Marcel Sabourin, OC (born March 25, 1935) is a Canadian actor and writer from Quebec.[1] He is most noted for his role as Abel Gagné, the central character in Jean Pierre Lefebvre's trilogy of Don't Let It Kill You (Il ne faut pas mourir pour ça), The Old Country Where Rimbaud Died (Le Vieux pays où Rimbaud est mort) and Now or Never (Aujourd'hui ou jamais),[2] and his performance as Professor Mandibule in the children's television series Les Croquignoles and La ribouldingue.[3]

Marcel Sabourin
Born (1935-03-25) March 25, 1935 (age 89)
NationalityCanadian
Occupation(s)actor, writer
Years active1950s-present
Notable workJ.A. Martin Photographer, Don't Let It Kill You, The Old Country Where Rimbaud Died

Career edit

Sabourin launched his career in the 1950s with La Roulotte, a children's theatre troupe launched by Paul Buissonneau which performed in Montreal's public parks.[4] He studied at Collège Sainte-Marie de Montréal and the Théâtre du Nouveau Monde, and in Paris under Jacques Lecoq.[1] One of the most prolific performers in the history of the Cinema of Quebec, he has had film, television and stage credits since 1956.[2]

He won a Canadian Film Award for Best Actor in a Non-Feature at the 25th Canadian Film Awards in 1973 for Des armes et les hommes,[5] and was a two-time Canadian Film Award and Genie Award nominee for Best Actor, receiving nods at the 28th Canadian Film Awards in 1977 for J.A. Martin Photographer (J.A. Martin photographe)[6] and at the 4th Genie Awards in 1983 for Sweet Lies and Loving Oaths (Doux aveux).[7] As a screenwriter, he was nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay at the 1st Genie Awards in 1980, as cowriter with Jean Beaudin of the film Cordélia.[8]

At Quebec's Jutra Awards, he was a two-time Best Actor nominee for Now or Never at the 1st Jutra Awards in 1999,[9] and for Another House (L'Autre maison) at the 16th Jutra Awards in 2014,[10] and was the recipient of the Jutra-Hommage lifetime achievement award in 1999.[11]

As a playwright he is most noted for Pleurer pour rire, which won the Floyd S. Chalmers Canadian Play Award in the youth theatre division in 1983,[12] and was shortlisted for the Governor General's Award for French-language drama at the 1984 Governor General's Awards.[13]

He has also taught at the National Theatre School of Canada.[14]

Personal life edit

He married his wife Françoise in the 1960s.[15] They have had four children, including actor and screenwriter Gabriel Sabourin and cinematographer Jérôme Sabourin.[15] Jérôme was the director of Au boutte du rien pantoutte, a documentary film about his father premiering in 2024.[16]

Filmography edit

Television edit

  • 1963 - Ti-Jean caribou
  • 1963 - Les Croquignoles as Mandibule
  • 1968 - La Ribouldingue as Mandibule
  • 1976 - Grand-Papa as Martin Roy
  • 1976 - Du tac au tac as Bruno Félix
  • 1978 - Duplessis as Joseph-Damase Bégin
  • 1979 - Riel as Joseph-Noël Ritchot
  • 1981 - Salut ! J.W. as Marc
  • 1982 - La Bonne Aventure as Marcel Poliquin
  • 1984 - Laurier as Joseph Lavergne
  • 1985 - The Cuckoo Bird as Jake
  • 1989 - He Shoots, He Scores as Marcel Allaire
  • 1989 - Mount Royal as Gilbert Valeur
  • 1990 - La Fille du Maquignon as Curé Dumouchel
  • 1991 - Berlin Lady as Marquis D'Abrantes
  • 1992 - Montréal ville ouverte
  • 1992 - Coup de chance
  • 1994 - Trial at Fortitude Bay as Judge Jean Lamberts
  • 1994 - Les grands procès as Couronne
  • 1994 - Million Dollar Babies as Père Nadeau
  • 1996 - Omertà as Premier of Quebec
  • 1998 - La Part des anges as Joachim Brodeur
  • 1999 - Deux frères as Viateur Craig
  • 2000 - Gypsies as Rosaire Baril
  • 2000 - Le Monde de Charlotte as Alexandre Ducharme
  • 2000 - Jackie Bouvier Kennedy Onassis as Charles de Gaulle
  • 2000 - Willie as Père Tourangeau
  • 2001 - Emma as Yves Dauphin
  • 2005 - Trudeau II: Maverick in the Making as Maurice Duplessis
  • 2009 - Les Parent as Bernard Rivard
  • 2010 - Trauma as Mr. Lemieux
  • 2012 - Les Sioui-Bacon as Mr. Robert
  • 2012 - Toute la vérité as Judge Régimbald
  • 2022 – La Faille as Pere Gabriel

Film edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b Gaetan Charlebois and Anne Nothof, "Sabourin, Marcel". Canadian Theatre Encyclopedia, October 20, 2015.
  2. ^ a b "Marcel Sabourin". Canadian Film Encyclopedia.
  3. ^ "Marcel Sabourin, un ami fidèle". Ici Radio-Canada, January 4, 2020.
  4. ^ Hélène Beauchamp, Le théâtre pour enfants au Québec: 1950-1980, Hurtubise, 1985. p.33.
  5. ^ Maria Topalovich, And the Genie Goes To...: Celebrating 50 Years of the Canadian Film Awards. Stoddart Publishing, 2000. ISBN 0-7737-3238-1. pp. 111-114.
  6. ^ Robert Martin, "Canada's film industry comes of age - at last". The Globe and Mail, November 19, 1977.
  7. ^ Jay Scott, "Top Genie prospects for Bill Miner movie". The Globe and Mail, February 10, 1983.
  8. ^ Jay Scott, "Changeling leads Canadian Film Award nominees". The Globe and Mail, February 8, 1980.
  9. ^ "Red Violin leads pack for Jutra Awards". The Globe and Mail, January 28, 1999.
  10. ^ Éric Moreault, "Prix Jutra: Louis Cyr champion des nominations". Le Soleil, January 27, 2014.
  11. ^ Paul Townend and Maurie Alioff, "Prix Iris". The Canadian Encyclopedia, April 5, 2010.
  12. ^ "Quiet in the Land wins $5,000 award". The Globe and Mail, January 25, 1983.
  13. ^ "Literary award winners to be announced June 6". Montreal Gazette, May 17, 1985.
  14. ^ Jay Scott, "Quebec's Sabourin: savant extraordinaire". The Globe and Mail, May 2, 1981.
  15. ^ a b Marie-Claude Doyle, "«Je prends la vie un peu comme un enfant» - Marcel Sabourin". TVA Nouvelles, January 19, 2019.
  16. ^ Luc Boulanger, "Plus de 200 films pour la 42e édition". La Presse, February 1, 2024.
  17. ^ Charles-Henri Ramond, "Testament en salle le 5 octobre". Films du Québec, May 24, 2023.

External links edit