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Owning a pair of the most incredibly soulful and searching eyes you'll ever find, Michael Sarrazin's poetic drifters crept into Hollywood unobtrusively on little cat's feet, but it didn't take long for him to make his mark. Quiet yet uninhibited, the lean, laconic, fleshy-lipped actor with the intriguingly faraway look and curiously sunken features enhanced a number of quality offbeat fare without ever creating too much of a fuss. While Hollywood couldn't quite pigeonhole him, they also weren't sure what to do with him. Out-and-out stardom would prove elusive.

He was born Jacques Michel Andre Sarrazin on May 22, 1940 in Quebec, Canada, and drifted through eight different schools before eventually dropping out. He worked at a Toronto theatre, on TV, and for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation during his teen years. He also studied acting at the Actors Studio in New York. While playing parts for the National Film Board of Canada in a handful of their historical documentary shorts, he was noticed by Universal and signed in 1965. Following insignificant roles in such series as The Virginian (1962) and in the mini-movie The Doomsday Flight (1966), the actor made his film debut in the post-Civil War drama Gunfight in Abilene (1967) starring an equally offbeat Bobby Darin. One scene had him being flogged shirtless. It was Sarrazin's second film, however, that created the initial stir playing grifter George C. Scott's young apprentice in The Flim-Flam Man (1967). Sarrazin's hesitant con artist more than held its own against the freewheeling Scott while also engaging in romantic clinches with Lolita (1962) sexpot Sue Lyon.

A number of other Sarrazin characters found their way as a result. He played a guileless tenderfoot again, this time taken under the wing of cowboy Anthony Franciosa, in A Man Called Gannon (1968) which takes an unexpected twist at the end; he shared the screen with fellow up-and-comers Harrison Ford and Jan-Michael Vincent as a green Confederate soldier in Journey to Shiloh (1968); earned a Golden Globe "best promising newcomer" nomination portraying an aimless surfer in The Sweet Ride (1968) opposite the spectacularly beautiful Jacqueline Bisset (they lived together for several years); and supposedly turned down the role of Joe Buck in Midnight Cowboy (1969) in order to appear in the kinky love triangle In Search of Gregory (1969) as, yet again, another be charming young stranger, but that film was not successful.

This all culminated in the portrayal of his career as a wanderlust Depression-era floater plucked from the beach shore to participate in a grueling dance marathon. As Robert, the unassuming partner to feisty, cynical Jane Fonda's Gloria, in the bleak, fascinatingly depressing They Shoot Horses, Don't They? (1969), Sarrazin was both soft and spellbinding. His pairing with Fonda is an eerie and ultimately doomed one resulting in a shattering climax. Remote and wordless, Sarrazin's strength lies in both his ease and passive defiance. His peaceful body language and the few calm utterances he allows himself seems to illicit a strange, neutralizing power. It's not the kind of movie persona, however, that wins awards - as it did for his more flamboyant co-stars Ms. Fonda, Susannah York and Gig Young.

Another glum, ostracized outsider role came in the showier form of Paul Newman's hippie half-brother in Sometimes a Great Notion (1971) and Sarrazin continued to show a flair for the unconventional with the non-mainstream Believe in Me (1971), as a medical student who shares a drug needle with (again) Ms. Bissett, and in The Pursuit of Happiness (1971) as a collegiate fighting the system. In Harry in Your Pocket (1973) Sarrazin again plays the naive square who falls in with a bad crowd (this time, pickpockets). He capped this radical run with a mesmerizing, intelligent and, of course, sympathetic portrayal of the monster in the mini-movie Frankenstein: The True Story (1973). As assurance of his offbeat popularity, he hosted Saturday Night Live (1975) twice.

A performance as the haunted title role in the psychological thriller The Reincarnation of Peter Proud (1975) proved to be one of his last hurrahs, as the film was a critical and box office failure. At this juncture his films (or his film roles) became underwhelming. He starred alongside Ursula Andress in the Italian film The Loves and Times of Scaramouche (1976), but the film was very poorly received. Utterly wasted even though second billed as Barbra Streisand's hubby in her slapstick vehicle For Pete's Sake (1974), he also headed up a so-so car chase film in The Gumball Rally (1976). He co-starred in the big budget escapist adventure Caravans (1978), but the film was a financial disaster. The 1980s signaled a significant down turn and strange pall in his films.

