at 14 years with small the Séminaire of Conflans, it wishes to become priest and proclaims to have two passions: “to make laugh and occupy me of God”. It is the father Van Hamme who then directs it towards his trade of actor. Michel Serrault will say later that he would not have liked the wish of Chasteté.

In Duo with Jean Poiret, which it meets in 1952, it made the beautiful hours of the Cabaret S Paris iens in the Années 1950 and 1960.

It also forms part of the troop Branquignols. With the Cinema, it begins with a role in Diabolic the (1955) from Henri-Georges Clouzot then with the troop from Branquignols in Ah! Beautiful the bacchantes . It will take part in their many other films.

It launches out in a long adventure in the comic film Assassins and robbers (1957) of Sacha Guitry with Jean Poiret, the Life annuity (1972) of Pierre Tchernia (which will make it turn in several films) with Michel Galabru. Michel Galabru with whom it turns also a great number of films like Gaspards , Room service . It also makes its beginnings with some Louis de Funès little known at that time, We will go to Deauville , Of the dandelions by the root , Carambolages .

Appear of the Light comedies, with its roles in televised parts of To the theater this evening , it triumphs in 1973 in the role over the eccentric disguised “ Zaza Napoli ” over the Cage with insane the , that it will rejouera later with an international success, it is one of rare the Acteur S French with being able to allow itself to turn at the same time in large productions but also of films of Art and test, often with less general public.

In 1977, it loses his/her Caroline daughter (then 19 years old) in a road accident to Neuilly-sur-Seine.

This family drama is relatively parallel to an artistic change of course: it is from now on in dramatic roles that the actor will excel, sometimes raising with the polemical sharp passage in particular in 1997 at the time of the presentation to the Cannes festival of the film Assassin (S) of Mathieu Kassovitz. After obtaining a second César for Police custody (1981) of Claude Miller, where he camps a cynical and ambiguous notary, suspected of being the author of a double rape and homicide on minor, its dialogist Michel Audiard declared about it: he is the largest actor of the world . This door-close police where he confronts with Lino Ventura mark without question a great turning in his career since in front of him the door of darker interpretations opens: he appears in 1982 at the side of Charles Aznavour as a provincial small shopkeeper dedicated to the murders of old women in the the Phantoms of the hatter of Claude Chabrol (adapted Georges Simenon) or becomes, in Mortelle excursion (1983) of Claude Miller, a father who believes to recognize his daughter died in the person of a young loophole (interpreted by Isabelle Adjani) that he follows and of which he erases the traces left on the scenes of crime.

He faces then, paralyzed and voiceless, his hybrid daughter-in-law camped by Nathalie Baye in In all innocence (1988) of Alain Jessua and endorses, for Christian de Chalonge, the tinsels of the contemptible war criminal Marcel Petiot in Doctor Petiot (1990). It was in addition this realizer who had revealed his capacities to endorse ambiguous roles with the Money of the others in 1978 where it was a banking worrying good. In 1995, Nelly and Mr Arnaud , the film will of Claude Sautet, are another decisive stage for Serrault since it shown there a dramatic nuance that it had seldom expressed before. Its service as a reprocessed and widowed, disillusioned, solitary soldier and melancholic person, requesting the services of an young woman forsaken (played by Emmanuelle Béart) to write her memories, is unanimously recognized as being its most succeeded composition. Besides it enables him to gain ultimate a César in 1996. In 1999 in Le Monde de Marty of Denis Bardiau, it holds the role of a dumb and paralyzed old man, reached Maladie of Alzheimer but whose voice comments on in off the accounts of its friendship incipient with an ill child from leukemia.

At the end of his life, the actor played rather of the roles of “pépé” country to the Frenchwoman, bougon, a little lout, but with a large heart, as in the Children of the marsh (1999) of Jean Becker, with Jacques Villeret and Jacques Gamblin, a swallow made spring (2001) of Christian Carion, the Butterfly (2002) of Philippe Muyl, Albert is malicious (2003) or the Natives of Pierre Javaux.

Little time before its death, one could see it with funerals of Jean-Claude Brialy, in Paris. It also put the last hand at a work in which it wished to tell its memories, while being turned over on its exceptional career. This work, which is entitled has soon , is appeared on November 12th, 2007 at Oh! Editions.

He died at his place on July 29th, 2007, at the 79 years age, of the continuations of a cancer. August 2nd, 2007, by many friends of the cinema world and some official representatives assisted with its funerals in the church Holy-Catherine of Honfleur. It is buried with the cemetery Holy-Catherine of Honfleur.

