Louis Seigner (1903–1991) was a French actor and a prominent figure in 20th-century theatre and cinema. His career is inextricably linked to the Comédie-Française, which he joined in 1939, becoming a sociétaire and eventually its doyen until his retirement in 1974. On stage, he excelled in the classical repertoire, delivering memorable performances of Molière's great characters, such as Harpagon in "The Miser". In parallel, he developed a prolific film career, appearing in over one hundred and fifty films. Specializing in character roles, he often played authoritarian figures, inspectors, or bourgeois patriarchs for internationally renowned directors such as Henri-Georges Clouzot (Le Corbeau), Costa-Gavras (Z), and Fred Zinnemann (The Day of the Jackal). For his outstanding contribution to the dramatic arts, he was awarded an Honorary César Award in 1982. He is the patriarch of a celebrated acting dynasty, being the grandfather of actresses Emmanuelle, Mathilde, and Marie-Amélie Seigner.