Jean Richard (18 April 1921 – 12 December 2001) was a French actor, comedian, and circus entrepreneur. He is best remembered for his role as

Georges Simenon Georges Joseph Christian Simenon (; 12/13 February 1903 – 4 September 1989) was a Belgian writer who created the fictional detective Jules Maigret. One of the most prolific and successful authors of the 20th century, he published around 400 ...

's ''

Maigret Jules Maigret (), or simply Maigret, is a fictional French police detective, a '' commissaire'' ("commissioner") of the Paris ''Brigade Criminelle'' ('' Direction Régionale de la Police Judiciaire de Paris:36, Quai des Orfèvres''), created ...

'' in the eponymous French television series, which he played for more than twenty years, and for his circus activities. Richard was born in Bessines, Deux-Sevres. In the 1970s–1980s, he owned and managed three major circuses, two theme parks near Paris, La Mer de Sable and La Vallée des Peaux-Rouges, and a private zoo in his property of

Ermenonville Ermenonville () is a commune in the Oise department, northern France. Located near Paris, Ermenonville is notable for its park named for Jean-Jacques Rousseau by René Louis de Girardin. Rousseau's tomb was designed by the painter Hubert Robe ...

, Oise. He died on 12 December 2001 in

Senlis Senlis () is a commune in the northern French department of Oise, Hauts-de-France. The monarchs of the early French dynasties lived in Senlis, attracted by the proximity of the Chantilly forest. It is known for its Gothic cathedral and other ...

, aged 80.

Filmography

*1947: '' Six heures à perdre'' (directed by Alex Joffé Jean Lévitte) – Le sergent de ville *1949: '' Mission à Tanger'' (directed by

André Hunebelle André Hunebelle (; 1 September 1896 – 27 November 1985) was a French maître verrier (master glassmaker) and film director. Master Glass Artist After attending polytechnic school for mathematics, he became a decorator, a designer, and then a m ...

) – Le président *1949: ''

I Like Only You ''I Like Only You'' (French: ''Je n'aime que toi'') is a 1949 French comedy film directed by Pierre Montazel, and starring by Luis Mariano, Martine Carol and André Le Gall. Powrie & Cadalanu p.114 It was shot at the Cité Elgé Studios in ...

'' – Un passager de l'avion *1950: '' King Pandora'' (directed by André Berthomieu) – Quichenette *1950: '' Adémaï au poteau-frontière'' (directed by Paul Colline) *1951: '' The King of the Bla Bla Bla'' – Jacques *1951: ''

Bernard and the Lion ''Bernard and the Lion'' (French: ''Bertrand coeur de lion'') is a 1951 French comedy film directed by Robert Dhéry and starring Dhéry, Gérard Calvi and Roger Saget.Rège p.325 The film's art direction was by Raymond Nègre. Cast * Robert ...

'' (directed by

Robert Dhéry Robert Dhéry (; 27 April 1921 – 3 December 2004) (born Robert Léon Henri Fourrey or Robert Foullcy) was a French comedian, actor, director and screenwriter. He was married to actress Colette Brosset, with whom he appeared onstage in ''La Plu ...

) – Le brigadier *1951: ''Le passage de Vénus'' *1952: '' Le Costaud des Batignolles'' (directed by Guy Lacourt) – L'inspecteur de police *1952: '' Les Sept Péchés capitaux'' – Le paysan (segment "Gourmandise, La / Gluttony") *1952: '' La Demoiselle et son revenant'' (directed by

Marc Allégret Marc Allégret (22 December 1900 – 3 November 1973) was a French screenwriter, photographer and film director. Biography Born in Basel, Basel-Stadt, Switzerland, he was the elder brother of Yves Allégret. Marc was educated to be a lawyer in ...

) – Ricard *1952: '' Drôle de noce'' (directed by Léo Joannon) – Joseph Bonhomme *1953: '' Deux de l'escadrille'' (directed by

Maurice Labro Maurice Labro (21 September 1910 – 23 March 1987) was a French film director. Filmography * 1947 in the movies, 1947: ' * 1948 in the movies, 1948: ''Three Boys, One Girl'' * 1949 in the movies, 1949: ''The Heroic Monsieur Boniface'' * 195 ...

