{{Short description|French actor (1908–1994)}} {{Infobox person | name = Alain Cuny | image = Alain Cuny-130822-0001FP.jpg | caption = Cuny in 1979 | birth_name = René Xavier Marie Alain Cuny | birth_date = {{birth date|1908|7|12|df=y}} | birth_place = [[Saint-Malo]], [[Brittany]], France | death_date = {{death date and age|1994|5|16|1908|7|12|df=y}} | death_place = Paris, France | resting_place = Civry-la-Forêt 5 | occupation = Actor | years_active = 1941–1994 }} '''René Xavier Marie Alain Cuny''' (12 July 1908 &ndash; 16 May 1994) was a French actor of stage and screen. He was closely linked with the works of [[Paul Claudel]] and [[Antonin Artaud]],<ref name="kirkup" /> and for his performances for the [[Théâtre national populaire]] and [[Odéon-Théâtre de l'Europe|Odéon-Théâtre de France]].<ref name="bosseno" />

His film work included collaborations with directors [[Marcel Carné]], [[Louis Malle]], [[Jean-Luc Godard]], [[Federico Fellini]], [[Michelangelo Antonioni]], [[Francesco Rosi]] and [[Luis Buñuel]]. He was nominated for the [[César Award for Best Supporting Actor]] for the 1988 film [[Camille Claudel (film)|''Camille Claudel'']], and won the [[Joseph Plateau Award|Joseph Plateau Lifetime Achievement Award]] in 1992.

==Early life== '''René Xavier Marie Alain Cuny''' was born in [[Saint-Malo]], [[Brittany]].<ref name="encine">[http://encinematheque.net/seconds/S53/index.asp Alain Cuny] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303180818/http://encinematheque.net/seconds/S53/index.asp |date=2016-03-03 }}, at L'Encinémathèque. Retrieved 22 January 2016.</ref> He was brought up by an aunt and spent a large part of his childhood with her, in [[Boucé, Allier|Boucé]], and spent several years in an orphanage. He developed an early interest in painting and from the age of 15 he attended the [[École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts|École des Beaux-Arts]] in Paris. He met [[Pablo Picasso|Picasso]], [[Georges Braque|Braque]] and members of the surrealist group.<ref name="cineressources">[http://cinema.encyclopedie.personnalites.bifi.fr/index.php?pk=13862&_ga=1.254697729.884258918.1451750602 "Alain Cuny"], [[Ciné-Ressources]]; retrieved 22 January 2016.</ref> He then began working in the film industry as a costume, poster and set designer and was employed on films of [[Alberto Cavalcanti|Cavalcanti]], [[Jacques Feyder|Feyder]] and [[Jean Renoir|Renoir]]. After a meeting with the actor-manager [[Charles Dullin]], Cuny was persuaded to study drama and he began acting on stage in the late 1930s.<ref>Ephraim Katz. ''The International Film Encyclopedia''. London: Macmillan, 1980. p. 292., {{ISBN|978-0333274972}}</ref>

== Career == [[File:Cuny Harcourt 1945.jpg|thumb|left|[[Studio Harcourt]] headshot of Cuny, 1945]] In the theatre, Cuny became particularly linked with the works of [[Paul Claudel]] (who said of him after a performance of ''L'Annonce faite à Marie'' in 1944, "I have been waiting for you 20 years").<ref name="kirkup">James Kirkup. [https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituary-alain-cuny-1436996.html "Obituary: Alain Cuny"], in ''The Independent'', 18 May 1994. Retrieved 22 January 2016.</ref> Another literary friend and hero was [[Antonin Artaud]], "whose texts he read with supreme conviction at a time when Artaud was more or less an outcast, a situation reflected in Artaud's ''Van Gogh: The Man Suicided by Society'',<ref>Antonin Artaud. ''Artaud Anthology'', edited and translated by Jack Hirschman. San Francisco: City Lights Books, 1986. pp. 135–163. {{ISBN|978-0-87286-000-1}}.</ref> which Cuny interpreted in his voice's fabulous organ tones".<ref name="kirkup" /> Later Cuny worked with [[Jean Vilar]] at the [[Théâtre national populaire]], and with [[Jean-Louis Barrault]] at the [[Odéon-Théâtre de l'Europe|Odéon-Théâtre de France]].<ref name="bosseno">''Dictionnaire du cinéma populaire français''; sous la direction de Christian-Marc Bosséno et Yannick Dehée. (Paris: Nouveau Monde, 2004). p. 243.</ref> His dramatic presence and measured diction made him well-suited to many classical roles.<ref name="passek">''Dictionnaire du cinéma français'': sous la direction de Jean-Loup Passek. (Paris: Larousse, 1987). p. 97.</ref>

His first major role in the cinema was as one of the devil's envoys in [[Marcel Carné]]'s film ''[[Les Visiteurs du soir]]'' (1942). A few other romantic leading parts followed, but increasingly he appeared in supporting roles, especially in characterizations of intellectuals such as the tormented philosopher Steiner in ''[[La Dolce Vita]]'' (1960), directed by [[Federico Fellini]]. He worked frequently in Italian cinema and had close associations with [[Michelangelo Antonioni]] and [[Francesco Rosi]] as well as Fellini. One of his most admired film performances was in Rosi's ''[[Many Wars Ago|Uomini contro]]'' (''Many Wars Ago'', 1970), as the rigidly authoritarian General Leone.<ref name="passek" />

