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Jean Martin

​From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.   Jean Martin (March 6, 1922 – February 2, 2009) was a French actor of stage and screen. Martin served in the French Resistance during World War II and later fought with the French paratroopers in Indochina. Theatrically, he is perhaps best-known for originating two roles in Samuel Beckett's most famous plays: Lucky in Waiting for Godot, and Clov in Endgame. During the 1950s, he was a performer at the Théâtre National Populaire and also worked for radio plays. Making over eighty film and television appearances, Martin is best remembered by international audiences for his role as the French paratroop commander Col. Mathieu in The Battle of Algiers (1965), as well as villainous roles in My Name is Nobody and The Day of the Jackal (both 1973). He was one of the protagonists in Les Compagnons de Baal (1968). Most of his other screen work was in French or European cinema, and his stage performances have gained him much more recognition and acclaim than his film work. Martin was also an active political leftist, and was fired from the Théâtre National Populaire for signing the manifesto of the 121 against the Algerian War. He was also blacklisted from radio work and remained unemployed for a time as a result. Martin was hired for The Battle of Algiers because director Gillo Pontecorvo was looking for a little-known professional actor to play the part of Col. Mathieu. Martin had by then worked extensively on stage, but had done just a few appearances on screen. Enjoying to work in movies and wishing to develop his film career, Martin applied for the part and was hired. Martin later explained that his working relationship with Pontecorvo on the set of The Battle of Algiers was often difficult, as the director otherwise hired non-professional actors for the film. Martin, as the film's only professional actor, was sometimes uncomfortable working with untrained performers, while Pontecorvo was worried that their acting styles might be too different from each other and work against the picture. Martin was ultimately very happy with the film. Jean Martin continued working on stage and on screen, playing a variety supporting roles in French films and television productions. He also provided the voice of the bird in the French animation feature Le Roi et l'oiseau. Martin died from cancer in Paris on 2 February 2009, aged 86. Description above from the Wikipedia article Jean Martin, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.


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Born:
Mar 6, 1922 In Paris, France
Movie/TV Credits:
37
First Appeared:
In the movie Cecile Is Dead 1944-03-08
Latest Project:
Movie Nine 2009-12-03
Known For
Poster of The Night Caller
Poster of Successive Slidings of Pleasure
Poster of The Inheritor
Poster of Soldier Martin
Filmography
Movie Nine Film Crew 2009-12-03
Movie Marxist Poetry: The Making of The Battle of Algiers Self 2004-08-01
Movie Lucie Aubrac Paul Lardanchet 1997-02-26
Movie The Crime of Ovide Plouffe Sculpteur 1984-08-29
Movie The King and the Mockingbird L’oiseau (voice) 1980-03-19
Movie Inspector Blunder Examination policeman (uncredited) 1980-12-03
Movie The Associate M. Bastias 1979-08-22
Movie Dossier 51 Vénus 1978-08-30
Movie Judge Fayard Called the Sheriff Le chirurgien 1977-01-12
Movie The Cat Legrand 1977-12-16
Movie The Carpathian Castle Orfanik, the Inventor 1976-12-19
Movie The Wing or the Thigh? Le médecin de Duchemin à la clinique 1976-10-27
Movie A Woman at Her Window Drieu La Rochelle (uncredited) 1976-11-10
Movie The Night Caller Divisional commissioner Sabin 1975-04-09
Movie The Wild Goose Chase Le directeur de la banque 1975-10-08
Movie A Genius, Two Friends, and an Idiot Colonel Pembroke 1975-12-16
Movie The Messiah Pontius Pilate 1975-10-24
Movie Successive Slidings of Pleasure The Priest 1974-03-07
Movie An Invitation to the Hunt Marquis of La Rocherie 1974-11-01
Movie The Day of the Jackal Victor Wolenski 1973-05-16
Movie The Inheritor Mgr. Schneider 1973-03-22
Movie My Name Is Nobody Sullivan 1973-12-13
Movie La nuit bulgare 1972-04-20
Movie The Beguines René 1972-09-19
Movie Safety Catch 1970-04-07
Movie Promise at Dawn Igor Igorevitch 1970-11-25
Movie Je T'Aime, Je T'Aime Un responsable d'édition 1968-04-24
Movie Don't Take God's Children for Wild Geese A henchman of Charles (uncredited) 1968-09-06
Series Graf Yoster gibt sich die Ehre Gaston 1967-09-15
Movie The Invention of Morel Stoewer 1967-12-08
Movie Soldier Martin Monnier 1966-09-28
Movie Your Turn, Darling 1963-09-25
Movie The Blockhead Fair 1963-10-30
Movie Les Culottes rouges Un homme de la troupe (uncredited) 1962-12-19
Movie Fortunate faux croque-mort 1960-11-16
Movie Les Assassins du dimanche 1956-01-01
Movie Cecile Is Dead Le garçon d'étage (uncredited) 1944-03-08
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