The actor Maurice Bénichou, discreet but prolific supporting role in the theater and cinema, popularized by his role of owner of the box with the memories in the Fabulous destiny of Amélie Poulain , died Saturday at the age of 76 years, has - Monday learned from his agent.
From Amélie Colt to An Elephant It Fools a Lot
In 1968, Maurice Bénichou was directed by Patrice Chéreau in The Price of the Black Market Revolt , before becoming one of Peter Brook's recurring comedians, including Timon of Athens in 1974 by William Shakespeare, at the Bouffes du Nord Theater, Paris. In 1985, Peter Brook gave Maurice Bénichou the roles of Ganesha and Krishna in Mahabharata, a 9-hour show that remains one of the major events of the Avignon Festival.
Spouse of the actress Geneviève Mnich, Maurice Bénichou has been in the display of forty pieces and some fifty films under the direction of the greatest directors including Henri Verneuil, Raoul Ruiz and Yves Robert including An elephant that cheats a lot in 1976. In 1981, Elie Chouraqui hired him for What makes David run? . Under the direction of Jean-Jacques Zilbermann, he also shot in Everyone did not have the chance to have communist parents .
After Charlie Olivier Ducastel's Funny and Jacques Martineau in 2000, Jean-Pierre Jeunet gave Maurice Bénichou a short role that popularized it in The Fabulous Destiny of Amélie Poulain . "I had discovered it in a play by Peter Brook and in everyone did not have the chance to have communist parents ." For Amélie Poulain , it was ideal for the scene of the box with memories. Required a great deal of emotion, he was very tense before the scene and euphoric just after, it's touching to see great actors like him confronted each time with stage fright, "told AFP Jean-Pierre Jeunet.
Many times named to Caesar
In 2005, Michael Haneke directed him in Caché , a feature-length film awarded by the Cannes Festival Direction Award. In recent years, Maurice Bénichou has camped the lawyer Jacques Vergès in Omar kill me Roschdy Zem. Maurice Bénichou, who has been nominated several times for the César Awards, was honored in 1988 with the Critics Union Award.
Also director, Maurice Bénichou has signed an adaptation of the Three Sisters of Chekhov and notably directed Suzanne Flon in Absence of Loleh Bellon. On television, Maurice Bénichou has been in the casting of numerous series and TV movies including Madam the Headmaster , PJ , and Doom-doom of Laurent Abitbol and Nicolas Mongin.