Jean Servais (24 September 1910 in Antwerp, Belgium – 17 February 1976 in Paris) was a Belgian actor trained at the Brussels Conservatory of Dramatic Arts, where he won the Second Prize.His acting skills came to the attention of Raymond Rouleau, and he was hired at the Théâtre du Marais, where he acted in Le mal de jeunesse, which was successful in Brussels and in Paris. He was also a member of Jean-Louis Barrault's theatre company.His first film role was as the simple country dweller who was the victim of an error by the justice system in the film Criminel (1932), directed by Jack Forrester. Servais's film career continued in the 1930s with roles in films such as La Chanson De L'Adieu (1934) and La Vie Est Magnifique (1938). After a break in acting during World War II, he returned to the screen with roles in films such as La Danse De Mort (1948).In the 1950s, he displayed a brooding, haunted demeanor in the crime drama Rififi (1955)(which François Truffaut ranked as the best film noir) directed by Jules Dassin, in which he played an embittered and physically ailing leader of a gang of jewel thieves. He appeared in another film directed by Dassin, Celui qui doit mourir, in 1957. He also appeared in La fièvre monte à El Pao (1959), a film written and directed by Luis Buñuel.In the 1950s and 1960s, Servais rejoined the Renaud-Barrault theatre troupe for several plays, including La Répétition ou l'Amour puni (1950), Volpone (1955), and Marat/Sade (1966). In the 1960s, Servais took small character roles in popular international fare such as The Longest Day (1962), an epic recreation of the Allied invasion of Normandy, and That Man From Rio (1964). Other films in which he acted include Le Sahara Brule (1960), Un Soir Par Hasard (1964) Avec la Peau des Autres (1966).He had roles in several films in the early 1970s, such as The Devil's Nightmare (1971), an Italian horror series, and Le Protecteur (1973), about a recently released prisoner who tries to find his daughter who has fallen into the underworld of prostitution.
Belgian leading man of French film who reverted to melancholy-looking character parts in the 1950s. Best known for his film association with directors Jules Dassin and Luis Buñuel.
Actor
Title
Year
Status
Character
Un tueur, un flic, ainsi soit-il...
1977
Forzi
La couleur de la mer
1974
Short
Le protecteur
1974
Ancelin
Graf Yoster gibt sich die Ehre
1974
TV Series
Fernando Kreutz
L'affaire Crazy Capo
1973
Joseph Marchesi, dit Crazy Capo
Le seuil du vide
1972
De Gournais, le directeur de la galerie
Der Mann aus London
1971
TV Movie
Maloin
Paul Delvaux ou les femmes défendues
1971
Short voice
La plus longue nuit du diable
1971
Baron von Rhoneberg
Donkey Skin
1970
La voix de (voice)
Le sixième sens
1970
TV Mini-Series
Récitant (voice)
La femme 100 têtes
1968
Short
Récitant / Narrator (voice)
They Came to Rob Las Vegas
1968
Gino
Meglio vedova
1968
Baron Misceni
Black Jesus
1968
Commander
Les dossiers de l'agence O
1968
TV Series
Le docteur Tant-pis
Coplan sauve sa peau
1968
Saroghu
Every Man Is My Enemy
1967
Jean
Avec la peau des autres
1966
Wegelt
Le train bleu s'arrête 13 fois
1966
TV Series
L'homme
Lost Command
1966
General Melies
Thomas l'imposteur
1965
Pasquel-Duport
X-Ray of a Killer
1965
Dr. Roussel
That Man from Rio
1964
Prof. Norbert Catalan
Agent of Doom
1963
Piort
Rififí en la ciudad
1963
Maurice Leprince
La soupe aux poulets
1963
Commissaire Beronnet
La cage
1963
Rispal
The Longest Day
1962
RAdm. Janjard
Crime Does Not Pay
1962
Ernest Vaughan (segment "L'affaire Hugues")
Lions of Corsica
1961
Gerolamo Sagona
Le jeu de la vérité
1961
Jean-François Vérate
Les menteurs
1961
Paul Dutraz
The World in My Pocket
1961
Gypo
Le Sahara brûle
1961
Wagner
Meurtre en 45 tours
1960
Maurice Faugères
La fièvre monte
1959
Alejandro Gual
Dangerous Games
1958
Fournier, le détective privé
Cette nuit l
1958
André Reverdy
Tamango
1958
Doctor Corot
Quand la femme s'en mêle
1957
Henri Godot
La roue
1957
Pierre Pelletier
He Who Must Die
1957
Priest Fotis
The Lebanese Mission
1956
Maj. Charles Hobson
Le couteau sous la gorge
1955
Marc Hourtin
Heroes and Sinners
1955
François Séverin
Rififi
1955
Tony le Stéphanois
Les crimes de l'amour
1953
Ruppert (segment 1 : 'Mina de Vanghel')
Le chevalier de la nuit
1953
Le châtelain
Tourbillon
1953
Fred Maurin
Rue de l'Estrapade
1953
Jacques Christian
Mina de Vanghel
1953
Ruppert
Le Plaisir
1952
L'ami de Jean / La voix de Maupassant (segment "Le Modèle")
Gauguin
1950
Short
Récitant / Narrator (voice)
Le château de verre
1950
Laurent Bertal (French version)
Le furet
1950
Stadler
Mademoiselle de la Ferté
1949
Lord Osborne
Une si jolie petite plage
1949
Fred
La danse de mort
1948
Kurt
Amanti senza amore
1948
Enrico Miller - il violinista
La septième porte
1947
Le chauffeur du car
La vie de plaisir
1944
Le vicomte Roland de la Chaume - un oisif
Mahlia la métisse
1943
Henri de Roussière -le fils des parents adoptifs de Mahlia