) – Pierre Dourdan – dit 'Saucisse' *1953: '' Wonderful Mentality'' (directed by André Berthomieu) – Honoré Bonvalet *1953: '' Week-end à Paris'' (directed by Gordon Parry) *1953: '' Le Portrait de son père'' (directed by André Berthomieu) – Paul *1953: ''Cinema d'altri tempi'' – Pasquale *1954: '' Si Versailles m'était conté'' (directed by

Sacha Guitry Alexandre-Pierre Georges "Sacha" Guitry (; 21 February 188524 July 1957) was a French stage actor, film actor, director, screenwriter, and playwright of the boulevard theatre (aesthetic), boulevard theatre. He was the son of a leading French ac ...

) – Du Croisy / Tartuffe *1954: '' Service Entrance'' (directed by Carlo Rim) – Jules Béchard *1954: '' Scènes de ménage'' – Des Rillettes *1954: '' The Cheerful Squadron'' – Il soldato Laperrine *1954: '' Les Deux font la paire'' (directed by André Berthomieu) – Achille Baluchet *1954: '' Casta Diva'' (directed by

Carmine Gallone Carmine Gallone (10 September 1885 – 11 March 1973) was an early Italian film director, screenwriter, and film producer, who was also controversial for his works of pro-Fascist propaganda and historical revisionism. Considered one of Itali ...

) – Domenico Fiorillo *1955: '' Chéri-Bibi'' (directed by

Marcello Pagliero Marcello Pagliero (15 January 1907 – 18 October 1980) was an Italian film director, actor, and screenwriter. Pagliero was born in London and died in Paris. He is perhaps best known for his performance in the Roberto Rossellini film ''Rome, ...

) – Chéri-bibi / Maxime du Touchais *1955: '' Madelon'' (directed by Jean Boyer) – Antoine Pichot *1955: ''

Eléna et les hommes ''Elena and Her Men'' (; originally released in English-speaking countries as ''Paris Does Strange Things'') is a 1956 film directed by Jean Renoir and starring Ingrid Bergman, Jean Marais, and Mel Ferrer. It was Bergman's first film after leav ...

'' (directed by

Jean Renoir Jean Renoir (; 15 September 1894 – 12 February 1979) was a French film director, screenwriter, actor, producer and author. His '' La Grande Illusion'' (1937) and '' The Rules of the Game'' (1939) are often cited by critics as among the greate ...

) – Hector *1956: ''La vie est belle'' – L'employé *1956: '' Short Head'' (directed by Norbert Carbonnaux) – Ferdinan Galiveau, éleveur de volailles à Parthenay *1957: '' Nous autres à Champignol'' (directed by Jean Bastia) – Claudius Binoche *1957: '' The Bear's Skin'' (directed by Claude Boissol) – Commissaire Étienne Ledru *1957: '' C'est arrivé à 36 chandelles'' – Jean Richard (uncredited) *1957: '' Les Truands'' (directed by Carlo Rim) – Alexandre Benoit *1958: '' En bordée'' (directed by Pierre Chevalier) – Prosper Cartahu *1958: '' Life Together'' (directed by Clément Duhour) – André Le Lorrain *1959: '' Cigarettes, Whiskey and Wild Women'' – Le client assommé qui demande du wisky (uncredited) *1959: '' The Gendarme of Champignol'' (directed by Jean Bastia) – Claudius Binoche *1959: '' Messieurs les ronds de cuir'' (directed by

Henri Diamant-Berger Henri Diamant-Berger (9 June 1895 – 7 May 1972) was a French film director, director, film producer, producer and screenwriter. In a career that lasted more than 50 years, he directed 48 films between 1913 in film, 1913 and 1959 in film, 1959, ...

