He was born in Vittel, and came to prominence when he was cast by Sacha Guitry in Assassins et voleurs (1956) (Assassins and Robbers). Following this he turned to acting in cinema roles and soon gained celebrity status with his role as Antoine Péralou in Le Triporteur (1957) (The Tricycle).
A game addict, he often acted only for money in films that did not stretch his acting ability. He explained this by noting he did not read the script (or, on occasion, know the title) of the work in which he was to act.
He had hoped to return to theatre acting in Hold Up in September 2005, but ill-health prevented this. He died in Neuilly-sur-Seine from complications of lung cancer, aged 80.
