Abraham Joseph Bénard (October 26, 1750 – March 3, 1822), known as Fleury, was a French actor and comedian, known for acting at the

Comédie-Française The Comédie-Française () or Théâtre-Français () is one of the few state theatres in France. Founded in 1680, it is the oldest active theatre company in the world. Established as a French state-controlled entity in 1995, it is the only state ...

. He was born at

Chartres Chartres () is the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Eure-et-Loir Departments of France, department in the Centre-Val de Loire Regions of France, region in France. It is located about southwest of Paris. At the 2019 census, there were 1 ...

, and began his stage apprenticeship at Nancy, where his father was at the head of a company of actors attached to the court of

Stanisław Leszczyński Stanisław I Leszczyński (Stanisław Bogusław; 20 October 1677 – 23 February 1766), also Anglicized and Latinized as Stanislaus I, was twice King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania, and at various times Prince of Deux-Ponts, Duk ...

. After four years in the provinces, he came to Paris in 1778, and almost immediately was made ''sociétaire'' at the Comédie Française, although the public was slow to recognize him as the greatest comedian of the day. During the French Revolution, in 1793 Fleury, like the rest of his fellow-players, was arrested in consequence of the presentation of Laya's controversial ''L' Ami des lots'' ("The Friend of Laws"), and, when liberated, appeared at various theaters until, in 1799, he rejoined the rehabilitated Comédie Française. After forty years of service he retired in 1818. He was notoriously illiterate, and it is probable that the interesting ''Mémoire de Fleury'' owes more to its author, Lafitte, than to the subject whose "notes and papers" it is said to contain.

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