Michel Serrault

Born: 1928-01-24 in Brunoy, Essonne, France

Died: 2007-07-29

Known For: Acting

Biography

Michel Serrault (24 January 1928 – 29 July 2007) was a French stage and film actor who appeared from 1954 until 2007 in more than 130 films. His first professional job was in a touring production in Germany of Molière's Les Fourberies de Scapin. In 1948, he began his career in the theatre with Robert Dhéry in Les Branquignols. His first film was Ah! Les belles bacchantes, starring Robert Dhéry, Colette Brosset (Dhéry's then-wife), and Louis de Funès; directed by Jean Loubignac in 1954. Serrault played in the 1955 suspense thriller Les diaboliques, starring Simone Signoret and directed by Henri-Georges Clouzot. From February 1973 through 1978, he portrayed the role of Albin/Zaza opposite Jean Poiret in the play La cage aux folles, written by Poiret. He recreated the role for the film version of the play, which was released in 1978. In 1977-1978 he played the composer Jacques Offenbach in a six-part series of one-hour episodes about the musician's life, each one focusing on a specific aspect or work. Serrault died from relapsing polychondritis at his home in Équemauville on 29 July 2007 at age 79. He was buried in Sainte-Catherine's cemetery in Honfleur and was transferred in 2009 to the cemetery of Neuilly-sur-Seine near his wife Juanita Saint-Peyron and daughter Caroline, who died in 1977. He had another daughter, actress Nathalie Serrault. Source: Article "Michel Serrault" from Wikipedia in English, licensed under CC-BY-SA.

Filmography

2007

Le Bénévole as Max Birgos
L'Avare as Harpagon
Antonio Vivaldi - A Prince in Venice as L'archevêque de Venise
Have Mercy on Us All as Hervé Decambrais

2006

Les enfants du pays as Gustave

2005

Joyeux Noel as The Castle Keeper
Monsieur Léon as Docteur Léon Chapuis
Grabuge! as Commissaire Lancret

2004

Albert est méchant as Albert Moulinot

2003

Le Furet as Anzio
L'Affaire Dominici as Gaston Dominici

2002

The Butterfly as Julien
Michel Audiard et le mystère du triangle des Bermudes as Self (archive footage)
24 Hours in the Life of a Woman as Louis

2001

Belphegor, Phantom of the Louvre as Verlac
Vajont as L'Ingegner Carlo Semenza
The Girl from Paris as Adrien Rochas
Un cœur oublié as Monsieur de Fontenelle

2000

The Libertine as Le Cardinal
Actors as Michel Serrault

1999

The Children of the Marshland as Hyacinthe Richard, aka 'Pépé la Rainette'

1998

Vivement dimanche as Self

1997

Artemisia as Orazio Gentileschi
The Comedian as Le comédien
Assassin(s) as Mr. Wagner
The Swindle as Victor

1996

Beaumarchais the Scoundrel as Louis XV

1995

Happiness Is in the Field as Francis Bergeade
Nelly and Monsieur Arnaud as Mr. Pierre Arnaud
Tel est Serrault as Self

1994

Bonsoir as Alex Ponttin

1992

Old Rascal as Darius Caunes
Room Service as M. Luc
Ville à vendre as Rousselot, le maire

1991

Héloïse as Maurice Martin, Héloïse
L'Huissier as Maître Malicorne
The Old Lady Who Walked in the Sea as Pompilius

1990

Stars 90 as Self
Dr. Petiot as Docteur Petiot
Nouvelles de Marcel Aymé as Martin / Héloïse

1989

Merry Christmas... Happy New Year as Gino
Love Comedy as Paul Léautaud

1988

Let Sleeping Cops Lie as Roger Scatti
Bonjour l'angoisse as Michaud
No Harm Intended as Paul Duchêne

1987

Sacrée Soirée as Self
Miracle Healing as Ronald Fox-Terrier
Matin Bonheur as Self
Ennemis intimes as Baudin

1986

My Brother-in-law Killed My Sister as Octave Clapoteau

1985

He Died with His Eyes Open as Robert Staniland
La Cage aux Folles 3 as Albin Mougeotte / 'Zaza Napoli'
Liberté, égalité, choucroute as Louis XVI
Les Rois du gag as Gaëtan / Robert Wellson

1984

Kill the Referee as Rico, aggressive supporter
Good King Dagobert as Otarius
Le Bon Plaisir as Le ministre de l'Intérieur

1983

Deadly Circuit as Louis Beauvoir, ' l'Œil '

1982

Champs-Elysées as Self
The Roaring Forties as Sébastien Barral
Nestor Burma, détective de choc as Nestor Burma
Quarter to Two Before Jesus Christ as Jules César
The Hatter's Ghost as Léon Labbé

1981

Malevil as Emmanuel Comte
The Inquisitor as Jérôme Martinaud

1980

Heads or Tails as Édouard Morlaix
Il lupo e l'agnello as Léon
La Cage aux Folles II as Albin Mougeotte / 'Zaza Napoli'

