Actor Philip Gerard: biography, personal life, photos, films

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

"Parma Convent", "Red and Black", "Beauty of the Devil", "Great Maneuvers", "Montparnasse, 19" - the pictures that made Philip Gerard memorable to the audience. During his life, the actor managed to play in about 30 film and television projects. His talented game was praised by many celebrities. Philip passed away at the age of 36, but his name has forever entered the history of cinema. What can you tell about the life and work of the star?

Philip Gerard: biography, family

The hero of this article was born in France, or rather in Cannes. It happened in December 1922. Philip Gerard was born into a family far from the world of cinema and theater. His father Marcel Philip was a lawyer by profession. He owned land in Provence, as well as a hotel in Grasse. Minu Filip, the boy's mother, was born into the family of a Prague baker. The woman took care of the house and children.

Once Gerard Philip mentioned in an interview that he was the child of a hen mother and father-sadist. The latter taught his sons (the actor had a brother) to hide their emotions from those around them, regardless of what causes them. Drooling in the eyes of Marcel Philip was the worst sin. It was from his father that Gerard inherited his love for cruel practical jokes. For example, he liked to pretend to drown during a family swim in the sea.

Childhood

What is known about the childhood years of Gerard Philip? It’s worth starting with the fact that he almost died at birth. Miraculously, the doctor managed to save the child. He grew and developed very slowly, he learned to talk and walk late.

As a child, Gerard did not like to read. He liked to play team games, swim. The boy also enjoyed listening to jazz. For the first time, his talent made itself felt when he performed at a charity evening. The young man recited poems with such feeling that he made those around him shed tears. The old actress "Comédie Francaise", who happened to be among the listeners, advised him to connect his life with the dramatic art. The young man heeded this recommendation.

Education

Gerard Philip studied at Stanislav College. When the boy fell ill with dry pleurisy, his studies had to be interrupted. The young man recovered, externally passed the exams. The question arose as to what to do next. The father, who at one time received a law degree, insisted that his son follow in his footsteps. However, Gerard made his own decision.

The young man successfully graduated from acting courses. The father did not speak to the stubborn heir for some time, but then resigned himself to his choice.

Theatre

Aspiring actor Gerard Philip made his stage debut shortly after graduation. He gained wide popularity thanks to the play "Caligula" by Albert Camus. The young man brilliantly played a key role. Critics wondered how the inexperienced actor did it. He made an indelible impression on Marlene Dietrich, who attended the performance. Kinodiva was delighted with the game of Gerard. She made every effort to persuade him to devote himself to cinema. Marlene had no doubt that natural data will allow Gerard to do wonders on the screen.

In 1951, Philip entered the list of leading actors of the National People's Theater Jean Vilar. He brilliantly played a key role in the production of "Sid". Rodrigo, his hero, was so convincing that the audience was trembling.

First roles

Of course, fans are interested in films with the participation of Gerard Philip. The talented actor first appeared on the set in 1943. He made his debut in the comedy melodrama "Kids from the Flower Embankment." The film tells the story of two sisters who are in love with the same man and fight each other for his love. The painting was presented to the audience in 1944.

In 1946, Georges Lacombe offered Gerard a key role in the melodrama Land Without Stars. The actor had high hopes for this film, but he was not successful with the audience.

Idiot

In 1946, Philip managed to convince the director Georges Lampin that he was best able to play Prince Myshkin in the film adaptation"Idiot". The master had a hard time with the actor, he even regretted that he had entrusted the role to him. Gerard was too stubborn, relying too much on his own vision of the image.

He also had a terrible relationship with Edwidge Feuer, the female lead. The actress was outraged by the unwillingness of a colleague to listen to the opinions of others. After completing the painting, she stopped talking to him. Critics generally reacted negatively to the adaptation of Georges Lampin. However, they noted how great Philip played Prince Myshkin.

Paintings of the 1940s

What other Philippe Gerard films saw the light of day in the 1940s? In 1947, the actor received an offer to play the lead role in the film The Devil in the Flesh by Claude Stan-Lar. The plot of the melodrama is borrowed from the work of the same name by Radiguet. Gerard managed to convincingly portray a 16-year-old teenager, although he was already about 25 years old.

The events of the picture take viewers during the First World War. The hero of the actor was a minor Francois Jaubert. He falls in love with an older girl who is engaged and is waiting for her lover to return from the front. Marthe refuses Jaubert and marries Jacques. However, a new meeting leads to an extramarital affair. Possible tragic consequences do not stop the lovers, their feelings are too strong.

In 1947, Christian Jacques offered Gerard one of the key roles in his new film The Parma Cloister, the plot of which was borrowed from Stendhal's novel of the same name. ATIn this picture, the actor brilliantly played the brave and fearless Fabrizio, a favorite of women. It is known that he refused the help of a stuntman, performed complex tricks on his own. For example, Philip had to descend from an 18-meter height on a rope.

It is impossible not to mention the tape "Beauty of the Devil", which was released in 1948. In this film by Rene Clair, the actor created a vivid image of Chevalier Henri. Above all, the hero puts freedom, he is ready to fight for it and defend it.

Star role

Talking about the best films of Philip Gerard, one cannot ignore the picture "Fanfan-Tulip", in which he played a key role. The hero of the actor was a handsome young man Fanfan, who flees from a forced marriage to the army. The mysterious gypsy woman predicted to the young man military glory and a bride of royal blood. However, it turns out that the fortune teller is the daughter of an officer who helps her father recruit peasants into the army. Fanfan finds out that he was swindled, but still believes that the prophecy will come true.