) – Boudin *1959: '' Vous n'avez rien à déclarer?'' (directed by Clément Duhour) – Frontignac *1959: '' Arrêtez le massacre'' (directed by

) – Antoine Martin *1959: '' Mon pote le gitan'' (directed by François Gir) – Pittuiti *1959: '' The Goose of Sedan'' (directed by

Helmut Käutner Helmut Käutner (25 March 1908 – 20 April 1980) was a German film director active mainly in the 1940s and 1950s. He entered the film industry at the end of the Weimar Republic and released his first films as a director in Nazi Germany. Käu ...

) – Leon Riffard *1959: '' Certains l'aiment froide'' (directed by Jean Bastia and Guy Lionel) – Jérôme Valmorin *1960: '' Tête folle'' (directed by

Robert Vernay Robert Vernay (May 30, 1907 in Paris – October 17, 1979 in Paris) was a French director and screenwriter. Career In 1937, Vernay worked as assistant director to Julien Duvivier on ''Pépé le Moko''. In 1944, Vernay directed an adaptation of ...

) *1960: '' Candide ou l'optimisme au XXe siècle'' – Le trafiquant du marché noir / Black Marketeer *1960: '' Les Tortillards'' (directed by Jean Bastia) – César Beauminet *1960: '' Les Fortiches'' (directed by Georges Combret) – Dédé *1961: '' The Fenouillard Family'' (directed by

Yves Robert Yves Robert (; 19 June 1920 – 10 May 2002) was a French actor, screenwriter, director, and producer. Life and career Robert was born in Saumur, Maine-et-Loire, France. In his teens, he went to Paris to pursue a career in acting, starting w ...

) – Agénor Fenouillard *1961: '' Ma femme est une panthère'' (directed by Raymond Bailly) – Roger *1961: '' La Belle Américaine'' (directed by

) – le serrurier *1961: ' (directed by Géza von Radványi) – Siméon *1961: ' (directed by Géza von Radványi) – Siméon *1962: '' La Guerre des boutons'' (directed by

) – Lebrac's father *1962: '' Tartarin of Tarascon'' (directed by Francis Blanche) – Le directeur du cirque 'Mitaine' *1962: '' Un clair de lune à Maubeuge'' (directed by Jean Chérasse) – Philibert *1962: '' Nous irons à Deauville'' (directed by Francis Rigaud) – Le plombier – M. Simeon *1962: '' Du mouron pour les petits oiseaux'' (directed by

Marcel Carné Marcel Albert Carné (; 18 August 1906 – 31 October 1996) was a French film director. A key figure in the poetic realism movement, Carné's best known films include ''Port of Shadows'' (1938), ''Le Jour Se Lève'' (1939), ''Les Visiteurs du Soi ...

) – Louis – le boucher *1963: '' The Bamboo Stroke'' (directed by Jean Boyer) – Albert *1963: '' Dragées au poivre'' (directed by Jacques Baratier) – Lepetit (le nounou 2) *1963: '' Bebert and the Train'' (directed by

) – M. Martin *1964: '' Clémentine chérie'' (directed by Pierre Chevalier) – Auguste *1964: '' Jealous as a Tiger'' (directed by

Darry Cowl Darry Cowl (born André Darricau; 27 August 1925 – 14 February 2006) was a French comedian, actor and musician. He won a César Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role in 2004 for his role as a concierge in '' Pas sur la bouche'' (''Not on ...

) – Le monsieur à la voiture accidentée *1964: ''

Allez France Allez France (24 May 1970 – 11 December 1989) was an American-bred, French-trained Thoroughbred racehorse and broodmare. Winner of the French 1000 Guineas, the French Oaks and the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, she was one of the greatest-ever ...

'' (directed by

and Pierre Tchernia) – Un français dans le bus *1964: '' Comment épouser un premier ministre'' (directed by

Michel Boisrond Michel Jacques Boisrond (9 October 1921 – 10 November 2002) was a French film director and screenwriter. His work spanned five decades, from the 1950s to the 1990s. Career A former apprentice of Jean Delannoy, Jean Cocteau, and René Clair ...

