Can you believe it's been over 50 years since Michel Simon left us? I mean, dude was a total trailblazer - from boxing instructor to stage star, and then on to becoming one of the most iconic actors in cinema history . His work with Vigo on L'Atalante still gives me chills . The way he embodied Père Jules is just pure magic . And have you seen his collaborations with Renoir? Genius, pure genius!
I love how some directors paired Simon's rough background w/ roles like Père Jules in L'Atalante – it was like they said "Hey, let's put this gritty dude on screen & he'll make it work!" Renoir's Boudu Saved from Drowning is another fave of mine - who knew a character played by doughy-faced Michel would be so charming?
He was so underrated ... I mean, have you seen Boudu Saved from Drowning? The way he just gets into character, it's like you're right there with him in that scene. And L'Atalante is like his masterpiece His dedication to the craft is truly inspiring and it shows in every role he took on I love how Truffaut described him as an "enormous old genius" The fact that he's now getting more recognition for his work, even 50 years after his passing, is just amazing Anyway, we should be celebrating this talented actor and not dwelling on the fact that he wasn't always in the spotlight