Parisian Guy Émile Marchand, the son of a scrap metal dealer, led a remarkable dual career as a musician and actor. He pursued his daytime studies at the Lycée Voltaire while spending his evenings playing his clarinet in the renowned night clubs of Saint-Germain-des-Prés. A multi-talented individual, Marchand not only wrote songs but also excelled at playing jazz piano and had a deep affinity for tango. As a chansonnier, he gained immense popularity from the mid-sixties, releasing several successful singles, including "Destinée", and albums, such as "Chansons de ma jeunesse", which featured collaborations with Claude Bolling and other notable artists.
Marchand's military service as a reserve officer with the Airborne Troops Training Base (BETAP) in the Pyrenees and his subsequent reassignment as a parachutist second lieutenant to Montigny-lès-Metz provided him with valuable experience. During the Algerian conflict, he served with the 3rd Foreign Infantry Regiment, which qualified him as a technical advisor on the all-star World War II epic film, The Longest Day (1962). Although he had a small part in the film, which unfortunately ended up on the cutting room floor, his experience as a paratrooper played a significant role in his later work.
Marchand made his screen debut at the age of 31 and went on to appear in numerous supporting roles, earning a Cesar Award for his role as a police inspector in Claude Miller's The Grilling (1981). His breakout role as the hard-boiled private detective Nestor Burma, détective de choc (1982),a character reminiscent of French Philip Marlowe, catapulted him to fame. He reprised his popular character in a TV series a decade later.
In addition to his acting career, Marchand was an avid sports enthusiast, involved in boxing, horse riding, polo, and car racing. He also published several novels, including 'Le Soleil des enfants perdus' (2011),which drew inspiration from his experiences in Algeria. Guy Marchand passed away on December 15, 2023, at the age of 86, in Cavaillon, Vaucluse, in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of Southeastern France.
