Gisèle Casadesus

Gisèle Tatiana Casadesus (14 June 1914 – 24 September 2017) was a French actress who appeared in numerous theatre and film productions. She was an honorary member of the Sociétaires of the Comédie-Française, Grand Officer of the Legion of Honor, Officer of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, and Grand-Croix of the National Order of Merit. In a career spanning more than 80 years, Casadesus appeared in more than a dozen films after turning 90.

Life and career Born into a family of artists in the 18th arrondissement of Paris, Gisèle was the daughter of musician, composer and conductor Henri Casadesus and harpist Marie-Louise Beetz, her older brother was actor Christian Casadesus. After receiving first prize in acting at French National Academy of Dramatic Arts at the age of twenty, Casadesus joined the Comédie-Française in 1934. The same year, she married the actor Lucien Pascal (born Lucien Probst), with whom she had four children: Jean-Claude (1935), Martine (1939), Béatrice (1942) and Dominique (1954), all artists. She became the 400th member of the Comédie-Française on 1 January 1939, and honorary member on 15 April 1967.

In cinema, Pierre Billon hired her in 1943 to play the role of Clotilde Grandlieus in Vautrin, adapted from Balzac's novel, alongside Michel Simon, and in 1946 for the role of Mary in L'Homme au chapeau rond, alongside Raimu.

In 1971 she was Countess Eguzon in La Belle Aventure, participated in Le Mouton enragé by Michel Deville, played the role of Nicole Leguen, wife of Jean Gabin in Verdict (1974) by André Cayatte, and the mother of Claude Jade in Les Robots pensants (1976).

Again with Claude Jade, she was Mamie Rose (1976), the "grand-mère au pair" in the film by Pierre Goutas, her greatest role. It is followed by her Catherine in Un crime de notre temps (1977) by Gabriel Axel. Claude Lelouch engaged her in 1996 for the role of Clara Blanc, mother of Bernard Tapie, in Hommes, femmes, mode d'emploi. In Aïe (2000), she is the mother of André Dussollier, and in Valérie Lemercier's comedy Palais Royal (2005) she plays the queen mother. She was Margueritte ("with two ts") alongside Gérard Depardieu in Jean Becker's My Afternoons with Margueritte (2010).

Later role and award honours In 2013, aged 99, Casadesus acted alongside Anne Consigny and Marie Kremer in directed by . Casadesus was awarded Grand Officer of the Legion of Honour on 29 March 2013.

She was also an Officer of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, and Grand-Croix of the National Order of Merit. She received an Honorary Molière Award in 2003 for her entire career.

Death Casadesus died in Paris, France, at the age of 103.

