Maurice Barrier (8 June 1932 – 12 April 2020) was a French actor and singer.

Biography

Barrier was the son of a cabinetmaker, and had his first job working in his father's workshop. While in

Rennes Rennes (; br, Roazhon ; Gallo: ''Resnn''; ) is a city in the east of Brittany in northwestern France at the confluence of the Ille and the Vilaine. Rennes is the prefecture of the region of Brittany, as well as the Ille-et-Vilaine departm ...

at age 28, he met several resident actors at the

Théâtre National de Bretagne The Théâtre national de Bretagne (TNB, National Theater of Brittany) is a cultural institution established in Rennes in 1990 by combining the Centre dramatique de l'Ouest and the Maison de la Culture of Rennes. For some time it was called the "G ...

and made his stage debut in ''

Caligula Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus Germanicus (31 August 12 – 24 January 41), better known by his nickname Caligula (), was the third Roman emperor, ruling from 37 until his assassination in 41. He was the son of the popular Roman general Germanic ...

'', written by

Albert Camus Albert Camus ( , ; ; 7 November 1913 – 4 January 1960) was a French philosopher, author, dramatist, and journalist. He was awarded the 1957 Nobel Prize in Literature The 1957 Nobel Prize in Literature was awarded the French writer Alb ...

. His first major role on television was in the film ''

The Taking of Power by Louis XIV ''The Taking of Power by Louis XIV'' (french: La prise de pouvoir par Louis XIV), also called ''The Rise of Louis XIV'', is a 1966 French television film by Italian film director Roberto Rossellini. The film revolves around the French king Lou ...

''. His other major films included ''

The Tall Blond Man with One Black Shoe ''The Tall Blond Man with One Black Shoe'' (french: Le Grand Blond avec une chaussure noire) is a 1972 French spy comedy film directed by Yves Robert and written by Robert and Francis Veber, starring Pierre Richard, Bernard Blier, Jean Rochefort ...

'', '' Two Men in Town'', ''

Black and White in Color ''Black and White in Color'' (french: La Victoire en chantant, then ''Noirs et Blancs en couleur'' for the 1977 re-issue) is a French-Ivorian 1976 war film and black comedy directed by Jean-Jacques Annaud in his directorial debut. The film is set ...

'', ''

Coup de tête ''Coup de tête'' ( en, italic=yes, Hothead) is a 1979 French comedy-drama film directed by Jean-Jacques Annaud and scripted by Francis Veber. It stars Patrick Dewaere and Jean Bouise, who won the César Award for Best Actor in a Supporting R ...

'', and ''

Flic Story ''Flic Story'' is a French crime thriller released on October 1, 1975, based on the autobiography of the same name written by French police detective Roger Borniche. Both film and book portray Borniche's nine-year pursuit of French gangster and mu ...

''. He played alongside several actors, such as

Jean-Paul Belmondo Jean-Paul Charles Belmondo (; 9 April 19336 September 2021) was a French actor and producer. Initially associated with the New Wave of the 1960s, he was a major French film star for several decades from the 1960s onward. His best known credits ...

Jean Gabin Jean Gabin (; 17 May 190415 November 1976) was a French actor and singer. Considered a key figure in French cinema, he starred in several classic films including '' Pépé le Moko'' (1937), '' La grande illusion'' (1937), ''Le Quai des brumes'' ...

, Alain Delon,

Pierre Richard Pierre Richard (born Pierre-Richard Maurice Charles Léopold Defays; 16 August 1934) is a French actor, film director and screenwriter, best known for the roles of a clumsy daydreamer in comedy films. Pierre Richard is considered by many, such as ...

Gérard Depardieu Gérard Xavier Marcel Depardieu, CQ (, , ; born 27 December 1948) is a French actor, filmmaker, businessman and vineyard owner since 1989 who is one of the most prolific thespians in film history having completed over 250 films since 1967 al ...

, and

Gérard Jugnot Gérard Jugnot (; born 4 May 1951) is a French actor, film director, screenwriter and film producer. Jugnot was one of the founders of the comedy ''troupe'' Le Splendid in the 1970s, along with, among others, his high-school friends Christian C ...

. Barrier was married to the actress Hélène Manesse. The pair resided in Montréal, France from 1962 until Maurice's death on 12 April 2020 in

Montbard Montbard () is a commune and subprefecture of the Côte-d'Or department in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region in eastern France. Montbard is a small industrial town on the river Brenne. The ''Forges de Buffon'', ironworks established by Buff ...

at the age of 87 due to

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The disease quickl ...

References

External links

* 1932 births 2020 deaths 20th-century French actors French male stage actors French male television actors French male film actors People from Sarthe People from Yonne Deaths from the COVID-19 pandemic in France {{France-actor-stub