Raymond Devos

Raymond Devos (9 November 1922 - 15 June 2006), born Raymond Pierre Devos, was a French humorist, stand-up comedian and clown, best known for his sophisticated puns and surreal humour. He was born in Mouscron, Belgium, close to the French border; both his parents were French and he moved to Tourcoing, France, at the age of two, with the family later moving to Paris.

During the Second World War he was sent to Germany to work, and on his return to France he took acting and mime lessons at the Etienne Ducroux school, where he met Marcel Marceau. In 1948 he was part of a burlesque trio. Devos's career took off in the 1950s when he began writing his own one-man shows and was the opening act for Maurice Chevalier. Although his act still involved elements of his early years as a clown, such as juggling, he was mostly recognised for his mastery of the French language, which garnered him much respect throughout the Francophone world. He appeared in Alejandro Jodorowsky's 1957 short film Les tetes interverties and made a cameo in Jean-Luc Godard's Pierrot le Fou (1965).

He performed for the last time in 1999 at Paris's Olympia Theater and died in Saint-Remy-les-Chevreuse, Yvelines. Because he was born in Belgium, his nationality was often a source of confusion; he once quipped that he was, after all, a "fake Belgian". In 1986 he was awarded the Grand Prix du Theatre de l'Academie francaise, and he was also awarded the Legion of Honour. His distinctions included being made a Commander of the Legion of Honour and a member of the Academie Alphonse-Allais.