- Born
- Died
- Birth nameFrançois Michel Simon
- Height5′ 10″ (1.78 m)
- The son of a sausage-maker, Michel Simon was conscripted into the Swiss Army at the start of World War I, but was thrown out through a combination of tuberculosis and general insubordination. He was variously a boxer, photographer, general handyman and right-wing anarchist, finally becoming a stage actor in Geneva in 1920. His reputation soon grew, and he moved to Paris in 1923, appearing in his first film in 1925 (the same year he played Boudu for the first time on stage). With the coming of sound, Simon became firmly established as one of France's outstanding character actors, doing unforgettable work for Jean Renoir (The Bitch (1931), Boudu Saved from Drowning (1932)), Jean Vigo (L'Atalante (1934)) and Marcel Carné (Port of Shadows (1938), Bizarre, Bizarre (1937)). In the 1950s he worked less frequently, partly thanks to an accident involving makeup dye that paralyzed part of his body and face. Despite this, he still managed to appear in films right up to his death in 1975.
- IMDb mini biography by: Michael Brooke <michael@everyman.demon.co.uk>
- SpouseYvonne Ryter(July 22, 1916 - 1919) (divorced, 1 child)
- Children
- Frequently used to comic effect in otherwise serious films
- Eccentric lower class types who end up being oddly endearing
- Bear-like characters: Hairy, dirty and ugly with a deep voice
- In the 1920's/30's Michel Simon, enjoyed associating with people of the lower classes in Paris and for a while, at a time when prostitution was legal, he lived in a brothel.
- Father of actor François Simon.
- Denounced as Jewish, his photo was on view at the anti-Semite exhibition at the Berlitz Palace.
- Died in hospital near Paris.
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