Philippe Clay

Philippe Clay (March 7, 1927 – December 13, 2007), born Philippe Mathevet, was a French mime artist, singer and actor.

He was known for his tall and slim silhouette (he was 1.90 m tall) and for his interpretations of songs by Charles Aznavour, Claude Nougaro, Jean-Roger Caussimon, Boris Vian, Serge Gainsbourg, Jean Yanne, Léo Ferré, Jacques Datin, Jean-Claude Massoulier or Bernard Dimey. He interpreted “La Complainte des Apaches” for the TV series Les Brigades du Tigre, written by Henri Djian and composed by Claude Bolling.

As an actor, he appeared in many movies (Bell, Book and Candle) and television films. One of his famous roles is in the Jean Renoir film, French Cancan, where he played Casimir le Serpentin (a character inspired by Valentin le désossé).

Death

Philippe Clay died of a heart attack on December 13, 2007. He was survived by his wife, actress Maria Riquelme, and their son.

Selected filmography

• Rome Express (1950)
• The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1956)
• Dans l'eau qui fait des bulles (1961)
• Man from Cocody (1965)
• Armiamoci e partite! (1971)
• Shanks (1974)
• Catherine (1986) (TV series)
• La Rivière Espérance (1995) (TV series)
• Tuvalu (1999)

External links

• Philippe Clay at the Internet Movie Database
• Le coin du cinéphage