---
name: "Jean Marais"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/jean-marais"
fi1m_id: "jean-marais"
imdb_id: "nm0544786"
tmdb_id: 9741
wikidata_id: "Q168359"
roles: ["Actor"]
born: "11 December 1913"
died: "8 November 1998"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 1
average_as: "actor"
average_over: 1
updated: "2026-09-25T04:49:37.014552+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Jean Marais

## Identity

Jean Marais

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/jean-marais
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** jean-marais
- **IMDb ID:** nm0544786
- **TMDB ID:** 9741
- **Wikidata ID:** Q168359
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean_Marais, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q168359, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0544786/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/9741

Actor. Born 11 December 1913 in Cherbourg, Manche, France. Died 8 November 1998.

## Details

- **Work:** Actor
- **Born:** 11 December 1913, Cherbourg, Manche, France
- **Died:** 8 November 1998
- **Also known as:** Жан Марэ, Жан Маре, Jean Alfred Villain-Marais
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean_Marais, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q168359, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0544786/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/9741

## Streaming the US now

- **HBO Max:** [*Orpheus*](https://film.one/film/orpheus.md) (82)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Fi1m on Jean Marais

> Jean Marais gives poetic fantasy an imposing human presence, though his solemnity can keep us at a distance. We value that gravity in Jean Cocteau’s films; the later swashbucklers put his considerable physical skill to more direct use.

In *Orpheus* (1950), Jean Marais gives the poet a gravity that makes the supernatural seem worth taking seriously. His solemnity fits a film in which an ordinary mirror can feel unsafe. We were unsettled by that familiar object becoming threatening, and Marais’s refusal to make light of the strangeness helps it work. Cocteau needs his seriousness, even when we would welcome a little less of it.

The early leading roles were closely tied to Cocteau, who scripted Jean Delannoy’s *L’Éternel retour* (1943) and directed *La Belle et la Bête* (1946) before *Orpheus*. Playing several parts in the fairy tale, including the Beast under heavy make-up, gave Marais more to do than look suitably noble. From the mid-1950s, swashbucklers and action films gave his athleticism more room. André Hunebelle’s *Le Bossu* (1959) belongs to that turn, with Marais performing demanding stunts himself.

What *Orpheus* also reveals is how much Marais benefits from the right company. His reserve gives the poet stature, but the romance can feel remote, and we do not always get past the solemnity to the man. María Casares, as Death, makes the supernatural feel closer; François Périer’s Heurtebise supplies the lightness that Marais does not. Their contrast is valuable, and Cocteau’s casting allows Marais to remain grave without requiring everyone else to do the same. Périer, in particular, makes it easier to enjoy a film whose leading figures can become too imposing to care about.

Multiple roles recur in the popular films. In *Fantômas* (1964), Marais plays both the criminal and the journalist Fandor, taking that practice into a different sort of entertainment. His stunt work belongs in any account of his acting, alongside the restraint and the imposing presence; concentrating only on the poetic roles leaves out a substantial skill. Start with *Orpheus*, but do not take its brooding poet for the whole of what Marais could do.

## Biography

Jean Marais (born Jean Alfred Villain-Marais) was a French actor who appeared in over 100 films and television productions. He was born on 11 December 1913 in Cherbourg and died on 8 November 1998 in Cannes.

Marais became closely associated with the work of Jean Cocteau, appearing in several of the director's films including *Beauty and the Beast* (1946) as the Beast and the Prince, *Orpheus* (1950) as Orphée, and *Testament of Orpheus* (1960) as Oedipe. He also starred in the *Fantômas* trilogy (1964–1967) and swashbuckler films such as *The Hunchback of Paris* (1959). In 1996 he received the French Legion of Honour for his contributions to cinema.

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com, britannica.com, fr.wikipedia.org.*

## On Fi1m (1)

- *Orpheus* (1950), Fi1m 82, as Orphée — [page](https://film.one/film/orpheus.md)

