Daniel Gélin

Biography

Daniel Yves Alfred Gélin (19 May 1921 – 29 November 2002) was a prominent French actor known for his significant contributions to cinema. Born in Angers, Maine-et-Loire, he was the son of Yvonne Le Méner and Alfred Gélin. At the age of ten, his family moved to Saint-Malo, where he attended school until his expulsion due to unruly behavior. Following this, his father secured him a job at a salted cod shop, but Gélin’s true passion was ignited when he witnessed the filming of Marc Allégret's *Entrée des artistes*, prompting him to pursue acting in Paris. He honed his craft at the Cours Simon and later at the Conservatoire national d'art dramatique, where he crossed paths with the legendary Louis Jouvet.

Gélin made his film debut in 1940 with *Miquette*, gradually transitioning from minor roles to significant performances, including appearances alongside stars like Jean Gabin and Marlene Dietrich in *Martin Roumagnac* (1946). His breakthrough came with *Rendez-vous de juillet* (1949), leading to over 150 film credits, including acclaimed works by Max Ophüls, Jacques Becker, and Alfred Hitchcock.

Despite a flourishing career in the 1950s, Gélin's prominence waned with the arrival of the French New Wave. He found renewed success in the 1970s as a character actor in both film and television. Gélin's personal life included two marriages, the first to actress Danièle Delorme, and he had three children with his second wife, Sylvie Hirsch. His later years were spent with Lydie Zaks, with whom he had a daughter, Laura. Daniel Gélin passed away in Paris from kidney failure on 29 November 2002.