Philippe de Chérisey (1923-1985), also known as the Marquis de Chérisey, was a French actor, writer, and humorist whose career is inextricably linked to the creation of the Priory of Sion myth. Active in cinema in supporting roles and as an author of radio plays, including the famous *Signé Furax*, his best-known work is of a pseudohistorical nature. In collaboration with Pierre Plantard, Chérisey authored the forged medieval parchments that constituted the central evidence for Gérard de Sède's book *L'or de Rennes*. He himself later admitted to having fabricated them, conceiving the entire operation as an elaborate surrealist hoax. He was also the author of the crime novel *Circuit*. He received no formal recognition for his work, but his posthumous fame stems from being the architect of one of the most influential and enduring literary hoaxes of the 20th century, whose impact has inspired countless works of fiction and non-fiction internationally.