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Benoît-Constant Coquelin


Benoît-Constant Coquelin (French pronunciation: ​[bənwa kɔ̃stɑ̃ kɔklɛ̃]; 23 January 1841 – 27 January 1909), known as Coquelin aîné ("Coquelin the Eldest"), was a French actor, "one of the greatest theatrical figures of the age."

Coquelin was born in Boulogne-sur-Mer, Pas-de-Calais. He was originally intended to follow his father's trade of baker (he was once called "un boulanger manqué" by a hostile critic), but his love of acting led him to the Conservatoire, where he entered Régnier's class in 1859. He won the first prize for comedy within a year, and made his début on 7 December 1860 at the Comédie-Française as the comic valet, Gros-René, in Molière's Le Dépit amoureux, but his first great success was as Figaro in The Barber of Seville, in the following year. It was an honor for Coquelin to be a part of the Comédie-Française at such a young age. This company had already been in existence for around 150 years.

He was made sociétaire in 1864. There were 21 34 shares and they were divided among the lead actors, known as societaires. The societaires co-manage, choose plays, and share profits. When there was an opening caused by retirement, resignation, or death, it was filled by a member of the pensionnaires. And just four years after joining the Comédie-Française, Coquelin became one of the elite societaires. During the next twenty-two years he created at the Comédie Française the leading parts in forty-four new plays, including Théodore de Banville's Gringoire (1867), Paul Ferrier's Tabarin (1871), Émile Augier's Paul Forestier (1871), L'Étrangère (1876) by the younger Dumas, Charles Lomon's Jean Dacier (1877), Édouard Pailleron's Le Monde où l'on s'ennuie (1881), Erckmann and Chatrian's Les Rantzau (1884).


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