## Complete filmography (88)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *Jacques Demy: The Pink and the Black* (2024), Actor
- *The Image Book* (2018), as (archive footage)
- *At World's End* (2009), as Djoko
- *Stealing Beauty* (1996), as M. Guillaume
- *Les Miserables* (1995), as Mgr Myriel
- *Dis papa, raconte-moi là-bas* (1993), Actor
- *Shipwrecked Children* (1992), as Marc Antoine
- *Lien de parenté* (1986), as Victor Blaise
- *Parking* (1985), as Hadès / The Devil
- *Karatékas and Co* (1973), series, as l'Empereur
- *Joseph Balsamo* (1973), series, as Joseph Balsamo
- *Donkey Skin* (1970), as The King
- *The Provocation* (1970), as Christian
- *Diamond Rush* (1969), as Manuel Thomas, dit Manu
- *Le Jouet criminel* (1969), as Le vieil homme
- *Fantomas vs. Scotland Yard* (1967), as Fantômas / Fandor / Sir Walter Brown / Giuseppe Luigi · Stunts
- *Seven Guys and a Gal* (1967), as Captain Dorgeval
- *The Saint Lies in Wait* (1966), as Simon Templar
- *Fantomas Unleashed* (1965), as Fantômas / Fandor / Professeur Lefèvre / Marquis de Rostelli · Stunts
- *Operation Double Cross* (1965), as Antoine Donadieu
- *Killer Spy* (1965), as Stanislas Dubois
- *Thomas the Impostor* (1965), as Le narrateur
- *Ivory Coast Adventure* (1965), as Jean-Luc Hervé de la Tommeraye
- *Fantomas* (1964), as Fantômas / Fandor / Lord Shelton / Vieux gardien de la prison
- *Friends of the family* (1964), as Noël Carradine
- *I misteri di Roma* (1963), Actor
- *The Reluctant Spy* (1963), as Stanislas
- *The Invincible Swordsman* (1963), as François de Capestan
- *The Iron Mask* (1962), as Charles D'Artagnan
- *The Mysteries of Paris* (1962), as Rodolphe de Sombreuil
- *Pontius Pilate* (1962), as Ponzio Pilato
- *Romulus and the Sabines* (1961), as Marte
- *Napoléon II, the Eagle* (1961), as General de Montholon
- *Blood on His Sword* (1961), as Robert de Neuville
- *Captain Fracasse* (1961), as Baron Philippe de Sigognac / Captain Fracasse
- *Princess of Cleves* (1961), as Prince of Clèves
- *Captain Blood* (1960), as François de Capestang, aka 'Le Capitan'
- *Austerlitz* (1960), as Carnot
- *Testament of Orpheus* (1960), as Oedipe
- *The Hunchback of Paris* (1959), as Henri de Lagardère
- *Life Together* (1958), as Teddy Brooks
- *Every Day Has Its Secret* (1958), as Xavier Lezcano
- *King on Horseback* (1958), as Henri La Tour
- *Soleil éteint* (1958), Actor
- *White Nights* (1957), as L'Inquilino
- *A Girl in a Pocket* (1957), as Prof. Jerome
- *S.O.S. Noronha* (1957), as Frédéric Coulibaud
- *Typhoon Over Nagasaki* (1957), as Pierre Marsac
- *Elena and Her Men* (1956), as Général François Rollan
- *The Whole Town Accuses* (1956), as François Nérac
- *Goubbiah and the Gipsy Girl* (1956), as Goubbiah
- *If Paris Were Told to Us* (1956), as François Ier
- *School for Love* (1955), as Eric Walter
- *Napoleon* (1955), as Count Montholon
- *Boom on Paris* (1954), as lui-même
- *The Count of Monte Cristo* (1954), as Edmond Dantès
- *Royal Affairs in Versailles* (1953), as Louis XV
- *The Healer* (1953), as Pierre Lachaux dit « Monsieur Laurent »
- *Inside a Girls' Dormitory* (1953), as Inspecteur Desiré Marco
- *Julietta* (1953), as André Landrecourt
- *Voice of Silence* (1953), as Andrea Sanna
- *The Lovers of Midnight* (1953), as Marcel Dulac
- *The Call of Destiny* (1953), as Lorenzo Lombardi
- *Leathernose* (1952), as Roger de Tainchebraye
- *Miracles Only Happen Once* (1951), as Jérôme
- *The Glass Castle* (1950), as Rémy Marsay
- *Orpheus* (1950), as Orphée — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/film/orpheus.md)
- *The Secret of Mayerling* (1949), as L'archiduc Rodolphe d'Autriche-Hongrie
- *The Storm Within* (1948), as Michel
- *In the Eyes of Memory* (1948), as Jacques Forestier
- *The Eagle with Two Heads* (1948), as Stanislas
- *The Queen's Lover* (1948), as Ruy Blas / Don César de Bazan
- *The Royalists* (1947), as Marquis of Montauran
- *Beauty and the Beast* (1946), as La Bête / Le Prince / Avenant
- *Carmen* (1944), as Don José
- *Voyage Without Hope* (1943), as Alain Ginestier
- *The Eternal Return* (1943), as Patrice
- *The Four-Poster Bed* (1942), as Remy Bonvent
- *The Pavilion Burns* (1941), as Daniel
- *Let’s Go Up the Champs-Élysées* (1938), as L'Abbé-Précepteur
- *The Patriot* (1938), as (uncredited)
- *Bizarre, Bizarre* (1937), as Le fêtard assommé par un Chinois (uncredited)
- *The New Men* (1936), as Le secrétaire
- *The Adventurer* (1934), as Le jeune ouvrier
- *Le Bonheur* (1934), as Journalist (uncredited)
- *The Scandal* (1934), as Le liftier
- *Étienne* (1933), Actor
- *The Hawk* (1933), Actor

