Maurice Ronet became one of European cinema's more prolific actors. Between 1955 and 1975 he appeared in over 60 films. He often portrayed characters who were in conflict with themselves or society. He first garnered acclaim at the
1953 Cannes Film Festival for a supporting role in Jean Dreville's
Endless Horizons (
Horizons sans fin) and over the next few years as the romantic lead in André Michel's
La sorcière (
The Blonde Witch/
The Sorceress, 1956) and in
Jules Dassin's
He Who Must Die (
Celui qui doit mourir, 1957). It was at the presentation of "La Sorcière" at Cannes where he met a creative and an intellectual counterpart in
Louis Malle. Two years later, he made his international box-office breakthrough as Julien Tavernier in Malle's first feature film
Elevator to the Gallows (''Ascenseur pour l'échafaud
1958), which features Jeanne Moreau. He originated the role of Philippe Greenleaf in Purple Noon (Plein soleil'', 1960),
René Clément's adaptation of
The Talented Mr. Ripley . Ronet's defining role reunited him with Malle and Moreau in
Le feu follet (
The Fire Within, 1963). Playing an alcoholic writer, his indelible portrayal of depression and suicide garnered him the highest acclaim of his prolific career. He was awarded France's Crystal Star (
Étoile de Cristal) and the prize for Best Actor at the 1965
São Paulo Film Festival; the film also won a
Special Jury Prize at the 1963
Venice Film Festival. He also collaborated with
Claude Chabrol in four films, including
The Champagne Murders (
Le scandale, (1966), for which he won the Best Actor award at the 1967
San Sebastián International Film Festival,
Line of Demarcation (
La ligne de démarcation, 1966) and
The Unfaithful Wife (
La femme infidèle, 1968). He co-starred with
Alain Delon and
Romy Schneider in
The Swimming Pool (
La Piscine, 1969) directed by
Jacques Deray. Other highlights include
Jacques Doniol-Valcroze The Immoral Moment (, 1962);
The Victors (
Carl Foreman, 1963);
Three Rooms in Manhattan (
Trois chambres à Manhattan, (
Marcel Carné, 1965);
Lost Command (
Mark Robson, 1966); ''
(Silvano Agosti, 1967); How Sweet It Is! (Jerry Paris, 1968) starring Debbie Reynolds; Raphaël ou le débauché, (Michel Deville, 1971); Beau-père'' (
Bertrand Blier, 1981) and, one of his final films,
Bob Swaim's
La Balance, 1982. He was originally cast as Ali in
Lawrence of Arabia. However, he was replaced on location by
Omar Sharif because of perceived difficulties with his accent. Ronet made his directorial debut with
The Thief of Tibidabo (
Le voleur de Tibidabo, 1964), a self-reflexive, picaresque crime story shot in Barcelona, in which he also starred with
Anna Karina. He followed it with two documentaries: ''Vers l'île des dragons'' (1973), an allegorical journey to Indonesia to film the
Komodo dragon and a report on the building of a dam in Cabora Bassa, Mozambique for French television. He directed and produced more programs for television: his own acclaimed adaptation of
Herman Melville's
Bartleby in 1976 (which was released theatrically in 1978) as well as adaptations of
Edgar Allan Poe and
Cornell Woolrich stories. He wrote two books: ''"L'ile des dragons"
(1973), a personal recollection and a chronicle of the making of Vers l'île des dragons
, and "Le métier de comédien"'' (1977), an honest and thorough discussion of the acting profession. ==Personal life==