Among his French films were ''[[The Lovers (1958 film)|The Lovers]]'' (''Les Amants'', 1958), directed by [[Louis Malle]], and [[Jean-Luc Godard]]'s ''[[Détective (1985 film)|Détective]]'' (1985). He also appeared in the softcore porn film ''[[Emmanuelle (1974 film)|Emmanuelle]]'' (1974), a role which he said he took to show his contempt for the film business.<ref>[[Olivier Germain-Thomas]]: ''Agora:"les aventuriers de l'esprit"''. Besançon: La Manufacture, 1991. p. 209: "J'ai joué dans ''Emmanuelle'' pour me débarrasser de l'estime des gens que je n'estimais pas."</ref> In the same year, he played [[Sitting Bull]] in the absurdist western ''[[Don't Touch the White Woman!|Touche pas à la femme blanche!]]'' (''Don't Touch the White Woman!'', 1974).

Towards the end of his career he returned to aspects of Claudel. He appeared in ''[[Camille Claudel (film)|Camille Claudel]]'' (1988), a biographical film about the author's sister in which he played their father, Louis-Prosper Claudel. In 1991, he completed a long-planned film adaptation of a Claudel play ''[[The Annunciation of Marie]]'' (''L'Annonce faite à Marie'', 1991), a French-Canadian production in which he both directed and acted; it won him the Prix [[Georges Sadoul|Georges-Sadoul]].<ref name="bosseno" /> He also gave regular readings of Claudel's work at the [[Festival d'Avignon]].<ref name="cineressources" />

== Personal life == In 1962, he married Marie-Blanche Guidicelli. The couple divorced in 1969.

== Death == Cuny died in 1994 in Paris. He is buried in [[Civry-la-Forêt]], west of Paris, where he had lived.<ref name="encine" />

