Jean Marais
| Jean Marais | |
|---|---|
photograph by Carl Van Vechten, 1947
|
|
| Born |
Jean-Alfred Villain-Marais 11 December 1913 Cherbourg, France |
| Died |
8 November 1998 (aged 84) Cannes, France |
| Occupation | Actor, director |
| Years active | 1933–1996 |
| Spouse(s) | Mila Parély (m. 1942; div. 1944) |
| Partner(s) |
Jean Cocteau (1937–1963; his death) |
| Children | Serge Villain-Marais |
Jean-Alfred Villain-Marais, also known as Jean Marais (French: [ʒɑ̃ maʁɛ]; 11 December 1913 – 8 November 1998), was a French actor, writer, director and sculptor. He performed in over 100 films and was the muse of acclaimed director Jean Cocteau. In 1996, he was awarded the French Legion of Honor for his contributions to French Cinema.
A native of Cherbourg, France, Marais was a son of Alfred Emmanuel Victor Paul Villain-Marais and his wife, the former Aline Marie Louise Vassord.
In 1933, Marais was discovered by filmmaker Marcel L'Herbier who purchased one of his paintings, then cast him in two films L'Épervier and L'Aventurier. Marais starred in several movies directed by Jean Cocteau, for a time his lover and a lifelong friend, most famously Beauty and the Beast (1946) and Orphée (1949).
In the 1950s, Marais became a star of swashbuckling pictures, enjoying great box office popularity in France. He performed his own stunts. In the 1960s, he played both the famed villain and the hero of the Fantômas trilogy. In 1963, he was a member of the jury at the 3rd Moscow International Film Festival.
After 1970, Marais's on-screen performances became few and far between, as he preferred concentrating on his stage work. He performed on stage until his eighties, also working as a sculptor. His sculpture "Le passe muraille" (The Walker Through Walls) can be seen in the Montmartre Quarter of Paris.
In 1985, he was the head of the jury at the 35th Berlin International Film Festival. He was featured in the 1995 documentary Screening at the Majestic, which is included on the 2003 DVD release of the restored print of Beauty and the Beast. Marais appears on the cover sleeve of The Smiths single This Charming Man.
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