Theatre At Comédie-Française

1934: Lorenzaccio by Alfred de Musset, directed by Émile Fabre 1934: La Brebis by Edmond See, directed by Jean Debucourt 1934: On ne badine pas avec l'amour by Alfred de Musset 1934: Le Mariage forcé by Molière, directed by Robert Manuel 1934: Le Sourire du faune by André Rivoire, directed by Pierre Bertin 1934: Le Médecin malgré lui by Molière 1934: Ruy Blas by Victor Hugo 1934: La Belle aventure by Gaston Arman de Caillavet, Robert de Flers and Étienne Rey 1934: L'Amour veille by Gaston Arman de Caillavet and Robert de Flers 1934: Tante Marie by Anne Valray, directed by Charles Granval 1934: Le Barbier de Séville by Beaumarchais 1935: Le Mariage de Figaro by Beaumarchais 1935: L'Impromptu de Versailles by Molière 1935: Les Burgraves by Victor Hugo 1935: L'Étourdi ou les Contretemps by Molière 1935: L'Illustre théâtre by Jules Truffier; directed by Pierre Bertin 1935: Madame Quinze by Jean Sarment, directed by Émile Fabre 1935: Sur la lisière d'un bois by Victor Hugo 1935: Les Fourberies de Scapin by Molière 1935: L'Arlésienne by Alphonse Daudet 1935: Paraître by Maurice Donnay 1936: L'Embuscade by Henry Kistemaeckers 1936: Le Sang de Danton by Saint-Georges de Bouhélier; directed by Léon Bernard 1936: Les Noces d'argent by 1936: Le Chant du berceau by Gregorio and María Martínez Sierra; directed by Émile Fabre 1936: Le Voyage à Biarritz by Jean Sarment; directed by André Brunot 1936: Les Rivaux d'eux-mêmes by Pigault-Lebrun; directed by Jean Martinelli 1936: Un caprice by Alfred de Musset, directed by Maurice Escande 1936: La Nouvelle idole by François de Curel 1936: Bolivar by Jules Supervielle; music by Darius Milhaud, choreography by Serge Lifar, directed by Émile Fabre 1936: Le Bon Roi Dagobert by André Rivoire 1936: Martine by Jean-Jacques Bernard 1937: Asmodée by François Mauriac; directed by Jacques Copeau 1937: La Marche nuptiale by Henry Bataille 1937: Le Jeu de l'amour et du hasard by Marivaux; directed by Maurice Escande 1937: Le Monde où l'on s'ennuie by Édouard Pailleron 1937: by Molière, directed by Pierre Dux 1937: À quoi rêvent les jeunes filles by Alfred de Musset; directed by Charles Granval 1937: Les Corbeaux by Henry Becque 1937: Le Légataire universel by Jean-François Regnard, directed by Pierre Dux 1937: L'Illusion comique by Pierre Corneille, directed by Louis Jouvet 1937: Le Bonhomme jadis by Henri Murger 1937: by Molière 1938: La Seconde Surprise de l'amour by Marivaux, directed by Pierre Bertin 1938: Tricolore by Pierre Lestringuez, musique Darius Milhaud, directed by Louis Jouvet 1938: Cantique des cantiques by Jean Giraudoux; directed by Louis Jouvet 1938: Les Femmes savantes by Molière 1938: La Dispute by Marivaux; directed by Jean Martinelli 1938: Un chapeau de paille d'Italie by Eugène Labiche and Marc-Michel, directed by Gaston Baty 1938: Le Menteur by Pierre Corneille, directed by Pierre Bertin 1938: La Coupe enchantée by Jean de La Fontaine and Champmeslé, directed by 1938: Esther by Jean Racine; directed by Georges Le Roy 1939: A souffert sous Ponce Pilate by Paul Raynal; directed by René Alexandre 1939: Les Trois Henry by André Lang 1939: Les affaires sont les affaires by Octave Mirbeau 1939: Ruy Blas by Victor Hugo; directed by Pierre Dux 1939: La Belle Aventure by Gaston Arman de Caillavet, Robert de Flers and Étienne Rey 1940: L'Âne de Buridan by Gaston Arman de Caillavet and Robert de Flers; directed by Pierre Bertin 1940: Les Fausses Confidences by Marivaux; directed by Pierre Dux 1941: Les Précieuses ridicules by Molière; directed by André Brunot 1941: La Gageure imprévue by Michel-Jean Sedaine; directed by Pierre Bertin 1941: Noé by André Obey; directed by Pierre Bertin 1941: Le Beau Léandre by Théodore de Banville and Paul Siraudin, directed by Denis d'Inès 1941: Tartuffe ou l'Imposteur by Molière; directed by Pierre Bertin 1942: Le Cheval arabe by Julien Luchaire; directed by Jean Debucourt 1942: La Paix chez soi by Georges Courteline 1942: Le Distrait by Jean-François Regnard; directed by Jean Meyer 1942: Le Misanthrope by Molière; directed by Jacques Copeau 1942: La Gageure imprévue by Michel-Jean Sedaine; directed by Pierre Bertin 1943: by Henry de Montherlant; directed by Pierre Dux 1943: Un jour by Francis Jammes 1943: Le Barbier de Séville by Beaumarchais, directed by Pierre Dux 1943: Le Sicilien ou l'Amour peintre by Molière; directed by Maurice Escande 1944: Barberine by Alfred de Musset, directed by Jean Meyer 1945: Une visite de noces by Alexandre Dumas fils 1945: L'Avare by Molière; directed by Jean Meyer 1946: Le Mariage de Figaro by Beaumarchais; directed by Jean Meyer 1946: La Princesse d'Élide by Molière; directed by Georges Le Roy 1946: by Georges Feydeau; directed by Fernand Ledoux 1948: L'Ami Fritz by Émile Erckmann and Alexandre Chatrian 1948: L'Épreuve by Marivaux; directed by Julien Bertheau 1948: Le Gendre de M. Poirier by Émile Augier and Jules Sandeau 1949: On ne saurait penser à tout by Alfred de Musset; directed by Robert Manuel 1950: La Belle aventure by Gaston Arman de Caillavet, Robert de Flers and Étienne Rey; directed by Jean Debucourt 1950: Les Fausses Confidences by Marivaux; directed by Maurice Escande 1951: Sganarelle ou le Cocu imaginaire by Molière; directed by Jacques Clancy 1951: Le Chevalier Canepin by Henri Duvernois; directed by Jacques Charon 1951: Le Dindon by Georges Feydeau; directed by Jean Meyer 1951: L'Indigent by Charles Vildrac; directed by Georges Chamarat 1952: La Coupe enchantée by Jean de La Fontaine and Champmeslé; directed by Jacques Clancy 1952: Le Légataire universel by Jean-François Régnard; directed by Pierre Dux 1952: Les Précieuses ridicules by Molière; directed by Robert Manuel 1953: Le Menteur by Corneille; directed by Denis d'Inès 1953: Le Dépit amoureux by Molière; directed by Georges Chamarat 1953: Le Jeu de l'amour et du hasard by Marivaux; directed by Maurice Escande 1954: L'Épreuve by Marivaux; directed by Julien Bertheau 1954: Le Menteur by Pierre Corneille; directed by Denis d'Inès 1955: Est-il bon ? Est-il méchant? by Denis Diderot; directed by Henri Rollan 1957: La Bonne Mère by Florian; directed by Maurice Escande 1957: L'Ours by Anton Chekhov; directed by André Falcon 1958: Un ami de jeunesse by Edmond See, directed by Denis d'Inès 1958: La Maison de campagne by Florent Carton Dancourt, directed by Hélène Perdrière 1958: On ne saurait penser à tout by Alfred de Musset, directed by Robert Manuel 1958: Le Misanthrope by Molière, directed by Pierre Dux 1959: Les Trente Millions de Gladiator by Eugène Labiche; directed by Jean Meyer 1960: Chacun sa vérité by Luigi Pirandello; directed by Charles Dullin 1961: On ne saurait penser à tout by Alfred de Musset; directed by Robert Manuel 1962: La Troupe du Roy by Molière; directed by 1980: La Folle de Chaillot by Jean Giraudoux; directed by Michel Fagadau 1990: Tête de poulet by Spiro, lecture 2011: Le Jubilé d'Agathe by Pascal Lainé, lecture, Studio-Théâtre de la Comédie-Française

