Michael Edward Lonsdale Crouch (24 May 1931 – 21 September 2020), commonly known as Michael Lonsdale and sometimes as Michel Lonsdale, was a French-British actor and author who appeared in over 180 films and television shows. He is often known in the English-speaking world for his roles as the villain Hugo Drax in the 1979 James Bond film Moonraker, deputy police commissioner Claude Lebel in The Day of the Jackal (1973), The Abbot in The Name of the Rose (1986) and Dupont d'Ivry in The Remains of the Day (1993).
Lonsdale was born in Paris, the natural son of British Army officer Edward Lonsdale Crouch and Simone Calderon (née Béraud). He was brought up initially on the island of Jersey, then in London from 1935, and later, during the Second World War, in Casablanca, Morocco.
He returned to Paris to study painting in 1947, but was drawn into the world of acting instead, first appearing on stage at the age of 24. Lonsdale was bilingual, and appeared in both English-language and French-language productions. He appeared in a starring role with Roger Moore in the 1979 James Bond film Moonraker. and with Sean Connery, in the 1986 film The Name of the Rose. He would later appear in Munich (2005), a film that also starred another Bond, Daniel Craig.
In February 2011, he won a César Award for Best Supporting Actor for his work in Of Gods and Men.
Lonsdale was also the author of ten books.
A practising Roman Catholic, he was close to the Emmanuel Community.
In his 2016 memoir Le Dictionnaire de Ma Vie, Lonsdale revealed he had fallen for Delphine Seyrig, having met her as a student in Tania Balachova's acting classes at the Théâtre du Vieux-Colombier in 1947. He wrote that "it was her or nothing", which was why he never married.
Lonsdale died in Paris on 21 September 2020, aged 89.
        
                
        
             
            | 2025 | A Vida dos Espelhos | 
             
            | 2024 | African Glory as Christopher Columbus | 
             
            | 2023 | L'etranger: Air is on Fire as Narrator (Voice) | 
             
            | 2020 | Le Fantôme de Laurent Terzieff as Self | 
             
            | 2019 | Degas et moi as Edgar Degas | 
             
            | 2019 | Salvador Dalí: Génie tragi-comique as Narrator | 
             
            | 2017 | Le film de Bazin as Narrator | 
             
            | 2016 | Sculpt | 
             
            | 2016 | Les Mystères de Paris : "Out 1" de Jacques Rivette revisité as Self | 
             
            | 2016 | Jean-Marie Serreau, découvreur de théâtres as Self | 
             
            | 2016 | Les Filles au Moyen-Âge as Daniel | 
             
            | 2016 | Les Premiers, les Derniers as Jean-Berchmans | 
             
            | 2015 | La visite as Self | 
             
            | 2014 | J.R.R. Tolkien: Des mots, des mondes as (voice) | 
             
            | 2014 | N: The Madness Of Reason as Narrator | 
             
            | 2014 | Maestro as Cedric Rovère | 
             
            | 2014 | Rosenn as (voice) | 
             
            | 2013 | Le Renard jaune as Jean Virno | 
             
            | 2012 | Gebo et l'ombre as Gebo | 
             
            | 2011 | Veilleurs dans la nuit - Une journée monastique à l'Abbaye Sainte-Madeleine du Barroux as Narrateur | 
             
            | 2011 | Il villaggio di cartone as Old Priest | 
             
            | 2011 | Özgür Adamlar as Si Kaddour Ben Ghabrit | 
             
            | 2011 | HH, Hitler à Hollywood as Michael Lonsdale | 
             
            | 2011 | Titeuf (Le Film) as Le psy (voice) | 
             
            | 2010 | Tanrılar ve İnsanlar as Luc | 
             
            | 2009 | Beni Özleyeceksin as Max | 
             
            | 2009 | Agora as Theon | 
             
            | 2008 | Les amants cinéma as Self | 
             
            | 2007 | Chacun son cinema ou Ce petit coup au coeur quand la lumiere s'eteint et que le film commence as The old blind man (segment "Le Don") | 
             
