Michel Serrault: Movies & Box Office

Michel Serrault (Michel Lucien Serrault, 24 January 1928 – 29 July 2007) was a French stage and screen virtuoso whose career spanned more than five decades. Born in Brunoy, France, he entered the performing arts after World War II, joining a touring troupe in Germany that presented Molière’s Les Fourberies de Scapin. In 1948 he solidified his theatrical foundation alongside Robert Dhéry in the popular revue Les Branquignols, a partnership that swiftly led to his cinematic debut in Jean Loubignac’s comedy Ah! Les belles bacchantes (1954). The following year he earned critical attention in Henri‑Georges Clouzot’s suspense classic Les Diaboliques, sharing scenes with Simone Signoret. Throughout the 1950s and 1960s Serrault became a fixture of French cinema, appearing in a mix of comedies, dramas, and thrillers while simultaneously honing his craft on prominent Parisian stages such as the Théâtre de la Ville. Serrault’s most enduring legacy emerged from his collaboration with Jean Poiret in the groundbreaking play La cage aux folles (1973‑1978), where he originated the dual role of Albin/Zaza, a gay hairdresser whose flamboyant charisma captivated audiences and challenged societal norms. He faithfully transferred the performance to the 1978 film adaptation, which became an international hit and later inspired numerous remakes, cementing his status as a cultural icon. In the late 1970s he portrayed composer Jacques Offenbach in a televised six‑part series, demonstrating his versatility beyond comedy. Over the ensuing decades he continued to deliver memorable turns in films such as Le Dîner de Cons (1998) and The Children of the Marshland (2000), earning multiple César nominations and the prestigious César du cinéma français Honorary Award in 2002. Off‑screen, Serrault married actress Juanita Saint‑Peyron, with whom he had two daughters, actress Nathalie Serrault and Caroline, who predeceased him. He died on 29 July 2007 in Honfleur, Calvados, after a battle with relapsing polychondritis, and was interred beside his wife and daughter, leaving an indelible imprint on French theatrical and cinematic history.