Michel Serrault (24 January 1928 – 29 July 2007) was a French stage and film actor who appeared from 1954 until 2007 in more than 130 films.
His first professional job was in a touring production in Germany of Molière's Les Fourberies de Scapin.
In 1948, he began his career in the theatre with Robert Dhéry in Les Branquignols. His first film was Ah! Les belles bacchantes, starring Robert Dhéry, Colette Brosset (Dhéry's then-wife), and Louis de Funès; directed by Jean Loubignac in 1954. Serrault played in the 1955 suspense thriller Les diaboliques, starring Simone Signoret and directed by Henri-Georges Clouzot.
From February 1973 through 1978, he portrayed the role of Albin/Zaza opposite Jean Poiret in the play La cage aux folles, written by Poiret. He recreated the role for the film version of the play, which was released in 1978.
Serrault died from relapsing polychondritis at his home in Équemauville on 29 July 2007 at age 79. He was buried in Sainte-Catherine's cemetery in Honfleur and was transferred in 2009 to the cemetery of Neuilly-sur-Seine near his wife Juanita Saint-Peyron and daughter Caroline, who died in 1977. He had another daughter, actress Nathalie Serrault.
Source: Article "Michel Serrault" from Wikipedia in English, licensed under CC-BY-SA 3.0.
Known For
Joyeux Noel
(2005)
The Castle Keeper
Diabolique
(1955)
Mr. Raymond
La Cage aux Folles
(1978)
Zaza
The Libertine
(2000)
Le Cardinal
Get Out Your Handkerchiefs
(1978)
le voisin
Belphegor, Phantom of the Louvre
(2001)
Verlac
Love on a Pillow
(1962)
Varange
Deadly Circuit
(1983)
Beauvoir, « l'Œil »
Actors
(2000)
Self
The Annuity
(1972)
Louis Martinet
Male Hunt
(1964)
Gaston Lartois
Liberté, égalité, choucroute
(1985)
Louis XVI
Quarter to Two Before Jesus Christ
(1982)
Jules César
The Inquisitor
(1981)
Jérôme Martinaud
The Children of the Marshland
(1999)
Hyacinthe Richard, aka 'Pépé la Rainette'
Assassin(s)
(1997)
Mr. Wagner
Full Filmography
Acting
Peek-a-boo
(1954)
Serrault, le trompettiste
What the East Wind Saw
(1954)
Zamore
Diabolique
(1955)
Mr. Raymond
That Naughty Girl
(1956)
Inspector #2
Murderers and Thieves
(1956)
Albert Lecagneux, le cambrioleur
The Terror with Women
(1956)
Un gendarme
Life is beautiful
(1956)
le démarcheur
Mon bébé
(1956)
Jimmy Scott
Adorables démons
(1957)
Jacques Willis Senior
The Innocent with Forty Children
(1957)
Jean-François Robignac
L'Habit vert
(1957)
Musée Grévin
(1958)
The visitor
Clara and the Villains
(1958)
La Parole
Oh! What a Mambo
(1959)
L'inspecteur Vidalie
You Have Nothing to Declare?
(1959)
Dr. Emile Couzan
Nina
(1959)
Adolphe Tessier
The Bureaucrats
(1959)
le conservateur du musée de Vallembrais / Son petit-fils
La Malle volante
(1959)
M. Loiseau
Love and the Frenchwoman
(1960)
L'avocat de Danielle (Le Divorce)
Candide or The Optimism in the 20th Century
(1960)
Le second policier / Policeman
The American Beauty
(1961)
le clochard
On purge bébé
(1961)
Guillaume Chouilloux
My Wife Is a Panther
(1961)
le boucher
The Dance
(1962)
Pétrarque
Love on a Pillow
(1962)
Varange
We Will Go to Deauville
(1962)
Lucien Moreau
The Four Truths
(1962)
Corbeau (segment "Le corbeau et le renard")
Un clair de lune à Maubeuge
(1962)
Charpentier, le conférencier
How to Succeed in Love
(1962)
Le commissaire
Carom Shots
(1963)
Baudu, l'inspecteur de Police
Bebert and the Train
(1963)
Barthoin
Male Hunt
(1964)
Gaston Lartois
Dandelions by the Roots
(1964)
Jérôme, comédien de théâtrre et cousin de Jockey Jack
Jaloux comme un tigre
(1964)
M. Lurot
How Do You Like My Sister?
(1964)
Varangeot
Clémentine chérie
(1964)
Maître Brunet
Hard Boiled Ones
(1964)
Rossignol, le détective privé
When the Pheasants Pass
(1965)
Rimero
Me and the Forty Year Old Man
(1965)
Bénéchol
How Not to Rob a Department Store
(1965)
Under Your Hat
(1965)
Gaston Berrien / Monsieur Max
Les baratineurs
(1965)
Henri
The Double Bed
(1965)
Albert
The Real Bargain
(1965)
Le petit monstre
(1965)
King of Hearts
(1966)
Monsieur Marcel
Les combinards
(1966)
La père de Lucile
Les enquiquineurs
(1966)
Martin - instituteur
The Boss of Champignol
(1966)
The Men in the Family
(1967)
Gabriel Pelletier
Les Compagnons de la marguerite
(1967)
L'inspecteur Papin
The Madman of Lab Four
(1967)
M. Granger, directeur du laboratoire scientifique
Pour avoir Adrienne
(1967)
Thomeret
The Great Gadget
(1967)
Pounet
Du mou dans la gâchette
(1967)
The armorer
Cette nuit-là à Bethléem
(1967)
The Great Chase
(1968)
Aldo Moreni
Would-Be Gentleman
(1968)
M. Jourdain
Call Me Mathilde
(1969)
François
Un merveilleux parfum d'oseille
(1969)
Commissaire Le Gac
Ces messieurs de la gâchette
(1970)
Gabriel Pelletier
La Liberté en croupe
(1970)
Paul Cérès
Le Cri du cormoran, le soir au-dessus des jonques
(1971)
Alfred Mullanet
Qu'est-ce qui fait courir les crocodiles ?
