Philippe Clay

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Philippe Clay (1955)

Philippe Clay (7 March 1927 – 13 December 2007), born Philippe Mathevet, was a French mime artist, singer and actor.

He was known for his tall and slim silhouette (he was 1.90 m tall) and for performing songs by Charles Aznavour, Claude Nougaro, Jean-Roger Caussimon, Boris Vian, Serge Gainsbourg, Jean Yanne, Léo Ferré, Jacques Datin, Jean-Claude Massoulier or Bernard Dimey. He sang “La Complainte des Apaches” for the TV series Les Brigades du Tigre, written by Henri Djian and composed by Claude Bolling.

As an actor, he appeared in several films (Bell, Book and Candle) and television movies. One of his famous roles is in the Jean Renoir film, French Cancan, where he played Casimir le Serpentin[1] (a character inspired by Valentin le désossé). His largest role in an American film was in Shanks, making particular use of his mime background co-starring with the master mime Marcel Marceau (as Marceau's brother-in-law who spends much of the film re-animated from the dead as a pantomime figure, moving like a marionette).

Death

Philippe Clay died of a heart attack on December 13, 2007. He was survived by his wife, actress María Riquelme, and their son.[2]

Filmography

Year Title Role Notes
1950 Rome Express Un employé des wagons-lits
1952 Le crime du Bouif
1955 French Cancan Casimir le Serpentin
1956 La vie est belle Le pasteur
1956 The Hunchback of Notre Dame Clopin Trouillefou
1957 C'est arrivé à 36 chandelles Himself Uncredited
1957 Nathalie Adolphe Faisant, dit "Coco la Girafe"
1958 En bordée Bailladrisse / Yves Biadrix
1958 Toto in Prias Il maître d'hotel
1958 Bell, Book and Candle French Singer at the Zodiac Club
1959 Drôles de phénomènes La maître d'hôtel Barns
1959 The Road to Shame Tom
1959 The Bureaucrats Letondu
1959 La Nuit des traqués Taretta
1960 Les Canailles Carlo Sarotti
1960 Touchez pas aux blondes L'inspecteur Al Wheeler
1961 Dans l'eau qui fait des bulles Jean-Louis Preminger Voice
1962 Musketeers of the Sea Gosselin
1965 Man from Cocody Renaud Lefranc
1966 Sale temps pour les mouches Pierre Mazaud, dit 'Félix'
1967 Les têtes brûlées Prêcheur
1970 Pour un sourire Nicolas
1971 Armiamoci e partite! Generale McMaster
1972 Pas folle la guêpe Jack Bromfield
1972 Les joyeux lurons L'abbé Larivière
1973 L'insolent Dargnac
1974 The Three Musketeers Richelieu Voice
1974 Shanks Mr. Barton
1982 Deux heures moins le quart avant Jésus-Christ Le héraut
1983 Salut la puce Rigodo-Cartecolin, un marionnettiste
1983 A Good Little Devil Le juge
1986 Catherine Barnabé TV series
1993 Die Wildnis Peasant
1995 Krim Eugène
1995 La Rivière Espérance Majordome TV mini-series
1998 Les cachetonneurs The Aristocrat
1998 Lautrec Auguste Renoir
1999 Tuvalu Karl
2003 Là-haut, un roi au-dessus des nuages L'aumônier de Saint-Louis-des-Invalides

References

  1. ^ "Le Bien public", Wikipédia (in French), 2023-02-03, retrieved 2023-04-13
  2. ^ Clayson, Alan (15 January 2008). "Philippe Clay". The Guardian. Retrieved 17 August 2015.

External links