François Périer

François Périer, born François Pillu, was a French actor known for his expressiveness and his ability to play a range of diverse roles. From 1938-1996, he made over 110 film and TV appearances with his foray into French avant-garde cinema being particularly notable. Highly prominent in the theatre as well, one of his best-known parts was as Hugo in the first production of Jean-Paul Sartre's 'Les Mains Sales' in 1948. He also lent his voice as the narrator of the French-language version of 'Fantasia' and made several commercial audio recordings, popularizing classical music in France. In 1957, his remarkable performance in the film 'Gervaise' earned him the BAFTA Award for Best Actor. François Périer was born on 10th November 1919 in Paris, France. He had two children with his first wife, Jacqueline Porel, namely, Jean-Marie, a photographer, and journalist Anne-Marie. Périer passed away from a heart attack in his sleep on 29th June 2002 in Paris. His remains were interred at Passy Cemetery in Paris, next to those of stage and silent film actress Réjane, who happened to be the grandmother of Périer's first wife.