(1971)
Achille
Everybody He Is Nice, Everybody He Is Beautiful
(1972)
Marcel Jolin
The Annuity
(1972)
Louis Martinet
A Murder Is a Murder
(1972)
Le commissaire Plouvier / Superintendant
The Big Store
(1973)
Félix Boucan
Big Deal
(1973)
Paul
Moi y'en a vouloir des sous
(1973)
Le curé Léon
La Cage aux folles
(1973)
Albin dit "Zaza Napoli"
The Down-in-the-Hole Gang
(1974)
Jean-Paul Rondin
No Pockets in a Shroud
(1974)
Justin Blesh
Chinese In Paris
(1974)
Grégoire Montclair
Operation Lady Marlene
(1974)
Paulo
Bloody Murder
(1974)
Edouard Henricot
La Gueule de l’emploi
(1974)
L'inspecteur de police
The Red Ibis
(1975)
Jérémie
The Restroom Robbery
(1975)
Max
La situation est grave... mais pas désespérée
(1976)
Jean-Pierre Mazard
Le Roi des bricoleurs
(1977)
Bordin
Le Passe-muraille
(1977)
Dutilleul
Get Out Your Handkerchiefs
(1978)
le voisin
La Cage aux Folles
(1978)
Zaza
Other People's Money
(1978)
Miremant
The Other One's Mug
(1979)
Martial Perrin/Gilbert Brossard
The Associate
(1979)
Julien Pardot
Buffet Froid
(1979)
Le comptable
L'Esprit de famille
(1979)
le docteur Charles Moreau
La Grâce
(1979)
Henri Dupérier
La Cage aux Folles II
(1980)
Albin Mougeotte / 'Zaza Napoli'
Heads or Tails
(1980)
Edouard Morlaix
Il lupo e l'agnello
(1980)
Léon
The Inquisitor
(1981)
Jérôme Martinaud
Malevil
(1981)
Emmanuel Comte
Quarter to Two Before Jesus Christ
(1982)
Jules César
The Hatter's Ghost
(1982)
Léon Labbé
Nestor Burma, détective de choc
(1982)
Nestor Burma
The Roaring Forties
(1982)
Sébastien Barral
Deadly Circuit
(1983)
Beauvoir, « l'Œil »
Good King Dagobert
(1984)
Otarius
Kill the Referee
(1984)
Rico, aggressive supporter
Le Bon Plaisir
(1984)
Le ministre de l'Intérieur
Les Rois du gag
(1985)
La Cage aux Folles 3: The Wedding
(1985)
Albin Mougeotte / 'Zaza Napoli'
He Died with His Eyes Open
(1985)
Robert Staniland
Liberté, égalité, choucroute
(1985)
Louis XVI
My Brother-in-law Killed My Sister
(1986)
Octave Clapoteau
Miracle Healing
(1987)
Ronald Fox-Terrier
Ennemis intimes
(1987)
Baudin
Bonjour l'angoisse
(1988)
Michaud
Let Sleeping Cops Lie
(1988)
Roger Scatti
No Harm Intended
(1988)
Paul Duchêne
Love Comedy
(1989)
Paul Léautaud
Merry Christmas... Happy New Year
(1989)
Gino
Dr. Petiot
(1990)
Docteur Petiot
The Old Lady Who Walked in the Sea
(1991)
Pompilius
L'Huissier
(1991)
Maître Malicorne
Héloïse
(1991)
Maurice Martin, Héloïse
Ville à vendre
(1992)
Rousselot, le maire
Old Rascal
(1992)
Darius Caunes
Room Service
(1992)
M. Luc
Bonsoir
(1994)
Alex Ponttin
Nelly and Monsieur Arnaud
(1995)
M. Pierre Arnaud
Happiness Is in the Field
(1995)
Francis Bergeade
Tel est Serrault
(1995)
Self
Beaumarchais the Scoundrel
(1996)
Louis XV
Assassin(s)
(1997)
Mr. Wagner
The Swindle
(1997)
Victor
The Comedian
(1997)
Le comédien
Artemisia
(1997)
Orazio Gentileschi
The Children of the Marshland
(1999)
Hyacinthe Richard, aka 'Pépé la Rainette'
The Libertine
(2000)
Le Cardinal
Actors
(2000)
Self
The Girl from Paris
(2001)
Adrien Rochas
Belphegor, Phantom of the Louvre
(2001)
Verlac
Vajont
(2001)
L'Ingegner Carlo Semenza
Un cœur oublié
(2001)
Monsieur de Fontenelle
24 Hours in the Life of a Woman
(2002)
Louis
The Butterfly
(2002)
Julien
Le Furet
(2003)
Anzio
L'Affaire Dominici
(2003)
Gaston Dominici
Albert est méchant
(2004)
Albert Moulinot
Grabuge!
(2005)
Commissaire Lancret
Monsieur Léon
(2005)
Docteur Léon Chapuis
Joyeux Noel
(2005)
The Castle Keeper
Les enfants du pays
(2006)
Gustave
Have Mercy on Us All
(2007)
Hervé Decambrais
Antonio Vivaldi - A Prince in Venice
(2007)
L'archevêque de Venise
Le Bénévole
(2007)
Max Birgos
Comiques de toujours (Vol. 1 à 4)
(2009)
Self (archive footage)
Merci Zaza - La folle histoire de la Cage aux Folles
(2023)
The Enigmatic Charlotte Rampling
(2023)
Self (archive footage)
Production