Claude Giraud (February 5, 1936 in Chamalières â€" November 3, 2020)
was a French actor.Claude Giraud studied with Tania Balachova at the
Théâtre du Vieux-Colombier; Berthe Bovy and Jean Meyer at the École
de la rue Blanche (École nationale supérieure des arts et techniques
du théâtre, ENSATT). In November 1957 he was accepted as a student
at CNSAD Conservatoire national supérieur d'art dramatique, where he
studied with Jean Debucourt and Fernand Ledoux. Upon his graduation he
was the first male student to win all three categories during the
Concourse (Classical Comedy, Modern Comedy, Tragedy). In 1962 he was
the first recipient of the newly created Prix Gérard Philipe. He was
engaged at the Comédie Française in 1962 as a pensionnaire. Besides
his debut role as Valère in Molière's The Miser, he played Arsace in
Corneille's Bérénice, and the narrator in the stage adaptation of
André Gide's short story Le retour de l'enfant prodigue (The Return
of the Prodigal Son). Disappointed that he was only cast in small
roles, he left the Comédie Française after a few months to start his
film career. He played the leading role as Capitaine Langlois in
François Leterrier's movie adaptation of Jean Giono's novelA King
Without Distraction in 1962. He was Oedipus in the film adaptation of
Jean Cocteau's The Infernal Machine. He joined the Compagnie Marie
Bell to play a US tour in New York City, Boston, Washington D.C., and
Princeton in Octoberâ€"November 1963. For his presentation of
Hippolite in Phèdre and Titus in Bérénice at The Brooks Atkinson
Theatre on Broadway, he was awarded the Theater World Award. He played
the role of the soldier Georges in Roger Vadim's Circle of Love, a
film adaptation of Arthur Schnitzler's scandalous play La Ronde
(play). Between 1964 and 1966, Claude Giraud played the part of
Philippe de Plessis-Bellières beside Michèle Mercier in three
Angélique films: Angélique, Marquise des Anges, Marvelous Angelique,
and Angelique and the King. He returned to the Comédie Française in
1972 and became the 460th sociétaire in 1976. He left again in 1982
to join Jean-Laurent Cochet's newly created Théâtre Hébertot.Claude
Giraud studied with Tania Balachova at the Théâtre du
Vieux-Colombier; Berthe Bovy and Jean Meyer at the École de la rue
Blanche (École nationale supérieure des arts et techniques du
théâtre, ENSATT). In November 1957 he was accepted as a student at
CNSAD Conservatoire national supérieur d'art dramatique, where he
studied with Jean Debucourt and Fernand Ledoux. Upon his graduation he
was the first male student to win all three categories during the
Concourse (Classical Comedy, Modern Comedy, Tragedy). In 1962 he was
the first recipient of the newly created Prix Gérard Philipe. He was
engaged at the Comédie Française in 1962 as a pensionnaire. Besides
his debut role as Valère in Molière's The Miser, he played Arsace in
Corneille's Bérénice, and the narrator in the stage adaptation of
André Gide's short story Le retour de l'enfant prodigue (The Return
of the Prodigal Son). Disappointed that he was only cast in small
roles, he left the Comédie Française after a few months to start his
film career. He played the leading role as Capitaine Langlois in
François Leterrier's movie adaptation of Jean Giono's novelA King
Without Distraction in 1962. He was Oedipus in the film adaptation of
Jean Cocteau's The Infernal Machine. He joined the Compagnie Marie
Bell to play a US tour in New York City, Boston, Washington D.C., and
Princeton in Octoberâ€"November 1963. For his presentation of
Hippolite in Phèdre and Titus in Bérénice at The Brooks Atkinson
Theatre on Broadway, he was awarded the Theater World Award. He played
the role of the soldier Georges in Roger Vadim's Circle of Love, a
film adaptation of Arthur Schnitzler's scandalous play La Ronde
(play). Between 1964 and 1966, Claude Giraud played the part of
Philippe de Plessis-Bellières beside Michèle Mercier in three
Angélique films: Angélique, Marquise des Anges, Marvelous Angelique,
and Angelique and the King. He returned to the Comédie Française in
1972 and became the 460th sociétaire in 1976. He left again in 1982
to join Jean-Laurent Cochet's newly created Théâtre Hébertot.He
gained fame in TV series as hero Morgan/Jacques de Saint-Hermine in
the adventure series Les Compagnons de Jéhu by Michel Drachadapted
from the eponymous novel by Alexandre Dumas. Bernard Toublanc-Michel
engaged him in 1967 for the role of d'Aulnay in Adolphe ou l'âge
tendre. The TV series Les rois maudits, where he played the role of
Sir Roger Mortimer, was another huge success. In 1973, he played the
fictional Arab revolutionary leader Mohamed Larbi Slimane, who poses
as Rabbi Zeiligman in The Mad Adventures of Rabbi Jacob with Louis de
Funès. In the TV movie Mamie Rose (1976) he played Claude Jade's
husband Régis, whose marriage is saved by an au-pair granny played by
Gisèle Casadesus.Other TV series include Mathias Sandorf [de] (1979),
in which he played corrupt banker Silas Toronthal, based on Jules
Verne's eponymous novel. Claude Giraud Top Movies & Young Movies