Pierre Brasseur (22 December 1905 – 16 August 1972), born Pierre-Albert Espinasse, was a French actor.

Biography

The son of actors Georges Espinasse and Germaine Brasseur, the latter a cousin of

Albert Brasseur Albert Brasseur was the stage name of the French actor Jules Cyrille Albert Dumont (12 February 1860 – 13 May 1932). The son of a successful Parisian actor manager, Jules Brasseur, he was intended for a military career, but a successful appearan ...

; his grandfather, Jules Brasseur, was an actor as well. The family tradition of using the name ''Brasseur'' was continued by his son Claude and his grandson Alexandre. Pierre Brasseur en 1961 dans le film Mon frère Jacques par Pierre Prévert

Pierre Brasseur en 1961 dans le film Mon frère Jacques par Pierre Prévert

Renowned for playing outsized characters, Brasseur is best remembered for his (semi-fictionalised) portrayal of the actor

Frédérick Lemaître Antoine Louis Prosper "Frédérick" Lemaître (28 July 1800 – 26 January 1876) was a French actor and playwright, one of the most famous players on the celebrated Boulevard du Crime. Biography Lemaître, the son of an architect, was bo ...

in ''

Les Enfants du Paradis ''Children of Paradise'' (original French title: ''Les Enfants du Paradis'') is a two-part French romantic drama film by Marcel Carné, produced under war conditions in 1943, 1944, and early 1945 in both Vichy France and Occupied France. Set in ...

'' (''Children of Paradise'', 1945) and as Docteur Génessier (more subdued) in the horror film '' Les Yeux sans visage'' (''Eyes Without a Face'', 1960) co-starring

Alida Valli Alida Maria Laura, ''Freiin'' Altenburger von Marckenstein-Frauenberg (31 May 1921 – 22 April 2006), better known by her stage name Alida Valli (or simply Valli), was an Italian actress who appeared in more than 100 films in a 70-year career, s ...

. On 30 May 1927, he performed the spoken role of the Narrator in the world premiere of

Igor Stravinsky Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky (6 April 1971) was a Russian composer, pianist and conductor, later of French (from 1934) and American (from 1945) citizenship. He is widely considered one of the most important and influential composers of the ...

opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a libre ...

oratorio An oratorio () is a large musical composition for orchestra, choir, and soloists. Like most operas, an oratorio includes the use of a choir, soloists, an instrumental ensemble, various distinguishable characters, and arias. However, opera is mus ...

Oedipus Rex ''Oedipus Rex'', also known by its Greek title, ''Oedipus Tyrannus'' ( grc, Οἰδίπους Τύραννος, ), or ''Oedipus the King'', is an Athenian tragedy by Sophocles that was first performed around 429 BC. Originally, to the ancient Gr ...

Honours

Brasseur was made ''Chevalier'' (Knight) of the

Légion d'honneur The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon B ...

in 1966. The following year, he was made ''Commandeur'' (Commander) of the

Ordre des Arts et des Lettres The ''Ordre des Arts et des Lettres'' (Order of Arts and Letters) is an order Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to: * Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood * Heterarchy, a system ...

in 1967.

Selected filmography

* ''

A Father Without Knowing It ''A Father Without Knowing It'' (French: ''Papa sans le savoir'') is a 1932 French comedy film directed by Robert Wyler and starring Noël-Noël, Pierre Brasseur and Françoise Rosay.Crisp p.392 Cast * Noël-Noël as Léon Jacquet * Pierre Bra ...

'' (1932) * '' Honeymoon Trip'' (1933) * '' The Weaker Sex'' (1933) * ''

The Uncle from Peking ''The Uncle from Peking'' (French: ''L'oncle de Pékin'') is a 1934 French comedy film directed by Jacques Darmont and starring Armand Bernard, Janine Merrey and Pierre Brasseur.Rège p.285 The film's sets were designed by the art director A ...

'' (1934) * ''

A Rare Bird ''A Rare Bird'' (French: ''Un oiseau rare'') is a 1935 French comedy film directed by Richard Pottier and starring Pierre Brasseur, Max Dearly and Monique Rolland.Parish p.63 The film's sets were designed by the art directors Robert Hubert and ...

'' (1935) * '' The Decoy'' (1935) * ''

Claudine at School ''Claudine at School'' (french: Claudine à l'école) is a 1900 novel by the French writer Colette. The narrative recounts the final year of secondary school of 15-year-old Claudine, her brazen confrontations with her headmistress, Mlle Sergent, ...

'' (1937) * '' Giuseppe Verdi'' (1938) * '' Hercule'' (1938) * ''

Port of Shadows ''Port of Shadows'' (french: Le Quai des brumes , "The dock of mists") is a 1938 French film directed by Marcel Carné. An example of poetic realism, it stars Jean Gabin, Michel Simon and Michèle Morgan. The screenplay was written by Jacques Pr� ...

'' (''Le Quai des brumes'', 1938) * '' Tobias Is an Angel'' (1940) * ''

Summer Light "Summer Light" (stylized in all caps) is a song by Japanese singer-songwriter Rina Aiuchi. It was released on 22 July 2009 through Giza Studio, as a double A-side with " Story and the lead single from her second compilation album ''All Singles ...

'' (1943) * '' Goodbye Leonard'' (1943) * ''

Children of Paradise ''Children of Paradise'' (original French title: ''Les Enfants du Paradis'') is a two-part French romantic drama film by Marcel Carné, produced under war conditions in 1943, 1944, and early 1945 in both Vichy France and Occupied France. Set in ...

