Francois Perier was one of France's most prolific character leads. Born in Paris, his father managed a wine shop. At age 14, he wrote to legendary actor Louis Jouvet who subsequently helped him enter the Cours Simon and Le Conservatoire dramatic institutions. A stage star by 1938, he then apprenticed in bit film parts. In a career that spanned nearly 60 years, Perier worked with the finest European directors available: Marc Allegret Julien Duvivier, Rene Clair, Rene Clement, Jean Cocteau, Federico Fellini and Costa-Gavras. He peaked in post-war years with such classics as Orphée (1949), Gervaise (1956), Le Notti di Cabiria (1957), Le Samourai (1967), Z (1969), etc., in varied projects ranging from comedy romances to political thrillers. He began suffering from Alzheimer's disease in 1991 but worked on radio until the mid-90s. He died from complications about a decade later on June 28, 2002 at age 82.