It started with his third-wheel participations in the excruciating bad and violent Morgan Fairchild/Andrew Stevens stalking thriller The Seduction (1982) and in the hard-edged vigilante film Fighting Back (1982) behind Tom Skerritt/Patti LuPone. When he did have a lead, the films themselves were flawed as in Keeping Track (1986) and the excessively sleazy Mascara (1987). Sarrazin has continued to work steadily, however, but the one great film that could put him into the top character ranks had yet to arrive. With age, the always-lean Sarrazin turned pale and haggard which lent itself toward rather eccentric casting.

Throughout the course of his career, Michael remained true to his homeland, appearing in many Canadian-based productions such as The Groundstar Conspiracy (1972), Double Negative (1980), Joshua Then and Now (1985), Captive Hearts (1987), The Phone Call (1989), La Florida (1993) and Crackerjack 2 (1997).

Sarrazin moved to Montreal many years back in order to be near family. He died there following a brief bout with cancer at age 70 on April 17, 2011, and was survived by daughters Michelle and Catherine, as well as producer/brother Pierre Sarrazin. While the fascination and appeal of Michael Sarrazin certainly cannot be denied, one wonders why Hollywood was not able to serve his talent better in later years.

Don Drysdale was born on 23 July 1936 in Van Nuys, California, USA. He was an actor, known for The Greatest American Hero (1981), The Last Time I Saw Archie (1961) and Then Came Bronson (1969). He was married to Ann Meyers and Ginger Drysdale. He died on 3 July 1993 in Montréal, Québec, Canada.

Herby Moreau was born in 1968 in Haïti. He was an actor and writer, known for The Words (2012), Vous pouvez rêver (2021) and 3 x rien (2003). He died on 3 November 2024 in Montréal, Québec, Canada.

Rick Genest was born on 7 August 1985 in Montréal, Québec, Canada. He was an actor and producer, known for 47 Ronin (2013), In Faustian Fashion (2013) and Carny (2009). He died on 1 August 2018 in Montréal, Québec, Canada.

Barbara Bennett was born on 13 August 1906 in Palisades, New Jersey, USA. She was an actress, known for The Valley of Decision (1916), Love Among the Millionaires (1930) and Syncopation (1929). She was married to Laurent Surprenant, Jack Randall and Morton Downey. She died on 8 August 1958 in Montréal, Québec, Canada.

Lovely French Canadian actress Suzanne Cloutier, the daughter of the director of the National Printing Office, was born into a large family. She had indeed no fewer than six brothers and sisters. After happily growing up in the heart of nature (her parents had a house in the woods), she became a model in New York. A photograph of her was noticed by director-producer George Stevens who offered her a contract but, as she did not speak English well enough yet, she declined. Later on, having improved her level in Shakepeare's language, she was hired by a drama company featuring Charles Laughton. Which did not hinder her from playing in French for, after her American experience, she chose to join Jean Dasté's company in France. It is when she appeared in one of the plays produced by Dasté that she was hired by Julien Duvivier for her first major role in the movies, the unfortunate Marie Lambert in The Sinners (1949). Another interesting role in an interesting movie followed ( Juliette, Gérard Philipe 's dream lover in'Marcel Carné''s poetic Juliette ou La clef des songes (1951). To crown it all, 'Orson Welles' chose her to play Desdemona in his admirable adaptation of 'William Shakespeare''s Othello (1951). Suzanne Cloutier really excelled in the pathetic role of the beautiful but doomed wife of the jealous Moor. It looked as if Suzanne was then on the threshold of a great career. In fact, It was the contrary that happened due to the fact that she chose family life instead . Indeed after marrying Peter Ustinov she practically retired from artistic life. Too bad for the frustrated spectator but so much the better for her as she always declared herself happy with her married life.

