Pierre Jean, in"The Sum of All Fears" (Paramount
Pictures), release Summer 2002.
His biography
Born in Paris, Pierre Jean was already making his school companions laugh when he studied at the local school and, later, at the technical high-school in Vitry. The impresario Guy Baros remarked him in a show Pierre Jean was giving in Paris' suburb and he hired him immediately.
At seventeen, his name was beside Bernard Haller, Pierre Doris and Pia Colombo on the front of theatres where Parisians could see him interpret songs from Bobby Lapointe.
Later, he impersonated Jean Nohain, Frédéric Potcher, Jeanne Sourza, Raymond Souplex and many other famous french personalities, such as Maurice Chevalier, Bourvil or Louis de Funès.
After a tour in East Germany in 1963, he participated at the Fête de l'Humanité in Paris and around the french countryside. Sylvie Vartan's author, Claude Benzaquen (aka Frankie Jordan) hired Pierre Jean to be the first act of Frida Boccara's show.
Then he got to know the "Cirque d'Hiver" of Bouglione and participated to many numbers on this legendary Paris ring.
Traveling from town to town and from sea to sea, Pierre Jean arrived in Quebec in 1967 while on board of the cruise ship Le Flandre. In Montreal, the international Expo 67 was going on full time. Pierre came back one year later to definitely live in this province.
"La Boîte à Clairette" gave him his first chance in Quebec, then Gilles Latulippe and his "Théâtre des Variétés" gave Pierre a place to play during more than thirty-four years. Gilles also gave Pierre opportunities in his daily TV show ("Les Démons du Midi"), in his theatre and on tour.
Talented variety artist, brilliant comedian, Pierre Jean remains first and foremost a passionate of circus and he's recognized in Quebec as the incontested Ringmaster. From 1975 to 1978, he even had his own TV show called "Allons au cirque" (Let's go to the circus).
So next time you see the circus in town, don't miss Pierre... :o)
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Copyright © P.Voumard/P.Jean, 1997Last updated: August 31, 2003
