Marielle's early career consisted of stage roles with the Grenier-Hussenot company, notably in
Harold Pinter’s plays, and some small appearances on the large screen by the late 1950s, with his particular voice giving him the abilities to play older characters. However, disappointed by his first movie roles, he turned to
cabaret for a certain time. He obtained a little more consistent roles in the 1960s in movies such as
Faites sauter la banque! (1963), starring alongside
Louis de Funès,
Weekend at Dunkirk (1964) and in particular
Un monsieur de compagnie (1965), where French director
Philippe de Broca gave him the opportunity to express all of his talent. But his popularity really exploded during the 1970s as he appeared in a lot of comedies. In ''
(1974) he played an Israeli spy having to hide in a trunk in order to be extracted from a country in the Middle East. Les Galettes de Pont-Aven (1975), Que la fête commence (1974) and Coup de Torchon'' (1981) confirmed him as a great actor. One of his best performances, which is also probably his darkest, lies in his wonderful interpretation of a disillusioned and suicidal cop in ''
(1987). The other major role of his career was Monsieur de Sainte-Colombe in Tous les matins du monde'' (1991). In parallel he made a brilliant stage career and received the highest French award for a theater actor, the
Molière, in 1994. He played Jacques Sauniere in
The Da Vinci Code (2006). He was awarded the
Légion d’Honneur in 1992. ==Personal life==