CineScope
Claude Laydu picture

Claude Laydu

Acting
Known For

84 Years Old

Claude Laydu ([klod lɛjdy]; 10 March 1927 – 29 July 2011) was a Belgian-born Swiss actor on stage and in films. He was renowned for his performance in his film debut in the role of the young priest in Robert Bresson's Diary of a Country Priest (1951), which has been described as one of the greatest in the history of film. Laydu was born and grew up in Brussels. He moved to Paris to study at the National Academy of Dramatic Arts. He became a member of Madeleine Renaud and Jean-Louis Barrault's company at the Théâtre Marigny, when he was selected by director Robert Bresson for his first role in a film, as the titular young priest in Diary of a Country Priest, based on the 1936 novel of the same name by Georges Bernanos. They met to discuss the role, and Laydu prepared by spending time in a monastery and losing weight. While Bresson sometimes suggested acting got in the way of his moviemaking, Laydu, a practicing Catholic, "brought his own spirituality, instinctive presence and intense ascetic looks to the role." Claude Laydu's performance in the title role has been described as one of the greatest in the history of film. Jean Tulard, in his Dictionary of Film, wrote of him in this work, "No other actor deserves to go to heaven as much as Laydu." Laydu's next film, Le Voyage en Amérique (Trip to America, 1951), was a light comedy, but he was seen to have an austere style. His next film was Au Coeur de la Casbah (Heart of the Casbah, 1952), where he struggled in an affair; he played a lawyer of a man condemned to death in Nous Sommes Tous des Assassins (We Are All Murderers), the director André Cayatte's protest against the death penalty; and in Le Chemin de Damas (The Road to Damascus), Laydu played Saint Etienne (Saint Stephen). He played roles as a priest in La Guerra de Dios (I Was a Parish Priest, 1953) and as the title character, the Russian Orthodox Rasputin (1954). Over the next decade, Laydu worked in film steadily until Mafia alla sbarra (1963). His only two film projects after that were Le Destin de Priscilla Davies (1979) and Nounours (1995), which he co-wrote with his wife, Christine. In 1962 he and his wife developed a puppet show for television, called Bonne nuit les petits (Good Night, Little Ones). Five minutes long, it was shown nightly and its characters Nounours, Pimprenelle and Nicolas became known by generations of French children, as it was produced for more than a decade. Laydu performed the voice of the Sandman, who spoke the title each night. Laydu and his wife revived it in 1995 as Nounours and it ran for several years. There was associated development and marketing of numerous related books, records, videos and dolls. He and co-star Linette Lemercier (who voiced Oscar) were the only ones who reprised their roles in the reboot series. The show became very popular in Canada as it airs on Ici Radio-Canada Télé right before Le Téléjournal Ce Soir.

Born

Etterbeek, Belgium on 10th March 1927

Died

29th July 2011

All Credits

Bonne nuit les petits Image
Bonne nuit les petits
Le Marchand de sable (voice)
Diary of a Country Priest Image
Diary of a Country Priest
Priest of Ambricourt
Attila Image
Attila
Valentiniano Caesar
The Dialogue of the Carmelites Image
The Dialogue of the Carmelites
Knight of Force
Good Lord Without Confession Image
Good Lord Without Confession
Roland Dupont
I Was a Parish Priest Image
I Was a Parish Priest
Andrés
Rasputin Image
Rasputin
Héliodore
We Are All Murderers Image
We Are All Murderers
Philippe Arnaud
The Road to Damascus Image
The Road to Damascus
Etienne
Trip to America Image
Trip to America
François Soalhat
Napoleon Road Image
Napoleon Road
Pierre Marchand
Altair Image
Altair
Mario Rossi
Price of Love Image
Price of Love
Pierre Ménard
Italienisches Capriccio Image
Italienisches Capriccio
Carlo Goldoni
The Wheel Image
The Wheel
Roland Pelletier
Heart of the Casbah Image
Heart of the Casbah
Michel
Symphony of Love Image
Symphony of Love
Franz Schubert
Mafia alla sbarra Image
Mafia alla sbarra
Bonne nuit les tipeu Image
Bonne nuit les tipeu
Ulysse (voice)