Daniel Pilon was born on 13 November 1940 in Montréal, Québec, Canada. He was an actor, known for Shoot 'Em Up (2007), Left Behind: The Movie (2000) and Poltergeist: The Legacy (1996). He was married to Susan Molgora. He died on 26 June 2018 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

Norman McLaren is one of the most awarded filmmakers in the history of Canadian cinema, and a pioneer in both animation and filmmaking. Born in Scotland, he entered the Glasgow School of Fine Arts in 1932 to study set design. His early experiments in animation included actually scratching and painting the film stock itself, as he did not have ready access to a camera. In the early 30s he worked as a cameraman in Scotland and England, and in 1936 went to Spain to film the Civil War. He emigrated to the US in 1939, aware that war was imminent, and in 1941, at the invitation of John Grierson, he moved to Canada to work for the National Film Board.

McLaren made several propaganda films for the NFB, but continued develop his experimental work in his spare time. He later founded the animation department at the NFB, where he was at his most prolific. His most famous work, Neighbours (1952), utilized a style of animation known as pixilation, where the camera films moving people and objects a few frames at a time, giving the action a frantic, unearthly look. The short film won McLaren an Oscar. He continued to use a variety of styles and techniques on his animated shorts, including the optical editor to film _Pas de Deux (1968)_, filming through a prism for _Line: Horizontal (1962)_ and also using live action featuring himself in Opening Speech (1960).

In addition to film, McLaren worked with UNESCO in the 50s and 60s on programs to teach film and animation techniques in China and India. His five part "Animated Motion" shorts, produced in the late 70s, are an excellent example of instruction on the basics of film animation.

McLaren died in 1987, leaving behind a lasting legacy to the film and animation world. The Canadian Film Board recognized this in 1989 by naming the CFB head office building the Norman McLaren Building.

Quebec-based actor whose career spanned five decades. He studied at the Professional Broadway Workshops under Harold Clurman and Sanford Meisner. He worked in the United States (notably for Joseph Papp's NY Shakespeare Festival) as well as for many of the major companies in Canada including the Bulldog, National Arts Centre and Centaur Theatre, Montreal. He was co-founder of the King's Theatre in Prince Edward Island, the Piggery Theatre and Playwrights Workshop. He was also a founding member of Canadian Actors' Equity and served in the governing bodies of both the local and national associations for over 34 years.

Gorgeous and beguiling brunette knockout Maria De Aragon was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Maria began her acting career with small roles in the movies "For Those Who Think Young," "Nightmare in the Sun," and "Come L'Amore." De Aragon carved out a nifty little niche portraying dangerous, but irresistible femme fatale types in several deliciously down'n'dirty 70's drive-in exploitation features: she's faithless husband Peter Carpenter's enticing young mistress Nanette in the tawdry "Love Me Like I Do;" at her all-time bitchy best as wicked and conniving sex-crazed nymphomaniac Victoria Waterman in the splendidly sleazy "Blood Mania," and one of the titular lethal ladies in the hugely enjoyable "Wonder Women." Maria had a change of pace good girl part as fetching love interest heroine Jeanne in the laughably lousy cheapie science fiction clunker "The Cremators." De Aragon achieved her greatest enduring cult popularity with her brief, but memorable appearance as would-be alien assassin Greedo in "Star Wars." Her last film role to date was as a French proprietor in the gritty urban action opus "Street Wars." In addition to her movie credits, Maria has also appeared in the stage productions "Bernie's Troupe," "Claim It," and "The Dancer." Maria De Aragon passed away while residing in the CHSLD Nicolet nursing home in her native Montreal.

Lucien Francoeur was born on 9 September 1948 in Montréal, Québec, Canada. He was an actor, known for Blind Trust (1986), Dans le ventre du dragon (1989) and Les yeux rouges (1982). He died on 5 November 2024 in Montréal, Québec, Canada.

Domini Blythe was born on 28 August 1947 in Cheshire, England, UK. She was an actress, known for The Trotsky (2009), Formula I (1988) and Search for Tomorrow (1951). She was married to Jean Beaudin. She died on 15 December 2010 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

Michael Sinelnikoff is an actor, director and writer. Among his many non-acting credits are: first Director of Quebec's International "Cirque du Soleil" (1984). Producer and Director of 68 television dramas in the Canadian Broadcasting Corpn. Montreal "Teleplay" series Writer of Canadian Broadcasting Corpn/TV series "Festival" drama: "The Spirit of the Deed"; stints as a Director at national renowned theaters and festivals such as Montreal's Centaur Theatre and Saidye Bronfman Theatre, and The Piggery Theatre in North Hatley, Quebec.

