Qui est-il ? Le mime Marceau

Written by qualified French expert Céline Pickard PGCE, BA

In: Reading B2, Art & Design, Famous People, Literature, Poetry, Theatre, Listening or Seeing B2

Discussion of this reading exercise: 5

When we think of a mime, we all picture the same character: sailor-striped top, white face and red lipstick... But did you know that that look actually comes from a French mime, le mime Marcel Marceau, who achieved international fame and made miming the recognised art that it is today? Learn about the life of the most famous mime in the world in our bilingual article below.

After listening to the audio, click any word for the English translation and links to related grammar lessons.

Note: The tenses in this French article and its English translation don't match! In French, we use the present tense to describe historical stories like this to evoke a sense of immediacy, whereas in English, we commonly use the past tense - learn more about historical French tenses.