1979

The Associate as Julien Pardot
L'Esprit de famille as le docteur Charles Moreau
La Grâce as Henri Dupérier
Buffet Froid as Le comptable
The Other One's Mug as Martial Perrin/Gilbert Brossard

1978

La Cage aux Folles as Zaza
Get Out Your Handkerchiefs as le voisin
Other People's Money as Miremant

1977

Le Roi des bricoleurs as Bordin
Les Folies Offenbach as Jacques Offenbach
Le Passe-muraille as Dutilleul

1976

30 millions d'amis as Self
La situation est grave... mais pas désespérée as Jean-Pierre Mazard

1975

Apostrophes as Self
Les Rendez-vous du dimanche as Self
The Red Ibis as Jérémie
The Restroom Robbery as Max
Système 2 as Self

1974

Spécial cinéma as Self
The Down-in-the-Hole Gang as Jean-Paul Rondin
No Pockets in a Shroud as Justin Blesh
Chinese In Paris as Grégoire Montclair
Bloody Murder as Edouard Henricot
La Gueule de l’emploi as L'inspecteur de police
Operation Lady Marlene as Paulo

1973

The Big Store as Félix Boucan, directeur du supermarché
La Cage aux folles as Albin aka 'Zaza Napoli'
Big Deal as Paul
Moi y'en a vouloir des sous as Le curé Léon

1972

Le Grand Échiquier as Self
Midi trente as Self
Everybody He Is Nice, Everybody He Is Beautiful as Marcel Jolin
The Annuity as Louis Martinet
A Murder Is a Murder as Le commissaire Plouvier / Superintendant

1971

Samedi soir as Self
Le Cri du cormoran, le soir au-dessus des jonques as Alfred Mullanet
Qu'est-ce qui fait courir les crocodiles ? as Achille

1970

La Liberté en croupe as Paul Cérès
Ces messieurs de la gâchette as Gabriel Pelletier

1969

Un merveilleux parfum d'oseille as Commissaire Le Gac
Call Me Mathilde as François

1968

The Great Chase as Aldo Moreni
À bout portant as Self
Would-Be Gentleman as M. Jourdain
The Men in the Family as Gabriel Pelletier

1967

Order of the Daisy as L'inspecteur Papin
The Madman of Lab Four as Mr. Granger, director of the scientific laboratory
The Great Gadget as Pounet
Du mou dans la gâchette as The armorer
Pour avoir Adrienne as Thomeret
Cette nuit-là à Bethléem

1966

Les Combinards as La père de Lucile
Les enquiquineurs as Martin - instituteur
King of Hearts as Monsieur Marcel
At Theatre Tonight as Thomeret
The Boss of Champignol as Hector

1965

How Not to Rob a Department Store as Méloune
When the Pheasants Pass as Rimero
The Real Bargain as Hutin
Under Your Hat as Gaston Berrien / Monsieur Max
Les baratineurs as Henri
The Double Bed as Albert
Me and the Forty Year Old Man as Bénéchol
Le petit monstre as Valet

1964

Clémentine chérie as Maître Brunet
Male Hunt as Gaston Lartois
Dandelions by the Roots as Jérôme Martinet, contrebassiste et comédien
Jaloux comme un tigre as Mr. Lurot
Hard Boiled Ones as Rossignol, private detective
How Do You Like My Sister? as Varangeot

1963

Carom Shots as Le commissaire Baudu
Bebert and the Train as Barthoin

1962

The Dance as Pétrarque
Love on a Pillow as Varange
The Four Truths as Corbeau (segment "Le corbeau et le renard")
Un clair de Lune à Maubeuge as Charpentier, le conférencier
We Will Go to Deauville as Lucien Moreau
How to Succeed in Love as Commissioner

1961

The American Beauty as Tramp
My Wife Is a Panther as Butcher
On purge bébé as Guillaume Chouilloux

1960

Candide or The Optimism in the 20th Century as Le second policier / Policeman
Love and the Frenchwoman as L'avocat de Danielle (segment "Le Divorce")

1959

Discorama as Self
Oh! What a Mambo as L'inspecteur Vidalie
You Have Nothing to Declare? as Dr. Emile Couzan
L'anglais tel qu'on le parle as Eugène, l'interprète
The Bureaucrats as le conservateur du musée de Vallembrais / Son petit-fils
Nina as Adolphe Tessier
La Malle volante as M. Loiseau

1958

Clara and the Villains as 'La Parole'
Musée Grévin as The visitor

1957

The Innocent with Forty Children as Jean-François Robignac
Adorables démons as Jacques Willis Senior
L'Habit vert as Count Hubert de Latour-Latour

1956

Murderers and Thieves as Albert Lecagneux, le cambrioleur
That Naughty Girl as Inspector Leduc
Life is beautiful as le démarcheur
The Terror with Women as Gendarme
Mon bébé as Jimmy Scott

1955

Diabolique as Mr. Raymond

1954

What the East Wind Saw as Zamore
Peek-a-boo as Serrault, le trompettiste