            | 2007 | La Question humaine as Mathias Jüst | 
             
            | 2007 | Red Kit: Batıya Hücum as Bartleby (voice) | 
             
            | 2007 | Metres as le vicomte Prony | 
             
            | 2006 | Les Mains d'Andréa | 
             
            | 2006 | Goya'nın Hayaletleri as Inquisitor General | 
             
            | 2006 | Jeanne, à petits pas as Louis | 
             
            | 2005 | Münih as Papa | 
             
            | 2005 | Gentille as Jean | 
             
            | 2005 | La Séparation as Paul Doumer | 
             
            | 2005 | Bye Bye Blackbird as Robert | 
             
            | 2005 | Le Parfum de la dame en noir as Le professeur Stangerson | 
             
            | 2005 | Les Invisibles as Le gardien | 
             
            | 2004 | Sotto falso nome as David | 
             
            | 2004 | Adieu as Serge | 
             
            | 2004 | 5x2 as Bernard | 
             
            | 2003 | Le Furet as Don Salvadore | 
             
            | 2003 | Le Mystère de la chambre jaune as Stangerson | 
             
            | 2003 | Kehanet as Opaz (voice) | 
             
            | 2002 | Le Mythe Cathare as Narrator | 
             
            | 2001 | Ceux d'en face as Mikaël | 
             
            | 2000 | Delphine Seyrig, portrait d'une comète as Self | 
             
            | 2000 | A propósito de Buñuel as Self | 
             
            | 2000 | Inside 'Moonraker' as Self | 
             
            | 2000 | Les Acteurs as Man walking down the street | 
             
            | 2000 | Is Dead - Portrait incomplet de Gertrude Stein as Narrator (voice) | 
             
            | 1999 | Le château des singes as Maître Flavius (Voice) | 
             
            | 1998 | Ronin as Jean-Pierre | 
             
            | 1998 | Que la lumiere soit! as Monseigneur Loublié | 
             
            | 1998 | Don Juan as Don Luis | 
             
            | 1997 | Mauvais Genre as Honoré de Balzac | 
             
            | 1997 | La peine perdue de Jean Eustache as (voice) | 
             
            | 1997 | Bruit d'amour et de guerre as The director | 
             
            | 1996 | La Plante Humaine as Michel | 
             
            | 1995 | Nelly et Mr. Arnaud as Dollabella | 
             
            | 1995 | Jefferson in Paris as Louis XVI | 
             
            | 1995 | Vroum-vroum | 
             
            | 1994 | Dieu sait quoi as Narrator | 
             
            | 1993 | Günden Kalanlar as Dupont D'Ivry | 
             
            | 1993 | Woyzeck as Le capitaine | 
             
            | 1993 | L'ordre du jour as Stark | 
             
            | 1991 | Ma vie est un enfer as Gabriel | 
             
            | 1991 | Seul face au crime as Procuratore | 
             
            | 1990 | Out 1 as Thomas | 
             
            | 1990 | Film sur Georges Perec as Self | 
             
            | 1989 | Cela s'appelle l'amour as Self | 
             
            | 1989 | Souvenir as Xavier Lorion | 
             
            | 1989 | L'Homme de terre as (voice) | 
             
            | 1988 | Niezwykła podróż Baltazara Kobera as Cammerschulze | 
             
            | 1987 | Der Madonna-Mann as Tanzmann | 
             
            | 1986 | Die Abtei des Verbrechens - Umberto Ecos „Der Name der Rose“ wird verfilmt as Self | 
             