Outside Comédie-Française

Une petite qui voit grand by Germaine Acremant Boubouroche by Georges Courteline J'y suis j'y reste by and Jean Valmy Le Bal des voleurs by Jean Anouilh by Jean Anouilh Histoire de rire by Armand Salacrou Une femme libre by Armand Salacrou Monsieur chasse ! by Georges Feydeau Bonne chance Denis by Michel Duran by Jean Bernard-Luc Caroline a disparu by Jean Valmy and André Haguet Les Œufs de l'autruche by André Roussin Teddy and partner by Yvan Noé Hyménée by Édouard Bourdet And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie La Voyante by André Roussin Le Chantier by Charles Tordjman 1965: by André Roussin, directed by the author, théâtre des Célestins 1967: Lorsque l'enfant paraît by André Roussin, directed by the author, Théâtre Saint-Georges 1968: La Courte Paille by Jean Meyer, directed by the author, tournée 1969: Monsieur chasse ! by Georges Feydeau, directed by Alain Feydeau, Grand Théâtre de Limoges 1974: Ce formidable bordel ! by Eugène Ionesco, directed by Jacques Mauclair, théâtre des Célestins 1980: Fin de partie by Samuel Beckett, directed by Guy Rétoré, théâtre de l'Est parisien 1982: Fin de partie by Samuel Beckett, directed by Guy Rétoré, théâtre Renaud-Barrault 1987: Entre passions et prairie by , directed by Guy Rétoré, théâtre de l'Est parisien 1988: Le Vallon by Agatha Christie, directed by Simone Benmussa, théâtre Renaud-Barrault 1989: Clair de terre by , directed by Guy Rétoré, théâtre de l'Est parisien 1992: Le Jugement dernier by Bernard-Henri Lévy, directed by , théâtre de l'Atelier 1993: Le Retour en Touraine by Françoise Dorin, directed by Georges Wilson, théâtre de l'Œuvre 1995: Savannah Bay by Marguerite Duras, directed by , théâtre national de Chaillot 1997: Le Bonheur à Romorantin by Jean-Claude Brisville, directed by , Espace 44 Nantes 1999: by Marguerite Duras, directed by , théâtre du Rond-Point 2003: À chacun sa vérité by Luigi Pirandello, directed by , Centre national de création d'Orléans, théâtre Antoine 2005: Richard III by William Shakespeare, directed by , La Rochelle