) – Le promoteur *1964: '' Le Dernier tiercé'' (directed by

Richard Pottier Richard Pottier (6 June 1906, in Graz – 2 November 1994, in Le Plessis-Bouchard) was a film director in France. He was born in the Austro-Hungarian Empire as Ernst Deutsch. Selected filmography * ''If I Were Boss (1934 film), If I Were Boss'' ( ...

) – Laredon *1965: '' La Bonne occase'' (directed by Michel Drach) *1965: ''

Black Humor Black comedy, also known as black humor, bleak comedy, dark comedy, dark humor, gallows humor or morbid humor, is a style of comedy that makes light of subject matter that is generally considered taboo, particularly subjects that are normally ...

'' – Polyte – segment 1 'La Bestiole' *1965: ''Les Mordus de Paris'' – M. Durand *1965: '' La Corde au cou'' (directed by Joseph Lisbona) – Arthur *1965: '' The Double Bed'' – Father *1965: '' La tête du client'' (directed by Jacques Poitrenaud) – Docteur Tannait *1965: '' L'Or du duc'' (directed by Jacques Baratier) *1965: '' Les Bons Vivants'' (directed by

Gilles Grangier Gilles Grangier (5 May 1911 – 27 April 1996) was a French film director and screenwriter. He directed more than 50 films and several TV series between 1943 and 1985. His film ''Archimède le clochard'' was entered into the 9th Berlin Inter ...

and

Georges Lautner Georges Lautner (; 24 January 1926 – 22 November 2013) was a French film director and screenwriter, known primarily for his comedies created in collaboration with screenwriter Michel Audiard. Lautner's ventures into other genres were less ...

) – Paul Arnaud (segment "Bons vivants, Les") *1965: '' The Lace Wars'' (directed by

René Clair René Clair (; 11 November 1898 – 15 March 1981), born René-Lucien Chomette (), was a French filmmaker and writer. He first established his reputation in the 1920s as a director of silent films in which comedy was often mingled with fantasy. H ...

) – Le Prince de Beaulieu *1966: '' Le Caïd de Champignol'' (directed by Jean Bastia) – Claudius Binoche *1966: '' San Antonio - Sale temps pour les mouches'' (directed by Guy Lefranc) – L'inspecteur principal Bérurier *1967: '' Le Plus Vieux Métier du monde'' (directed by

Claude Autant-Lara Claude Autant-Lara (; 5 August 1901 – 5 February 2000) was a French film director, screenwriter, set designer and costume designer who worked in films for over 50 years. He made films characterised by bourgeois Realism (arts), realism, anti- ...

and

Mauro Bolognini Mauro Bolognini (28 June 1922 – 14 May 2001) was an Italian film and stage director. Early years Bolognini was born in Pistoia, in the Tuscany region of Italy. After earning a master's degree in architecture at the University of Florence, Bol ...

) – Le commissaire du peuple (segment "Mademoiselle Mimi") *1967: ''Bang Bang'' (directed by Serge Piolet) – Paulo *1967: ''Demeure chaste et pure'' *1967: '' Cecile est morte'' (directed by Claude Barma) *1968: '' Béru et ces dames'' (directed by Guy Lefranc) – L'inspecteur principal Bérurier *1969: ''L'Auvergnat et l'Autobus'' – Jean Richard *1969: '' La Maison de campagne'' (directed by

Jean Girault Jean Girault (; 9 May 1924 – 24 July 1982) was a French film director and screenwriter. From 1951 to 1960 he worked as a screenwriter, mainly for comedy films. He made his film debut as a director in 1960. He directed more than thirty films bet ...

) – Bertrand Boiselier *1969: ''Du blé en liasses'' – Bauchard *1972: '' Le Viager'' (directed by Pierre Tchernia) – Jo (un voyou) (cameo) *1981: '' Signé Furax'' (directed by Marc Simenon) – Maigret

References

* The complete guide to Asterix by Peter Kessler

External links

*
Circopedia.org: Jean Richard
{{DEFAULTSORT:Richard, Jean 1921 births 2001 deaths French male film actors French male television actors French circus performers University of Burgundy alumni French National Academy of Dramatic Arts alumni