Jean Poiret

Jean Poiret, born Jean Poiré (17 August 1926 – 14 March 1992), was a French actor, director, and screenwriter. He is primarily known as the author of the original play La Cage aux Folles.

Early career Poiret was born in Paris, and first rose to prominence in 1951 playing the role of Fred Transport, one of the heroes of Pierre Dac and Francis Blanche's radio series Malheur aux Barbus. In 1952, he met his future co-star of La Cage Michel Serrault at the Sarah Bernhardt Theatre. They starred in the sketch "Jerry Scott, Vedette Internationale".

In 1961, Poiret, as a member of the French cinematic society Pathé, wrote and recorded "La Vache à Mille Francs", a parody of "La Valse à Mille Temps" by Jacques Brel.

In 1973, he married actress Caroline Cellier, with whom he had one child.

La Cage aux Folles In 1973, Poiret wrote and starred in the stage play La Cage aux Folles. Its film adaptation in 1978 brought Poiret immense success. Although Poiret was replaced by Italian actor Ugo Tognazzi in the role of Renato Baldi, Serrault reprised his stage-role of Zaza Napoli and won a César Award for his work.

Later career In 1992, Poiret directed Le Zèbre (The Zebra). his only film, an adaptation of Alexandre Jardin's novel. It starred Thierry Lhermitte and Caroline Cellier, and it was one of the top grossing films in France for the year and the highest-grossing debut European film for the year (with a gross of $12 million).

Poiret died of a heart attack in Suresnes on 14 March 1992, three months before the film's premiere. He is buried at the Cimetière du Montparnasse in Paris.

Filmography

1953: Le Gang des pianos à bretelles (by Gilles de Turenne) - Le présentateur de 'La nuit brune' (uncredited) 1953: Les 3 Mousquetaires (by André Hunebelle) 1956: Cette sacrée gamine (by Michel Boisrond) - first inspector 1956: La Vie est belle (by Roger Pierre and Jean-Marc Thibault) - maracas player 1956: Assassins et voleurs (by Sacha Guitry) - Philippe d'Artois 1956: The Terror with Women (by Jean Boyer) - gendarme 1957: Adorables démons (by Maurice Cloche) - Julien Willis Jr 1957: Le naïf aux quarante enfants (by Philippe Agostini) - Master Bardine 1957: Ça aussi c'est Paris (Short, by Maurice Cloche) - reporter 1957: Clara et les méchants (by Raoul André) - Chantuer - un gangster 1959: Nina (by Jean Boyer) - Adolphe Tessier 1959: Oh ! Qué Mambo (by John Berry) - inspector Sapin 1959: Messieurs les ronds de cuir (by Henri Diamant-Berger) - René Lahrier 1959: Vous n'avez rien à déclarer ? (by Clément Duhour) - Robert de Trivelin 1960: La française et l'amour (by Charles Spaak) - Michel's lawyer (sketch Le divorce) 1960: Candide ou l'optimisme du XXe siècle (by Norbert Carbonnaux) - 1st policeman 1961: Ma femme est une panthère (by Raymond Bailly) - psychiatrist 1961: Auguste (by Pierre Chevalier) - Georges Flower 1962: Les parisiennes (by Michel Boisrond, Francis Cosne and Annette Wademant) - Jean-Pierre Leroy (segment "Antonia") 1962: The Dance (by Norbert Carbonnaux) - Old man 1962: It's Not My Business (by Jean Boyer) - Jean Duroc 1962: How to Succeed in Love (by Michel Boisrond) - Bernard Monod 1962: Les quatre vérités (by Hervé Bromberger) - Renard (Fox) (segment "Le corbeau et le renard") 1963: Les vierges (by Jean-Pierre Mocky) - the banker Marchaix 1963: Un drôle de paroissien (by Jean-Pierre Mocky) - Raoul 1963: La foire aux cancres (by Louis Daquin) - Collin 1964: Les durs à cuire ou comment supprimer son prochain sans perdre l'appétit (by Jacques Pinoteau) - Louis 1964: Jealous as a Tiger (by Darry Cowl) - doctor Raymond 1964: La grande frousse (by Jean-Pierre Mocky) - Loupiac 1965: Les baratineurs (by Francis Rigaud) - André 1965: La bonne occase (by Michel Drach) - Grégoire 1965: La tête du client (by Jacques Poitrenaud) - Philippe / Monsieur Paul 1965: Le petit monstre (by Jean-Paul Sassy) - the godfather 1966: Your Money or Your Life (by Jean-Pierre Mocky) - Lucien Pélépan 1967: Le grand bidule by Raoul André) - Verdier 1967: Ces messieurs de la famille (by Raoul André) - Bernard Le Gall 1968: La grande lessive (!) (by Jean-Pierre Mocky) - Jean-Michel Lavalette 1969: Aux frais de la princesse (by Roland Quignon) - Santos 1969: Trois hommes sur un cheval (by Marcel Moussy) - Tout / Freddy 1969: Ces messieurs de la gâchette (by Raoul André) - Bernard Le Gall 1970: Le Mur de l'Atlantique (by Marcel Camus) - Armand 1971: Mais qu'est-ce qui fait courir les crocodiles ? (by Jacques Poitrenaud) - Gontran 1979: La Gueule de l'autre (by Pierre Tchernia) - Jean-Louis Constant 1980: Le Dernier Métro (by François Truffaut) - Jean-Loup Cottins 1982: (by Denys Granier-Deferre) - André Joeuf 1984: (by Claude Pinoteau) - Jean Michelis 1985: Poulet au vinaigre (by Claude Chabrol) - Inspector Jean Lavardin 1985: (by Jean Yanne) - the caliph 1986: Inspecteur Lavardin (by Claude Chabrol) - Inspector Jean Lavardin 1986: (by Gérard Krawczyk) - Orlando Higgin 1987: Le Miraculé (by Jean-Pierre Mocky) - Papu 1988: Les saisons du plaisir (by Jean-Pierre Mocky) - Bernard Germain 1988: Corentin (by Jean Marboeuf) - the exorcist 1988: Une nuit à l'Assemblée Nationale (by Jean-Pierre Mocky) - Octave Leroy 1988: La petite amie (by Luc Béraud) - Martin Morel 1990: Lacenaire (by Francis Girod) - Aliard 1991: (by Christoph Böll) - Herzog Max 1992: Rumeurs (by André Flédérick) - Alain 1992: Sup de fric (by Christian Gion) - Cyril Dujardin 2007: La méthode Barnol (by Jean-Pierre Mocky) - M. Hubert