Autobiographical account

He wrote three years before his death an autobiographical work: You said Serrault? , and a newspaper: feet in the dish! , in which it makes share of the remarks, thoughts and criticisms which are offered to its glance of actor and his heart of Christian.

In its autobiography, he explained how much the Christian Foi had marked its existence and had given a direction to its life.

Rewards and nominations

  • César of the cinema:
    • 1979 : Rewarded for the César of the best actor for the Cage with insane the (1978).
      • Named with the César of the male best supporting role for the Money of the others (1978).
    • 1981 : Named with the César of the best actor the Cage with insane the {{II}} (1980).
    • 1982 : Rewarded for the César of the best actor for Police custody (1981).
    • 1984 : Named with the César of the best actor for Mortal Excursion (1983).
    • 1986 : Named in the César of the best actor for One dies only twice (1985).
    • 1991 : Named with the César of the best actor for Doctor Petiot (1990).
    • 1996 : Rewarded for the César of the best actor for Nelly and Mr Arnaud (1995).
  • Price Light:
    • 1996 : Rewarded for the Price Light of the best actor for Nelly and Mr Arnaud (1995).
    • 1998 : Rewarded for the Prix Light of the best actor for Nothing goes any more (1997).
  • 1979 : Rewarded for the David di Donatello Awards of the best foreign actor ( Migliore attore straniero ) for the Cage with insane the (1978).
    (Divided with Richard Gere for Days off Heaven (1978).)
  • 1980 : The film the Cage with insane the receives the Golden Globe Award of the better foreign film.

Decorations

Career

Theater

Movie actor: detailed catalog of films

Years 1954-1959

Years 1960-1969

Years 1970-1979

Years 1980-1989

Years 1990-1999

Years 2000-2007

Filmographic notes

  • Michel Serrault is often credited wrongly in the Virgins (1962) with Jean-Pierre Mocky, whereas it made there only figuration
  • the film Assassin (S) (1997), of Mathieu Kassovitz, made scandal during his selection to the Cannes festival. The film, considered to be too violent, was interdict with less than 16 years.
  • Voluntary the , of Jean-Pierre Mocky, one of last films of Michel Serrault, was refused in the cinematographic and televised chains, and the realizer, not finding the money necessary to exploit film in room, passed from cinemas in cinemas with the copy of film.
  • It was a long time interdict of direct on television to be itself shown stripped, in company of Nagui, at the time of the newspaper of 20:00 of Bruno Masure in 1993.
  • the role which it held in Happiness is in the pre was to be held by Jean Carmet. But Carmet dies in April 1994, Serrault replaced it.
  • Michel Serrault was Co-dialogist for a film: the Good bargain of Michel Drach (1965).
  • It was had a presentiment of, with in others Peter Ustinov, Louis de Funès (which did not want to change register) to play the part of the father in the Cinema of dad of Claude Berri. They declined and it was Yves Robert which obtained the role (see card of Michel Serrault on Allociné - to see external bond).

Television

Books

  • the cry of the carrot (with Jean-Louis Remilleux), Michel Lafon, 1995, rééd. Did Ramsay, 1997

  • … you say Serrault? , Editions Florent Massot, 2001
  • feet in the dish! , Oh! Editions, 2004
  • '' has soon '', Oh! Editions, 2007

Documentary devoted to Michel Serrault

Quotations

  • I am not any more afraid of death since I learned that I will not be the first to be passed by there.
  • The laughter must be built, based on the reality of the life, on common facts. The madness, yes, but with a framework. (Le Figaro Magazine, March 31st, 2001)
  • If the actor does not hustle reality to go further in the emotions or the laughter, it is not any more one artist. (Le Figaro Magazine, March 31st, 2001)
  • An actor is somebody who must invent, to let itself carry by his invention. It is essential to give one more, not to be satisfied to be a blind servant and ignare. (Le Figaro Magazine, March 31st 2001)
  • If I did not become priest, it is because of the vows of chastity. (Good Evening, February 24th, 1993)
  • The faith belongs to my life. If there is not the faith to recover, to transform the direction of the life, all becomes a little ridiculous, and even pathetic (in connection with the death of his/her daughter in 1977; city by the Father Alain of Morandais, July 30th, 2007)
  • Would I have one day the possibility of exerting a trade which would not make me lose the taste to amuse me? (… you said Serrault? )
  • I have the heart of Chaplin with a head of apothecary ; (city by Pierre Murat in Télérama N°3005 of August 18th, 2007)

See too

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