## Gallery

- ![Studio photo (1948)](https://film.one/media/person/3867986/gallery-9b3f28f6e0c0.jpg) Studio photo (1948) — Studio Harcourt, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/de/Marais_Harcourt_1948.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Studio photo (1948)](https://film.one/media/person/3867986/gallery-b0a180be2951.jpg) Studio photo (1948) — Studio Harcourt, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/00/Marais_Harcourt_1948_2.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Jean Marais portraying Avenant in a publicity still for the 1946 film Beauty and the Beast.](https://film.one/media/person/3867986/gallery-d700e0f784bf.jpg) Jean Marais portraying Avenant in a publicity still for the 1946 film Beauty and the Beast. — G.R. Aldo, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f1/Jean_Marais_as_Avenant_-_La_Belle_et_la_B%C3%AAte.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Collectie / Archief : Fotocollectie Anefo Reportage / Serie : [ onbekend ] Beschrijving : Aankomst Jean Marais op Schiphol Datum : 13 april 1965 Locatie : Noord](https://film.one/media/person/3867986/gallery-c50d4dca9d65.jpg) Collectie / Archief : Fotocollectie Anefo Reportage / Serie : [ onbekend ] Beschrijving : Aankomst Jean Marais op Schiphol Datum : 13 april 1965 Locatie : Noord — Jack de Nijs for Anefo  / Anefo, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/53/Aankomst_Jean_Marais_op_Schiphol%2C_Bestanddeelnr_917-6465_%28cropped%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Jean Marais](https://film.one/media/person/3867986/gallery-bf0cc01d2af4.jpg) Jean Marais — Image via TMDB
- ![Jean Marais](https://film.one/media/person/3867986/gallery-27ba44080657.jpg) Jean Marais — Image via TMDB
- ![Jean Marais](https://film.one/media/person/3867986/gallery-d3cc9258df05.jpg) Jean Marais — Image via TMDB
- ![Jean Marais portraying the Prince Ardent in a publicity still for the 1946 film Beauty and the Beast.](https://film.one/media/person/3867986/gallery-5268716f83d1.jpg) Jean Marais portraying the Prince Ardent in a publicity still for the 1946 film Beauty and the Beast. — G.R. Aldo, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/ba/Jean_Marais_as_the_Prince_Ardent_-_La_Belle_et_la_B%C3%AAte.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Collectie / Archief : Fotocollectie Anefo Reportage / Serie : [ onbekend ] Beschrijving : Aankomst Jean Marais op Schiphol, hier in de helicopter Datum : 13 apr (1965)](https://film.one/media/person/3867986/gallery-ea6a3434a055.jpg) Collectie / Archief : Fotocollectie Anefo Reportage / Serie : [ onbekend ] Beschrijving : Aankomst Jean Marais op Schiphol, hier in de helicopter Datum : 13 apr (1965) — Jack de Nijs for Anefo  / Anefo, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/72/Aankomst_Jean_Marais_op_Schiphol%2C_hier_in_de_helicopter%2C_Bestanddeelnr_917-6463.jpg/1280px-Aankomst_Jean_Marais_op_Schiphol%2C_hier_in_de_helicopter%2C_Bestanddeelnr_917-6463.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)

## Awards

### Other awards — 2 won

- Honorary César 1993: Honorary César (won)
- Victoires du cinéma français 1951: Victoires du cinéma français (won)

*From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.*

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/jean-marais