Jacques Charon

Jacques Charon (27 February 1920 – 15 October 1975) was a French actor, stage performer, and film director born in Paris. He received his theatrical training at the Conservatoire national supérieur d'art dramatique (CNSAD) and joined the Comédie-Française in 1941, remaining a member of that institution until his death. Over the course of his tenure there, Charon performed in more than 150 roles spanning both the classical and modern repertoire.

In 1955, Charon brought his stage work to Broadway, appearing in three productions: Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme, the comedy Le Jeu de l'Amour et du Hasard, and Arlequin Poli par l'Amour. His screen career ran in parallel with his theatrical work, beginning with the 1943 film Colonel Chabert. Subsequent film appearances included Jericho (1946), in which he played Count Jacques de Saint-Leu, The Royalists (1947) as Lieutenant Merle, The Paris Waltz (1950) as Berthelier, and Le Dindon (1951) as Pontagnac. He also appeared in The Red Inn (1951) as Rodolphe, Dakota 308 (1951) as Lord Vernon, Little Jacques (1953) as defence advocate Merlin, Les Intrigantes (1954) as Antonio Pan, Operation Thunder (1954) as Maurice Favier, How to Succeed in Love (1962) as the director of publisher Editions du Soleil, and How Do You Like My Sister? (1964) as Jolivet.

Charon also worked as a film director, helming the 1968 feature A Flea in Her Ear and the 1973 television movie Monsieur Pompadour. In the recording studio, he played the role of Spalanzani in a complete recording of The Tales of Hoffmann released by Decca in 1971. Charon was openly gay. He died in Paris on 15 October 1975 and is buried in the Cimetière de Montmartre.