Jean Poiret (1926-1992) was a French actor, director, screenwriter, and playwright, a multifaceted figure in 20th-century theater and cinema. His career took off thanks to his long and successful artistic partnership with Michel Serrault, with whom he formed a famous comedy duo starting in the 1950s. As a playwright, his greatest international success was the play *La Cage aux Folles* (1973), which he wrote and starred in. The work, which became a worldwide phenomenon, was later adapted by Poiret himself into the screenplay for the 1978 Franco-Italian film of the same name. As a film actor, Poiret demonstrated great versatility, working with directors such as Claude Chabrol, for whom he played the role that earned him the César Award for Best Supporting Actor in *Poulet au vinaigre* (1985). His work as a director includes films such as *Le Zèbre* (1992), his final work.