== Partial filmography == {{Div col}} *1940: ''Après Mein Kampf mes crimes'' (directed by [[Alexandre Ryder]]) - Marinus van der Lubbe *1941: ''[[Madame Sans-Gêne (1941 film)|Madame Sans-Gêne]]'' (directed by [[Roger Richebé]]) - Roustan *1941: ''[[Stormy Waters (1941 film)|Remorques]]'' (''Stormy Waters'') (directed by [[Jean Grémillon]]) - Un matelot du 'Mirva' (uncredited) *1942: ''[[Les Visiteurs du soir]]'' (directed by [[Marcel Carné]]) - Gilles - un ménestrel *1943: ''[[The Phantom Baron|Le Baron fantôme]]'' (''The Phantom Baron'') (directed by [[Serge de Poligny]]) - Hervé *1946: ''[[Solita de Cordoue]]'' (directed by [[Willy Rozier]]) - Pierre Desluc *1951: ''[[The Forbidden Christ|Il Cristo proibito]]'' (''The Forbidden Christ'') (directed by [[Curzio Malaparte]]) - Antonio *1952: ''[[Red Shirts (film)|Camicie rosse]]'' (''Red Shirts'') (directed by [[Goffredo Alessandrini]] and [[Francesco Rosi]]) - Bueno *1952: ''Les Conquérants solitaires'' (directed by Claude Vermorel) - Pascal Giroud *1953: ''[[The Lady Without Camelias|La signora senza camelie]]'' (''The Lady Without Camelias'') (directed by [[Michelangelo Antonioni]]) - Lodi *1953: ''Mina de Vanghel'' (directed by Maurice Barry and Maurice Clavel) - M. de Larçay *1953: ''[[The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1956 film)|Notre-Dame de Paris]]'' (''The Hunchback of Notre Dame'') (directed by [[Jean Delannoy]]) - Claude Frollo *1958: ''[[The Lovers (1958 film)|Les Amants]]'' (''The Lovers'') (directed by [[Louis Malle]]) - Henri Tournier *1960: ''[[La dolce vita]]'' (directed by [[Federico Fellini]]) - Steiner *1961: ''Scano Boa'' (directed by Renato Dall'Ara) - Cavarzvan *1962: ''[[Cross of the Living|La Croix des vivants]]'' (''Cross of the Living'') (directed by Ivan Govar) - Baron VonEggerth *1963: ''[[Banana Peel|Peau de banane]]'' (''Banana Peel'')) (directed by [[Marcel Ophüls]]) - Hervé Bontemps *1963: ''[[Corruption (1963 film)|La corruzione]]'' (''Corruption'') (directed by [[Mauro Bolognini]]) - Leonardo Mattioli *1965: ''[[Mission of Fear|Astataïon, ou Le Festin des morts]]'' (''Mission of Fear'') (directed by [[Fernand Dansereau]]) - Jean de Bréboeuf *1969: ''[[The Milky Way (1969 film)|La Voie lactée]]'' (''The Milky Way'') (directed by [[Luis Buñuel]]) - L'homme à la cape / Man with cape *1969: ''[[Fellini Satyricon|Satyricon]]'' (directed by Federico Fellini) - Lica *1970: ''[[Many Wars Ago|Uomini contro]]'' (''Many Wars Ago'') (directed by Francesco Rosi) - generale Leone *1971: ''La grande scrofa nera'' (directed by Filippo Ottoni) - Il Padre di Enrico *1971: ''Valparaiso, Valparaiso'' (directed by Filippo Ottoni)- Balthazar Lamarck-Caulaincourt *1972: ''[[L'udienza]]'' (directed by Marco Ferreri) - Padre gesuita *1972: ''Il maestro e Margherita'' (''The Master and Margaret'') (directed by [[Aleksandar Petrović (film director)|Aleksandar Petrović]]) - Profesor Woland & Satana *1973: ''La rosa rossa'' (directed by Franco Giraldi) *1974: ''[[Don't Touch the White Woman!|Touche pas à la femme blanche!]]'' (''Don't Touch the White Woman!'') (directed by [[Marco Ferreri]]) - Sitting Bull *1974: ''[[Emmanuelle (1974 film)|Emmanuelle]]'' (directed by [[Just Jaeckin]]) - Mario *1975: ''[[Two in the Amsterdam Rain]]'' (directed by [[Koreyoshi Kurahara]]) *1975: ''Irene, Irene'' (directed by [[Peter Del Monte]]) - Guido Boeri *1976: ''[[Illustrious Corpses|Cadaveri eccellenti]]'' (''Illustrious Corpses'') (directed by Francesco Rosi) - Judge Rasto *1976: ''I prosseneti'' (directed by Brunello Rondi) - Il conte Davide *1977: ''Jacques Prévert'' (directed by Jean Desvilles) - Himself *1978: ''[[The Recourse to the Method|El recurso del método]]'' (''The Recourse to the Method'') (directed by [[Miguel Littín]]) - El Académico *1978: ''[[The Song of Roland (film)|La Chanson de Roland]]'' (''The Song of Roland'') (directed by Frank Cassenti) - Turpin / Le moine *1979: ''[[Christ Stopped at Eboli (film)|Cristo si è fermato a Eboli]]'' (''Christ Stopped at Eboli'') (directed by Francesco Rosi) - Barone Nicola Rotunno *1979: ''Roberte'' (directed by Pierre Zucca) - pur esprit (voice) *1981: ''[[The Games of Countess Dolingen|Les Jeux de la Comtesse Dolingen de Gratz]]'' (directed by Catherine Binet) *1982: ''[[Les Maîtres du temps]]'' (directed by [[René Laloux]]) - Xul (voice) *1983: ''[[Basileus Quartet|Quartetto Basileus]]'' (''Basileus Quartet'') (directed by Fabio Carpi) - *1985: ''[[Détective (1985 film)|Détective]]'' (directed by [[Jean-Luc Godard]]) - Old Mafioso *1987: ''[[Chronicle of a Death Foretold (film)|Cronaca di una morte annunciata]]'' (''Chronicle of a Death Foretold'') (directed by Francesco Rosi) - Widower *1987: ''Lucky Ravi'' (directed by Vincent Lombard) - Plantation Owner *1987: ''[[The Distant Land|Das weite Land]]'' (''The Distant Land'') (directed by [[Luc Bondy]]) - Aigner - le père d'Otto *1988: ''[[Umi e, See You]]'' (directed by [[Koreyoshi Kurahara]]) - Don Macine *1988: ''[[Camille Claudel (film)|Camille Claudel]]'' (directed by [[Bruno Nuytten]]) - Louis-Prosper Claudel *1989: ''La Nuit de l'éclusier'' (directed by Franz Rickenbach) - Gutberg *1990: ''Les Chevaliers de la Table ronde'' (directed by Denis Llorca) - Merlin *1991: ''[[Sweet War, Farewell]]'' (directed by [[Silvano Agosti]]) - Crimen *1991: ''[[The Annunciation of Marie|L'Annonce faite à Marie]]'' (''The Annunciation of Marie'') (directed by Alain Cuny) - Anne Vercors *1992: ''[[The Return of Casanova|Le Retour de Casanova]]'' (''The Return of Casanova'') (directed by [[Édouard Niermans (director)|Édouard Niermans]]) - Marquis {{div col end}}

== References == {{reflist}}

==External links== * {{IMDb name|id=0192490|name=Alain Cuny}} * {{IBDB name}} * {{Tcmdb name}} * [http://www.filmreference.com/Actors-and-Actresses-Co-Da/Cuny-Alain.html Alain Cuny], at Film Reference. Retrieved 22 January 2016.

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Cuny, Alain}} [[Category:1908 births]] [[Category:1994 deaths]] [[Category:French male film actors]] [[Category:French male stage actors]] [[Category:People from Saint-Malo]] [[Category:Actors from Brittany]] [[Category:20th-century French male actors]] [[Category:Signatories of the Manifesto of the 121]]