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Pierre Brasseur
ACTOR

Pierre Brasseur

Known for Eyes Without a Face · Heartbeat · Goto, Island of Love

Pierre Brasseur, born Pierre-Albert Espinasse (22 December 1905, Paris – 16 August 1972, Bruneck, Italy) was a French actor. He was the son of actor Georges Espinasse and actress Germaine Brasseur while the latter was married to Albert Brasseur. His grandfather, Jules Brasseur, was an actor as well. The family tradition of using the name Brasseur was continued by his son Claude and his grandson Alexandre. Renowned for playing outsized…

Snapshot 2026-10-16

Born
Dec 22, 1905
Died
Aug 16, 1972
Birthplace
Paris, France
Known For
Acting

Biography

Pierre Brasseur, born Pierre-Albert Espinasse (22 December 1905, Paris – 16 August 1972, Bruneck, Italy) was a French actor.

He was the son of actor Georges Espinasse and actress Germaine Brasseur while the latter was married to Albert Brasseur. His grandfather, Jules Brasseur, was an actor as well. The family tradition of using the name Brasseur was continued by his son Claude and his grandson Alexandre.

Renowned for playing outsized characters, Brasseur is probably best known in the anglophone world for his (semi-fictionalised) portrayal of the actor Frédérick Lemaître in Les Enfants du Paradis (Children of Paradise, 1945) and as Docteur Génessier (more subdued) in the horror film Eyes Without a Face (Les Yeux sans visage, 1960) co-starring with Alida Valli.

On May 30, 1927, Brasseur performed the spoken role of the Narrator in the world premiere of Igor Stravinsky's opera-oratorio Oedipus rex.

Description above from the Wikipedia article Pierre Brasseur, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

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Known For

MOVIEEyes Without a Face
Eyes Without a FaceProfessor Génessier · 1960
★ 7.6
MOVIEHeartbeat
HeartbeatCousine (uncredited) · 1938
★ 6.9
MOVIEGoto, Island of Love
Goto, Island of LoveLe Gouverneur-Roi Goto III · 1969
★ 6.4
MOVIESpotlight on a Murderer
Spotlight on a MurdererComte de Kerloquen · 1961
★ 6.5
MOVIEThe Lovers of Verona
The Lovers of VeronaRaffaele · 1949
★ 5.0
MOVIESous le signe de Monte-Cristo
Sous le signe de Monte-CristoFaria · 1968
★ 6.8

