Jean Servais (1910-1976) was a Belgian actor and an iconic figure in French cinema, known for his deep, husky voice and intensely melancholic stage presence.

His long career took off in the 1930s, appearing in films such as *Les Misérables* (1934). However, the role that established him as an icon was that of Tony “le Stéphanois” in Jules Dassin's *Du Rififi chez les hommes* (1955), in which he played a meticulous and disillusioned thief with memorable dignity.

Servais excelled at portraying complex and ambiguous characters: antiheroes, elegant criminals, or men marked by life but capable of profound intensity. Other notable performances include Sacha Guitry's *La Poison* (1951) and *Le Rouge et le Noir* (1954). His style was a unique blend of pained elegance and authentic inner strength.