French film star Philippe Noiret, one of the most popular and prolific actors of his generation, has died at the age of 76.
Noiret, who made more than 125 films in a career spanning over half a century, died after battling cancer. Famed for his flexibility, he was able to play roles as diverse as haughty aristocrats and middle-class men.
Among his most famous films was Cinema Paradiso, in which he played a village projectionist.
Other memorable roles included the exiled Chilean poet Pablo Neruda in Il Postino (The Postman) and a middle-aged glutton in La Grande Bouffe (Blow Out).
Noiret moved from the stage to the screen, helping to shape the French cinema of the 1960s.
His portrayal of an unhappy uncle in Zazie dans le Metro (Zazie on the Metro) made his name.
BBC:
This news really brought me down to earth with a bump. I have enjoyed watching his films but unfortunately we don't get enough of them here. He had a great talent for comedy roles as well as serious parts. The film La Vie et rien d'autre, (Life and Nothing But), for which he received a César and is not mentioned above, must be a classic ( he also had a bit part in Gigi).
