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Jean Marais

Jean Marais

Actor · Died November 8, 1998, aged 84 · Cherbourg, Manche, France

Jean-Alfred Villain-Marais (11 December 1913 – 8 November 1998), known professionally as Jean Marais (French: [ʒɑ̃ maʁɛ]), was a French actor, theatre director, painter, sculptor, visual artist, writer and photographer. In 1937, Marais became the lover of acclaimed poet, playwright and film director Jean Cocteau, who considered him his muse and directed him in multiple plays and films, notably Beauty and the Beast (1946). Following their relationship, Marais and Cocteau remained close friends and Marais later endeavored to keep Cocteau's legacy alive. During the post-war period, Marais was one of France's major film stars and performed in various successful swashbuckler films. In 1996, he was awarded the French Legion of Honor for his contributions to French cinema. Description above from the Wikipedia article Jean Marais, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia. ​

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
December 11, 1913
Died
November 8, 1998 (aged 84)
From
Cherbourg, Manche, France
Works as
Actor
Titles
33 on MovieCove · 88 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Up 46% in 30 days

What are Jean Marais' films like?

Across their 34 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Morality.

Genres

Drama11 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 65th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Comedy9 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 51st percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Comedy movies
Adventure7 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 39th percentile
: browse their Adventure movies
Action3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 41st percentile
: browse their Action movies
Documentary3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 58th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Documentary movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Bonds
35%
Morality
20%
Self
15%
Ideas
11%
Power
9%
Society
5%
Survival
5%
Romantic love17 titles, browse their movies with this themeArt5 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity7 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds5 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception5 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice4 titles, browse their movies with this themePower4 titles, browse their movies with this themeMortality4 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 34 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Light: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their light movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 22 · Serious 7 · Dark 5

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 4 · Stylized 17 · Heightened 13

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 13 · Charged 18 · Intense 3

Steady: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their steady movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 18 · Shifting 14 · Whiplash 2

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

A split, not a type: Straight-faced 16 · Some laughs 7 · Funny 11

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 16 · Even-paced 17 · Relentless 1

Casual: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their casual movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 19 · Engaged 12 · Full focus 3

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 29 · Open-ended 2 · Ambiguous 3

Roles they play

28 analyzed roles

Usually the Hero: 12 of 28 analyzed roles.

Hero
12 of 28
Shadow
6 of 28
Shapeshifter
4 of 28
Trickster
3 of 28
Mentor
2 of 28
Threshold guardian
1 of 28
Show the 28 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Romantic
16
Joyful
15
Contemplative
8
Melancholic
8
Thrilling
8
Other
28

How their films linger

Feel-good18 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun11 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteWistful8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 4 with a twist

  • Happy15
  • Bittersweet9
  • Tragic4
  • Ambiguous3
  • Cyclical3

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Jean Marais' films?

As of October 24, 2026, 13 of their 33 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on The Criterion Channel (6).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Jean Marais' titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

88 credits, 33 with a MovieCove page; 36 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Jacques Demy: The Pink and the Black (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2024)

    Actor

  • The Image Book(2018)

    as (archive footage)

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • At World's End (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    as Djoko

  • Stealing Beauty(1996)

    as M. Guillaume

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films

  • Les Misérables(1995)

    as Mgr Myriel

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Dis papa, raconte-moi là-bas (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

    Actor

  • Shipwrecked Children (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    as Marc Antoine

  • Lien de parenté (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

    as Victor Blaise

  • Parking (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    as Hadès / The Devil

  • Karatékas and Co (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    Show 6 episodes · as l'Empereur

  • Joseph Balsamo (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    Show 7 episodes · as Joseph Balsamo

  • Donkey Skin(1970)

    as The King

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • The Provocation (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)

    as Christian

  • Diamond Rush (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)

    as Manuel Thomas, dit Manu

  • Le Jouet criminel (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)

    as Le vieil homme

  • Fantomas vs. Scotland Yard(1967)

    Stunts · as Fantômas / Fandor / Sir Walter Brown / Giuseppe Luigi

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • Seven Guys and a Gal(1967)

    as Captain Dorgeval

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films

  • The Saint Lies in Wait(1966)

    as Simon Templar

    Midcredits score: 9th percentile of all films

  • Fantomas Unleashed(1965)

    Stunts · as Fantômas / Fandor / Professeur Lefèvre / Marquis de Rostelli

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • Operation Double Cross (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    as Antoine Donadieu

  • Killer Spy(1965)

    as Stanislas Dubois

    Midcredits score: 22nd percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Thomas the Impostor (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    as Le narrateur

  • Le gentleman de Cocody(1965)

    as Jean-Luc Hervé de la Tommeraye

    Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all films

  • Fantomas(1964)

    as Fantômas / Fandor / Lord Shelton / Vieux gardien de la prison

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • Friends of the family (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)

    as Noël Carradine

  • I misteri di Roma (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    Actor

  • The Reluctant Spy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    as Stanislas

  • The Invincible Swordsman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    as François de Capestan

