Alain Cuny (1908-1994) was one of the most charismatic and intellectual French actors in European cinema. Gifted with an ascetic, almost hieratic stage presence and an unmistakable deep voice, Cuny embodied tormented, philosophical, and often authoritarian figures. He made his debut in 1942 with Carné's Les Visiteurs du soir (The Devil's Envoys). His international career is inextricably linked to auteur cinema, collaborating with masters like Federico Fellini (the unforgettable intellectual Steiner in La dolce vita and Lico in Satyricon), Michelangelo Antonioni (The Lady Without Camelias), Luis Buñuel (The Milky Way), and Francesco Rosi (Christ Stopped at Eboli). In addition to a prestigious theatre career, particularly with Jean Vilar, he distinguished himself late in life by playing Auguste Rodin in Camille Claudel (1988), a role that earned him a César nomination, and by directing his only film, L'Annonce faite à Marie (1991).