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Jean Marais
Jean Marais (born Jean‑Alfred Villain‑Marais on 11 December 1913 in Cherbourg, France) was a quintessential figure of French cinema and the arts, whose career spanned more than six decades. He began his stage work in the mid‑1930s, catching the eye of poet‑filmmaker Jean Cocteau, who would become his lover, muse, and artistic collaborator from 1937 to 1947. Their partnership produced iconic works such as La Belle et la Bête (1946) and Orphée (1950), films that cemented Marâs reputation as a charismatic leading man capable of melding classical tragedy with surrealist imagination. Beyond acting, Marais cultivated a prolific parallel career as a film director, theatre director, painter, sculptor, visual artist, writer and photographer, demonstrating a restless creative energy that rarely waned. During the 1950s and 1960s Marais became a swash‑buckling idol, starring in costume adventures like Le Bossu (1959) and the Fantômas series (1964‑1967), which drew record audiences and highlighted his athletic prowess. He also embraced espionage thrillers such as The Reluctant Spy (1963) and worked with esteemed directors including Marcel Carné, René Clément and Luchino Visconti, showcasing a versatility that ranged from romantic melodrama to gritty drama. Awarded the Legion of Honor in 1996, he remained active on stage until his eighties, even sculpting works like Le passe muraille that still adorn Parisian neighborhoods. A privately complex individual, he married actress Mila Parély in the early 1940s, adopted a son Serge Villain‑Marais, and kept close ties to the artistic community until his death from cardiovascular disease in Cannes on 8 November 1998.
Biography, Career & Filmography
Learn more about Jean Marais, including a detailed biography, career timeline, personal life insights, and complete filmography. Discover how Jean Marais rose to fame, their major roles, industry impact, and personal milestones in the world of film.
Given Name: Jean-Alfred Villain-Marais
Born: Cherbourg, France
Citizenship: French
Birthday: December 11, 1913
Occupations: actor, film director, theatre director, painter, sculptor, visual artist, writer, photographer
Years Active: 1933-1996
Children: 1
Spouses: Mila Parély
External Links and Streaming Options
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Movies Featuring Jean Marais
Beauty and the Beast
Catherine Deneuve, belle et bien là
Air Terjun Pengantin Phuket
Federico Fellini’s Autobiography
My American Uncle
Parking
Crazy Awesome Teachers
Fantômas: A Thoroughly Modern Villain
The Battle of Austerlitz
Ivory Coast Adventure
Miracles Only Happen Once
Julietta
Diamond Rush
The Queen’s Lover
The Storm Within
Captain Blood
Voice of Silence
Voyage Without Hope
Napoleon
Fantomas Unleashed
Fantomas vs. Scotland Yard
Romulus and the Sabines
Blood on His Sword
The Eagle with Two Heads
School for Love
The Royalists
The Iron Mask
The Count of Monte Cristo
The Silver Screen: Color Me Lavender
Donkey Skin
Bizarre, Bizarre
Le Jouet criminel
At World’s End
The Glass Castle
The Eternal Return
If Paris Were Told to Us
Life Together
A Girl in a Pocket
The Hunchback of Paris
Testament of Orpheus
Operation Double Cross
Typhoon Over Nagasaki
Inside a Girls’ Dormitory
Cherchez l’idole
Screening at the Majestic
King on Horseback
Captain Fracasse
Let’s Go Up the Champs-Élysées
Elena and Her Men
Princess of Cleves
Beauty and the Beast
Pontius Pilate
Luchino Visconti
The Mysteries of Paris
Orpheus
Royal Affairs in Versailles
Career Timeline
Track the complete movie timeline of Jean Marais, including all film releases, career breakthroughs, and notable roles. Follow their journey from early performances to recent blockbusters and upcoming projects.
1997
The Silver Screen: Color Me Lavender
Self (archive footage)
Screening at the Majestic
Self - Interviewee
1965
Ivory Coast Adventure
Jean-Luc Hervé de la Tommeraye
Fantomas Unleashed
Fantômas / Fandor / Professeur Lefèvre / Marquis de Rostelli
Operation Double Cross
Antoine Donadieu
1962
The Iron Mask
Charles D'Artagnan
Pontius Pilate
Ponzio Pilato
The Mysteries of Paris
Rodolphe de Sombreuil
1961
Romulus and the Sabines
Marte
Blood on His Sword
Robert de Neuville
Captain Fracasse
Baron Philippe de Sigognac / Captain Fracasse
Princess of Cleves
Prince of Clèves
1960
The Battle of Austerlitz
Carnot
Captain Blood
François de Capestang, aka 'Le Capitan'
Testament of Orpheus
Oedipe
1953
Julietta
André Landrecourt
Voice of Silence
L'ancien maquisard
Inside a Girls’ Dormitory
Inspecteur Desiré Marco
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