'' (1945) * '' Gates of the Night'' (1946) * '' Jericho'' (1946) * '' Love Around the House'' (1947) * '' Rocambole'' (1948) * '' Cruise for the Unknown One'' (1948) * '' The Secret of Monte Cristo'' (1948) * '' The White Night'' (1948) * '' Millionaires for One Day'' (1949) * '' The Lovers Of Verona'' (1949) * '' The Man from Jamaica'' (1950) * '' Julie de Carneilhan'' (1950) * '' Maître après Dieu'' (1951) * ''

Le Plaisir ''Le Plaisir'' (English title, ''House of Pleasure'') is a 1952 French comedy-drama anthology film by German-born film director Max Ophüls (1902–1957) adapting three short stories by Guy de Maupassant — ":fr:Le Masque (Maupassant), Le M ...

'' (1952) * '' Crimson Curtain'' (1952) * '' The King and the Mockingbird (1952, voice) * ''

Rasputin Grigori Yefimovich Rasputin (; rus, links=no, Григорий Ефимович Распутин ; – ) was a Russian mystic and self-proclaimed holy man who befriended the family of Nicholas II, the last Emperor of Russia, thus ga ...

'' (1954) * ''

Oasis In ecology, an oasis (; ) is a fertile area of a desert or semi-desert environmentTower of Lust'' (1955) * ''

Napoléon Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...

'' (1955) * '' Gates of Paris'' (1957) * ''

Life Together ''Life Together'' (german: Gemeinsames Leben) is a book by the German Protestantism in Germany, Protestant theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer, written while he taught at an underground seminary. Other works of Bonhoeffer include ''The Cost of Disci ...

'' (1958) * '' Les Grandes Familles'' (1958) * ''

The Law The Law may refer to: Books * ''The Law'' (Bastiat book), an 1850 book by Frédéric Bastiat * ''The Law'' (novel), a 1957 novel by Roger Vailland * ''The Law'' (novella), a 2022 novella by Jim Butcher Film and television * ''The Law'' ( ...

'' (1959) * ''

Head Against the Wall ''Head Against the Wall'' (french: La Tête contre les murs) is a 1959 French drama film directed by Georges Franju which stars Pierre Brasseur, Paul Meurisse, Jean-Pierre Mocky, Anouk Aimée, and Charles Aznavour. Called ''The Keepers'' on its ...

'' (1959) * ''

Eyes Without a Face Eyes Without a Face can refer to: * ''Eyes Without a Face'' (film), (French: ''Les yeux sans visage''), 1960 French-language horror film * "Eyes Without a Face" (song), 1984 Billy Idol song {{dab ...

'' (1960) * '' Carthage in Flames'' (1960) * ''

Il bell'Antonio ''Il bell'Antonio'' ("Handsome Antonio") is a 1960 Italian-French drama film directed by Mauro Bolognini. The film is based on a novel by Vitaliano Brancati and adapted for the screen by Pier Paolo Pasolini and Gino Visentini. It stars Marcello M ...

'' (1960) * '' Candide ou l'optimisme au XXe siècle'' (1960) * '' Spotlight on a Murderer'' (1961) * ''

The Nina B. Affair ''The Nina B. Affair'' (French: ''L'affaire Nina B.'', German: ''Affäre Nina B'') is a 1961 French-West German drama film directed by Robert Siodmak and starring Nadja Tiller, Pierre Brasseur and Walter Giller.Bock & Bergfelder p.447 The film's ...

'' (1961) * ''

Emile's Boat Emile's Boat (french: Le Bateau d'Émile) is a 1962 French-Italian drama film directed by Denys de La Patellière and starring Annie Girardot, Lino Ventura and Michel Simon. It is based on the eponymous 1954 novel by Georges Simenon. It was made ...

'' (1962) * '' Girl on the Road'' (1962) * '' Lucky Jo'' (1964) * ' (1964) * '' Un monde nouveau'' (1965) * '' A Matter of Resistance'' (1966) * '' King of Hearts'' (1966) * ''

Fortuna Fortuna ( la, Fortūna, equivalent to the Greek goddess Tyche) is the goddess of fortune and the personification of luck in Roman religion who, largely thanks to the Late Antique author Boethius, remained popular through the Middle Ages until ...

'' (1966) * '' Birds in Peru'' (1968) * ''

Sous le signe de Monte-Cristo ''The Return of Monte Cristo'' (''Sous le signe de Monte-Cristo'') is a French film (1968) directed by André Hunebelle. Plot Edmond Dantes (Paul Barge), imprisoned in Sisteron for denouncing and allowing the dismemberment of a whole network of ...

'' (1968) * '' A Little Virtuous'' (1968) * '' The Married Couple of the Year Two'' (1971)

References

* Pierre Brasseur's autobiography: ''Ma Vie en Vrac'', Calmann-Lévy, 1972,

External links

* *
Pierre Brasseur's biography
accessed 12 December 2014 (in French). {{DEFAULTSORT:Brasseur, Pierre 1905 births 1972 deaths French male film actors French male silent film actors French male stage actors Male actors from Paris Chevaliers of the Légion d'honneur Commandeurs of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres 20th-century French male actors Troupe of the Comédie-Française Burials at Père Lachaise Cemetery