Filmography

Movies

Madame Sans-Gêne
1925
BackbitersLe type de l'appareil à sous
1927
F
Feu!Frémiet's ordinance
1927
Circulate!Jean Dupont-Desroches
1931
My Friend VictorEdgar Flachon
1931
AF
A Father Without Knowing ItJean
1932
QuickMaxime
1932
The WinnerHunter
1932
UF
Une faim de loup
1932
Honeymoon TripRudi
1933
Moi et l'impératriceDidier
1933
One Night's SongKoretzky
1933
WS
Weaker SexJimmy
1933
CaravaneLt. de Tokay
1934
I
IncognitoMarcel
1934
L'Oncle de PékinPhilippe
1934
The Amorous GarrisonPaul, rider
1934
A Rare BirdJean Berthier
1935
JH
Jonny, haute-coutureJonny
1935
Le Bébé de l'escadronMax
1935
LM
Le Miroir aux alouettesJean Forestier
1935
Little OneGeorges Darnetal
1935
Quadrille d'amourRobert Lanclot
1935
Jeunesse d'abord
1936
Le Mari rêvéRené Daroy /Achille Daroy
1936
Passé à vendreBob
1936
Prête-moi ta femme
1936
Valse éternelle
1936
Claudine at SchoolDoctor Dubois
1937
Confessions of a NewlywedEdmond Trivelin
1937
La Reine des resquilleusesFred Woolson
1937
The Virgin BrideGeorges Letournel, fils du mari de Jacqueline
1937
Une femme qui se partage
1937
Café de ParisLe Rec
1938
Gosse de richePierre Mougins
1938
GrisouHagnauer
1938
GrisouTheatre Play
1938
GrisouDialogue
1938
HeartbeatCousine (uncredited)
1938
HerculeBastien
1938
Port of ShadowsLucien
1938
The Life of Giuseppe VerdiAlexandre Dumas figlio
1938
Corsican BrothersTonio
1939
Last DesireFrossard
1939
Le père LebonnardAlfredo Lebonnard
1939
Second ChildhoodFrossard
1939
The Path of HonorPhilippe
1939
Visages de femmesGeorges Legrand
1939
Sixième étageJonval, the young cynic
1940
TI
Tobie Is an Angel
1940
Three Argentines in MontmartreToninett
1941
La Croisée des cheminsHubert Epervans
1942
Promise to the Unknown OneLussac
1942
Adieu LéonardProsper Bonenfant
1943
Le soleil a toujours raisonGabriel
1943
Summer LightRoland
1943
Two Shy OnesVancouver
1943
Children of ParadiseFrédérick Lemaître
1945
Behind These WallsJean-César Morin
1946
Gates of the NightGeorges
1946
La Femme fataleJean Pleyard
1946
Land Without StarsJean-Thomas Pellerin / François-Charles Talacayud
1946
PétrusRodrigue
1946
Love Around the House'Douze Apôtres'
1947
Noah's ArkBitru
1947
Cruise for the Unknown OneEmile Fréchisse
1948
La Nuit blanchePierre Taverny
1948
RocamboleRocambole
1948
The Revenge of BaccaratRocambole
1948
The Secret of Monte-CristoFrançois Picault
1948
Millionaires for One DayFrancis
1949
Portrait of a MurdererFabius / Jean
1949
The Lovers of VeronaRaffaele
1949
Jamaican ManJacques Mervel
1950
Julie de CarneilhanHubert Espivant
1950
Lost SouvenirsPhilippe (segment "Une statuette d'Osiris")
1950
BluebeardAmédée de Salfère dit Barbe-Bleue
1951
Dirty HandsHoederer
1951
Skipper Next to GodCaptain Joris KnAipper
1951
Crimson CurtainLudovic Arn / Macbeth
1952
Le PlaisirJulien Ledentu
1952
TV
Torticola versus FrankensbergInvisible Man's Friend
1952
The Curious Adventures of Mr. WonderbirdBird (voice)
1953
The Curious Adventures of Mr. WonderbirdVocals
1953
The DrunkardMaître Pierre Renneville
1953
Clothing the NakedConsole Grotti
1954
RasputinGregory Iefimovich Raspoutine
1954
Saint-Tropez, devoirs de vacancesSelf
1954
NapoleonBarras
1955
OasisAntoine Vallin
1955
Tower of LustJehan Buridan
1955
The Gates of ParisJuju
1957
Life TogetherPierre Carreau
1958
Sans familleJeroboam Driscoll
1958
The PossessorsLucien Maublanc, le cousin oisif
1958
Head Against the WallDr. Varmont
1959
The BureaucratsMonsieur Nègre
1959
The LawDon Cesare
1959
Candide or The Optimism in the 20th CenturyPangloss
1960
Carthage in FlamesSidone
1960
Eyes Without a FaceProfessor Génessier
1960
Il bell'AntonioAlfio Magnano
1960
The Dialogue of the CarmelitesCommissioner of the Republic
1960
Famous Love Affairsle grand duc Ernest
1961
Long Live Henry IV... Long Live Love!Constable of Montmorency
1961
Spotlight on a MurdererComte de Kerloquen
1961
The Nina B. AffairBerrera
1961
Crime Does Not PayMartin Fenayrou
1962
Emile's BoatFrançois Larmentiel
1962
Hitch-HikeAchille Pipermint, l'homme d'affaires radin à Orly
1962
RencontresCarl Krasner
1962
Agent of DoomCharlèz
1963
Don't Tempt the DevilCharles Cassidi, lawyer for Mrs. Dupré
1963
Josefa's LootMayor
1963
The Abominable Man of CustomsRussian killer
1963
A Very Handy ManSimone Palumbo
1964
Lucky JoLoudéac
1964
The Circular TriangleGeorges Richter
1964
Black HumorLe guérisseur - segment 1 'La Bestiole'
1965
CloportesDemuldère aka 'Tonton le Brocanteur', receiver
1965
L'Or du ducAdhémar de Talois-Minet
1965
Pas de caviar pour tante OlgaPatache
1965
A Matter of ResistanceDimanche
1966
A Young WorldLe Grec
1966
FortunaNissim Buzaglo
1966
King of HeartsGeneral Géranium
1966
Pas de paniqueFernand Toussaint
1966
Two Hours to KillLaurent
1966
TB
The Birth of Children of ParadiseSelf
1967
The Madman of Lab FourFather Ballanchon
1967
A Little VirtuousJules Polnick
1968
Birds in PeruHusband
1968
Sous le signe de Monte-CristoFaria
1968
Goto, Island of LoveLe Gouverneur-Roi Goto III
1969
ÀL
À la recherche de Jean GrémillonSelf
1969
Un ange passe
1970
Un ange passeFlorisse
1970
Un ange passeWriter
1970
M
Macédoine
1971
The Married Couple of the Year TwoGosselin
1971
The Most Wonderful Evening of My LifeLa Brunetière
1972
Le Dernier MélodrameWriter
1979
Michel Audiard et le mystère du triangle des BermudesSelf (archive footage)
2002
la loiDon Cesare
OJ
Opération JerichoJean-César Morin

Television

La Joie de vivreSelf · 1 eps
1952
CinépanoramaSelf · 4 eps
1956
Les Cinq Dernières MinutesMaurice Tardenois · 1 eps
1958
La Brigade des maléficesDiablevert · 1 eps
1971
La Brigade des maléficesDiablegris · 1 eps
1971

Photos

Pierre Brasseur photo
Pierre Brasseur photo
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