Monique Mercure was born on 14 November 1930 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. She was an actress, known for Naked Lunch (1991), The Red Violin (1998) and J.A. Martin photographe (1977). She was married to Pierre Mercure. She died on 16 May 2020 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

Jeff Barnaby was born on 2 August 1976 in Listuguj Mi'gmaq First Nation Territory, Quebec, Canada. He was a director and editor, known for Rhymes for Young Ghouls (2013), Blood Quantum (2019) and The Colony (2007). He was married to Sarah Del Seronde. He died on 13 October 2022 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

Michel Côté is a French-Canadian actor. He is best known for his performance in the comedy Broue and his role in Omertà. He was born on June 25, 1950 in Alma, Québec, Canada. For his Education, he studied and graduated out of the National Theatre School of Canada in 1973. Michel is best known for his TV shows TV shows: La Petite Vie, Et Dieu créa... Laflaque. He is married to Véronique Le Flaguais since 1972 and they have two sons. Maxime Le Flaguais (Born in 1983 and known for movies Tentacules 8, le retour de la chose, The Sands, Turn Off Before Living) and Charles Côté.

Michel also formed "Broue" with Marc Messier and Marcel Gauthier in 1979. He also convinced Jean-Marc Vallée to film C.R.A.Z.Y. (2005) in Montréal instead of in the USA. Côté won the Genie Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role for C.R.A.Z.Y.

From a modest family, he made known classical studies. For personal enjoyment, he played in amateur plays. With Marc Messier and Marcel Gauthier, it is one of the pillars (bar) of the traveling comedy, Broue. Despite his 33 years of age, this comedy is always a great success and constitutes the bulk of its income. It is presented from October to April. For this reason, all his films are always made from May to September.

Throughout his career, he played various roles in television series, most notably the Omertà trilogy and Omertà La Petite Vie. He played in several films, including Le Dernier Tunnel, C.R.A.Z.Y., De père en flic, Liste noire, etc.. He received a Gémeau Award in 1999 for her performance in Omertà, Genie Award for best actor and the Jutra for best supporting actor. He is married to Véronique Le Flaguais and the father of two sons, Charles and Maxime.

Erik Canuel was born on 21 January 1961 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. He was a director and producer, known for Bon Cop Bad Cop (2006), Barrymore (2011) and Lac Mystère (2013). He died on 15 June 2024 in Montréal, Québec, Canada.

Greg Kramer was born on 11 March 1962 in Hertfordshire, England, UK. He was an actor, known for 300 (2006), The Day After Tomorrow (2004) and On the Road (2012). He died on 8 April 2013 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

Catherine Bégin was born on 22 April 1939. She was an actress, known for Martyrs (2008), Laurence Anyways (2012) and Covergirl (1983). She died on 29 December 2013 in Montréal, Québec, Canada.

John Dunn-Hill was born in 1936 in Glasgow, UK. He was an actor, known for Punisher: War Zone (2008), 300 (2006) and Secret Window (2004). He died on 22 September 2015 in Montreal, Canada.

Philippe Tisseyre was born in 1958 in Montréal, Québec, Canada. He was an actor, known for Philippe Tisseyre: Completely (2007) and Tout le monde en parle (2004). He died in 2013 in Montréal, Québec, Canada.

Gisèle Schmidt was born in 1921 in Canada. She was an actress, known for La petite patrie (1974), Montréal P.Q. (1992) and Nénette (1991). She died on 30 January 2005 in Montréal, Québec, Canada.

Jaclyn Linetsky was born on 8 January 1986 in Montréal, Québec, Canada. She was an actress, known for Evolution Worlds (2002), What's with Andy? (2001) and 15/Love (2004). She died on 8 September 2003 in Montréal, Québec, Canada.

Julien Bessette was born on 8 November 1929 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. He was an actor, known for Le Sorcier (1994), Les belles histoires des pays d'en haut (1956) and D'Iberville (1967). He died on 27 March 1999 in Montréal, Québec, Canada.

Jean-Claude Lord was born on 6 June 1943. He was a director and writer, known for Éclair au chocolat (1979), Bingo (1974) and The Vindicator (1986). He was married to Lise Thouin. He died on 15 January 2022 in Montréal, Québec, Canada.