Gérard Philipe

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Gérard Philipe
Born Gérard Philip
4 December 1922(1922-12-04)
Cannes, France
Died 25 November 1959 (aged 36)
Ramatuelle, France
Years active 1944–1959
Spouse(s) Nicole Fourcade (1951–1959) 2 children

Gérard Philipe (4 December 1922 – 25 November 1959) was a prominent French actor, who had appeared in 34 films between 1944 and 1959.

Contents

[edit] Career

Born Gérard Philip[1] in Cannes, France as a teenager Philipe took acting lessons before going to Paris to study at the Conservatory of Dramatic Art. At age 19, he made his stage debut at a theater in Nice and the following year his strong performance in the Albert Camus play, Caligula, brought an invitation to work with the Théâtre national populaire (T.N.P.) in Paris and Avignon, whose festival, founded in 1947 by Jean Vilar, is France's oldest and most famous.

Philipe made his film debut in Les Petites du Quai aux Fleurs (1943) and after a few more minor film roles, he rocketed to fame as a result of his performance in Claude Autant-Lara's Devil in the Flesh (1947). Adored by women for his good looks, Gérard Philipe was also a very talented actor and highly regarded by his peers. He played roles as diverse as Faust and Modigliani and he was sought out by France's preeminent directors for his versatility and professionalism.

In 1951, Philipe married Nicole Fourcade (1917–1990), an actress/writer, with whom he had two children. She adopted the pseudonym, Anne Philipe, and wrote about her husband in two books, the first called Souvenirs (1960) and a second biography titled Le Temps d'un soupir (No Longer Than a Sigh, 1963).

Recognized worldwide for his talent, he was at the pinnacle of his career when he died from liver cancer while working on a film project in Paris, a few days short of his 37th birthday. He is buried in the village cemetery in Ramatuelle, Var near the Mediterranean Sea coast.[2]

To commemorate the 100th anniversary of film in 1995, the government of France issued a series of limited edition coins that included a 100 Franc coin bearing the image of Philipe. One of the most popular French actors of his time, his image has been enhanced by his young death at the peak of his popularity and has elevated him to near legendary status in France. In 1986, his portrait appeared on a French commemorative postage stamp. There is a film festival named in his honor as well as a number of theaters, schools (ex: College Gérard Philipe - Cogolin) and colleges in various parts of France. Also very popular in Germany, a theater has also been named for him in Berlin.

street Gérard Philipe in Paris

[edit] Partial filmography

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Perisset, Maurice (1979). Alain Lefeuvre. ed. Gérard Philipe ou la jeunesse du monde. Nice. p. 22. 
  2. ^ "Gérard Philipe". Find A Grave. October 25, 1999. http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=6750. 

[edit] Bibliography

  • Capua, Michelangelo (2008). Gérard Philipe. Alessandria: Edizioni Falsopiano. 
  • Sadoul, Georges (1962). Gérard Philipe. Belin: Henschelverlag. 
  • Le Coz, Martine (March-April 1997). "Gérard Philipe, héros stendhalien". Avant-Scène du Cinéma (Paris). 

[edit] External links

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G%C3%A9rard_Philipe"