With director Christian Jacques, the actor worked on the film "Parma Convent". He was already a celebrity when he received an offer to play Fanfan. It is possible that Philip accepted him because he had a premonition that this particular role would provide him with grandiose fame.

Gerard managed to portray his hero not just as an impulsive daredevil and hero-lover. His Fanfan captivates with truly French lightness, gallantry, irony and intelligence. He is incredibly convincing in love scenes, inepisodes with chases and fights. During filming, Philip refused to use stunt doubles. One day they pierced his hand with a saber point and cut his forehead.

The picture "Fanfan-Tulip" was an incredible success with the audience. Gerard began to be called the "flower on the camera", "jet Frenchman", "samurai of spring".

Love

Of course, fans are interested not only in the creative achievements of the star. Gerard Philip and his women is a topic that has been occupied by the public for many years. Surprisingly, this charming and talented man was monogamous.

In 1943, Gerard met Anne Nicole Fourcade. The meeting took place thanks to a friend of the actor Jacques Sigra, who invited him to relax in the Pyrenees with a friend. Surprisingly, the slender brunette with huge eyes did not make much of an impression on Philip at first. He felt only gratitude for the warm welcome he received. Gerard and Anne Nicole spent long evenings with each other, she showed him photos from the family archive. One day, the actor realized how much this woman reminded him of his own mother.

Anne Nicole impressed Gerard by not trying to flirt with him at all. This woman seemed to him the embodiment of naturalness itself. She was engaged in a "male" profession - directing documentaries. Ann Nicole was older than Philip, and she was also married. Her husband was the famous scientist Jacques Fourcade, and she was happy with him. The actor sought his chosen one for a long time, and, in the end, he managed to win her over.

Family

Gerard Philip married Anne Nicole on November 29, 1951. The wedding ceremony was modest, only the closest people received invitations. The actor insisted that his beloved use only her first name - Ann. It seemed more romantic to him. Gerard's mother at first opposed the choice of her son. She didn't even come to the wedding. Later, Minu Philip reconciled, accepted her daughter-in-law.

Gerard Philippe and his wife were happily married. The actor has never been shy about showing how much he loves Ann Nicole. She was waiting for him backstage after the performances, he picked her up in his arms, kissed her. The actor liked to quote a phrase from Nietzsche, who compared marriage to a long conversation. This is how he saw his relationship with his beloved Ann.

Children

The children of Gerard Philip are also of interest to the public. In December 1954, the actor first became a father. His wife Ann Nicole gave birth to a girl. Happy parents decided to name their daughter Anne-Marie. Philip insisted on being with his wife during the birth. He later became friends with Professor Vellay, who took care of Anne's delivery. The doctor said that Gerard, without any embarrassment, let his joy break out when he heard the first cry of a newborn daughter.

Already in February 1956, the second child appeared in the family. The newborn boy was named Olivier. Of course, Gerard was also present at the second birth of his wife. The birth of his son brought him the same delight as the birth of his daughter earlier.

Philip enjoyed spending time with the children. He tried to devote all his free time to them. The son and daughter listened to the stories he told them with bated breath. According to his wife, no one knew how to treat children like her husband.

Tragedy

What is Philip Gerard's cause of death? Initially, doctors suspected an abscess in the liver of the actor. They realized their mistake already during the operation. It turned out that Gerard had liver cancer. At first, only Philip's wife Anne Marie was informed about this. The unfortunate woman did everything possible to ensure that her husband did not know until the last that he was dying.

In 1951, Gerard embodied the image of Rodrigo in the production of "Sid". Soon after, he told his wife that he would like to be buried in the costume of this hero. Ann Nicole did not forget about this request of her husband. On his deathbed, he was wearing a tunic and Rodrigo's cloak. Philip died in Paris, the tragic event took place on November 25, 1959. The talented actor was only 36 years old when he passed away. He just barely made it to his 37th birthday. His grave is in the south of France. The farewell ceremony was very modest, as Gerard himself insisted. In accordance with his wish, there were no flowers, no stone, no cross on the grave. It has become a kind of place of pilgrimage.

Reviews of contemporaries

What did other stars say about Philip? His game was admired by Camus, Sartre, Cocteau, Sadoul, Prevert. In his memoirs, Louis Aragon wrote about the actor that he "left behind him the image of spring and youth." Roger Vadim mentioned that no one on hismemory did not treat his profession with such love and devotion, as Gerard did. Marlon Brando called Philip his favorite actor, "a romantic with a noble soul."

In 1966, a book of memoirs by Ann Nicole Philip, dedicated to her talented husband, was published. Those who are interested in the personal life of Gerard Philip should certainly familiarize themselves with this work. The widow named the book One Moment.

What else to see

In what other films did Gerard Philip manage to act in his life? His paintings are listed below.

• "Such a beautiful little beach."
• "All roads lead to Rome"
• Carousel.
• "Lost Memories".
• "Juliette, or the Key to Dreams".
• The Seven Deadly Sins.
• Night Beauties.
• "Proud".
• Vila Borghese.
• "Secrets of Versailles".
• “Mr. Ripua.”
• "Red and Black".
• "Great maneuvers".
• "The Best Years".
• "When Paris told us."
• "Strange Years".
• "Montparnasse, 19".
• "Life together".
• "Player".
• "Dangerous Liaisons".

"The Fever Comes to El Pao" is the latest film starring the talented actor. In this picture, he played the main role. Photo of Gerard Philip can be seen in the article.