  • The Iron Mask(1962)

    as Charles D'Artagnan

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films

  • Les mystères de Paris(1962)

    as Rodolphe de Sombreuil

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films

  • Pontius Pilate (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)

    as Ponzio Pilato

  • Romulus and the Sabines(1961)

    as Marte

    Midcredits score: 8th percentile of all films

  • Napoléon II, l'aiglon(1961)

    as General de Montholon

    Midcredits score: 11th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • The Miracle of the Wolves(1961)

    as Robert de Neuville

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films

  • Le capitaine Fracasse(1961)

    as Baron Philippe de Sigognac / Captain Fracasse

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films

  • Princess of Cleves(1961)

    as Prince of Clèves

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • Captain Blood (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    as François de Capestang, aka 'Le Capitan'

  • The Battle of Austerlitz(1960)

    as Carnot

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • Testament of Orpheus(1960)

    as Oedipe

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • The Hunchback of Paris (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    as Henri de Lagardère

  • Life as a Couple(1958)

    as Teddy Brooks

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films

  • Every Day Has Its Secret (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    as Xavier Lezcano

  • King on Horseback (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    as Henri La Tour

  • Soleil éteint (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    Actor

  • White Nights(1957)

    as L'Inquilino

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • A Girl in a Pocket (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    as Prof. Jerome

  • S.O.S. Noronha (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    as Frédéric Coulibaud

  • Typhoon Over Nagasaki (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    as Pierre Marsac

  • Elena and Her Men(1956)

    as Général François Rollan

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • The Whole Town Accuses (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    as François Nérac

  • Goubbiah and the Gipsy Girl (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    as Goubbiah

  • Si Paris nous était conté(1956)

    as François Ier

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • School for Love(1955)

    as Eric Walter

    Midcredits score: 14th percentile of all films

  • Napoleon(1955)

    as Count Montholon

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • Boom on Paris (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    as lui-même

  • The Count of Monte Cristo (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    as Edmond Dantès

  • Royal Affairs in Versailles(1954)

    as Louis XV

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • The Healer (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    as Pierre Lachaux dit « Monsieur Laurent »

  • Inside a Girls' Dormitory (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    as Inspecteur Desiré Marco

  • Julietta (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    as André Landrecourt

  • The Lovers of Midnight (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    as Marcel Dulac

  • Voice of Silence (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    as Andrea Sanna

  • The Call of Destiny (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    as Lorenzo Lombardi

  • Leathernose (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

    as Roger de Tainchebraye

  • Miracles Only Happen Once (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    as Jérôme

  • The Glass Castle(1950)

    as Rémy Marsay

    Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films

  • Orpheus(1950)

    as Orphée

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • The Secret of Mayerling (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1949)

    as L'archiduc Rodolphe d'Autriche-Hongrie

  • The Terrible Parents(1948)

    as Michel

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • In the Eyes of Memory (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)

    as Jacques Forestier

  • The Eagle with Two Heads(1948)

    as Stanislas

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • Ruy Blas(1948)

    as Ruy Blas / Don César de Bazan

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • The Royalists (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1947)

    as Marquis of Montauran

  • Beauty and the Beast(1946)

    as La Bête / Le Prince / Avenant

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • Carmen (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1944)

    as Don José

  • Voyage Without Hope (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)

    as Alain Ginestier

  • The Eternal Return (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)

    as Patrice

  • The Four-Poster Bed (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

    as Remy Bonvent

  • The Pavilion Burns (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    as Daniel

  • Let’s Go Up the Champs-Élysées (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    as L'Abbé-Précepteur

  • The Patriot (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    as (uncredited)

  • Bizarre, Bizarre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    as Le fêtard assommé par un Chinois (uncredited)

  • The New Men (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    as Le secrétaire

  • The Adventurer (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    as Le jeune ouvrier

  • Le Bonheur (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    as Journalist (uncredited)

  • The Scandal (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    as Le liftier

  • Étienne (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

    Actor

  • The Hawk (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

    Actor

Career shape

Star power in the 99th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 88 titles from 1933 to 2024; peak year 1995.

Biggest box office

Stealing Beauty (1996)

$5M worldwide

Highest rated

Orpheus (1950)

Midcredits 96th

Most popular right now

Stealing Beauty (1996)

Film career

MilestoneBreakout
19332024

Peak 1995 · fewer prominent film roles lately. Top draw in 5 MovieCove titles. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting88 of 88: 86 only acting, 2 with another role · typical Midcredits score53rdOther crew2 of 88: 0 only other crew, 2 with another role

By decade

1930s9 · acting1940s12 · acting1950s28 · acting1960s26 · 26 acting · 2 crew1970s4 · acting1980s2 · acting1990s4 · acting2000s1 · acting2010s1 · acting2020s1 · acting

Billing

usually 1st · top billed in 52% of 25 roles
37526282

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.

How do Jean Marais' films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 53rd percentile, the median of all 33; across their 34 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 59th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

59thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 34

Approval · how many liked their films

47thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 34

Reach · how many have seen their films

48thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 34

Midcredits score across 33 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up8
  • 50th to 74th12
  • 25th to 49th7
  • Below 25th6

Shape of the crowd

13 of their 33 titles are Mixed.

  • Universally Loved4
  • Crowd Pleaser11
  • Broadly Agreed5
  • Mixed13

Most divisive · actor

Seven Guys and a Gal (1967)

65th percentile spread · 23% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

Orpheus (1950)

Midcredits 96th · 84% liked

Reviewers score the acting 69/100 in their films, across 22 reviewed titles; fans 79, detractors 46. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Who does Jean Marais work with?

People who share at least 2 of Jean Marais' MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Jean Cocteau shares the most, 8.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers and cinematographers

Producers

Mixed roles