Filmography

Cinema

1934: The Adventurer by Marcel L'Herbier: Geneviève 1934: Un soir à la Comédie-Française by Léonce Perret: herself 1943: Graine au vent by Maurice Gleize: Germaine 1943: Vautrin by Pierre Billon: Clotilde de Grandlieu 1944: Coup de tête by René Le Hénaff: Nadine 1945: Pamela by Pierre de Hérain: Joséphine de Beauharnais 1946: The Eternal Husband by Pierre Billon: Marie 1947: The Adventures of Casanova by Jean Boyer: Geneviève de Cerlin 1948: by Jean Stelli: Simone Fournier 1949: Between Eleven and Midnight by Henri Decoin: Florence 1949: Du Guesclin by : Jeanne, Countess of Penthièvre 1974: Verdict by André Cayatte: Nicole Leguen 1974: Le Mouton enragé by Michel Deville 1975: Ma Mie Rose by Pierre Goutas: Mamie Rose 1976: Le Collectionneur de cerveaux by Michel Subiela: Mme Vanderwood 1976: by : Senator 1976: Une femme fidèle by Roger Vadim: Countess Lapalimmes 1977: by Roger Vadim: Benjamin's mother 1984: Opéra des ombres, Berlioz 1864 by Georges Combes 1988: Sweet Lies by Nathalie Delon: Nemo 1988: by Charlotte Brandström: grandmother 1990: Cinématon (épisode 1342) by Gérard Courant: herself 1990: Couple (épisode 76) by Gérard Courant: herself 1993: by Jacques Fansten: Bernadette 1996: Hommes, femmes, mode d'emploi by Claude Lelouch: Clara Blanc 1996: , court métrage by Shéri Tsur: Geneviève 1997: Riches, belles, etc. by Bunny Schpoliansky 1997: Post coïtum animal triste by Brigitte Roüan 1999: The Children of the Marshland by Jean Becker: Mme Mercier 1999: La Dilettante by Pascal Thomas : 2000: by Sophie Fillières: Robert's mother 2001: Deux vieilles dames et l'accordeur, short film by Guillaume Canet 2001: J'me souviens plus, short film by : Rose 2002: C'est le bouquet ! by Jeanne Labrune: the lady 2004: Le Promeneur du Champs-de-Mars by Robert Guédiguian: Simone Picard's sister 2005: Palais royal! by Valérie Lemercier: Alma, The Queen Mother 2005: Le Noël de Lily, short film by Éric Nebot: Lily 2005: by Brigitte Roüan 2006: Le Grand Appartement by Pascal Thomas: Grandmother Joséphine 2007: by Laure Marsac: the old lady 2009: Le Premier Cercle by Laurent Tuel: Mme Malakian 2009: Kankant, short film by François Grandjacques 2009: Le Hérisson by Mona Achache: Mme de Broglie 2010: Porteur d'hommes, short film by 2010: My Afternoons with Margueritte by Jean Becker: Margueritte 2010: What War May Bring by Claude Lelouch: Ilva, 95 years old 2010: Sarah's Key by Gilles Paquet-Brenner: Mamé 2012: Le Jeu de cette famille by Aytl Jensen: Berthe 2013: by Anne-Marie Etienne: Selma 2014: Weekends in Normandy by : Françoise

Television

1966: :fr:Les Compagnons de Jéhu (mini-série) (in French), directed by Michel Drach: Louise de Montrevel