            | 1986 | Gülün Adı as The Abbot | 
             
            | 1986 | Rendez-vous manqués as Moralès | 
             
            | 1986 | Emile Reynaud as Narrator | 
             
            | 1986 | L'air d'aimer as Raymond | 
             
            | 1986 | La mémoire de l'oeil E.J. Marey as Narrator | 
             
            | 1985 | Billy Ze Kick as Commissaire Bellanger | 
             
            | 1985 | L'Éveillé du pont de l'Alma as Antonie | 
             
            | 1985 | S.S. Planı as Ernst Manfredi | 
             
            | 1984 | Le Bon Roi Dagobert as Saint Eloi | 
             
            | 1984 | La couleur des mots as Self | 
             
            | 1984 | Le Juge as Le docteur | 
             
            | 1983 | Chronopolis as Narrator (voice) | 
             
            | 1983 | Une jeunesse as Béjardy | 
             
            | 1983 | Eréndira as Senator Onésimo Sanchez | 
             
            | 1983 | La Réunion... Longtemps as Narrator (voice) | 
             
            | 1983 | Les Boulugres as Le roi (voice) | 
             
            | 1982 | Enigma as Bodley | 
             
            | 1982 | Mersonne ne m'aime as Commissioner Bancau | 
             
            | 1982 | Douce enquête sur la violence as Ash, the financier | 
             
            | 1982 | Le rose et le blanc as Léon | 
             
            | 1982 | Trompe-l'oeil as Self (voice) | 
             
            | 1981 | Seuls as Ludovic | 
             
            | 1981 | Les Jeux de la Comtesse Dolingen de Gratz as Bertrand Haines-Pearson | 
             
            | 1981 | Sığınak as Martin Bormann | 
             
            | 1981 | Un paquebot dans la tête as Roland | 
             
            | 1980 | Jean-Sans-Terre as Jean Papeuil | 
             
            | 1979 | Ay Harekatı as Hugo Drax | 
             
            | 1979 | The Passage as Renoudot | 
             
            | 1979 | Ève avait l'éclat métallique de l'été | 
             
            | 1978 | Die linkshändige Frau as The Waiter | 
             
            | 1978 | Le risque de vivre as narrator | 
             
            | 1977 | Aurais dû faire gaffe... le choc est terrible | 
             
            | 1977 | Une sale histoire as The voyeur | 
             
            | 1977 | L'Imprécateur as Abéraud | 
             
            | 1977 | Le Diable dans la boîte as Georges Aubert | 
             
            | 1976 | Bartleby as L'Huissier | 
             
            | 1976 | Kaderi Arayan Adam as Pierre | 
             
            | 1976 | Cygne II as Narrator (voice) | 
             
            | 1976 | Son nom de Venise dans Calcutta désert as The Vice Consul of Lahore | 
             
            | 1976 | Les Œufs brouillés as The President of the Republic | 
             
            | 1976 | La nuit du beau marin peut-être? as Boris | 
             
            | 1976 | Les Écrans déchirés as Michael | 
             
            | 1975 | Né as Self | 
             
            | 1975 | Le Téléphone rose as M. Morrison, président de la Fielding | 
             
            | 1975 | Folle à tuer as Stephane Mostri | 
             
            | 1975 | The Romantic Englishwoman as Swan | 
             
            | 1975 | Hindistan Şarkısı as Le Vice-Consul de Lahore | 
             
            | 1975 | La Traque as David Sutter | 
             
            | 1975 | Section spéciale as Pierre Pucheu - le ministre de l'intérieur | 
             
            | 1975 | Une baleine qui avait mal aux dents as Le peintre | 
             
            | 1975 | Aloïse as le médecin | 
             
            | 1975 | Galileo as Cardinal Barberini (later Pope Urban VIII) | 
             
            | 1975 | Sérieux comme le plaisir as Inspecteur Fournier | 
             
            | 1974 | Les Suspects as Judge Souftries | 
             
            | 1974 | Un linceul n'a pas de poches as Raymond | 
             
            | 1974 | Özgürlük Hayaleti as The Hatter | 
             
            | 1974 | Caravan to Vaccarès as Duc de Croyter | 
             
            | 1974 | La vérité sur l'imaginaire passion d'un inconnu as Le reporter TV / Ponce Pilate | 
             
            | 1974 | Stavisky... as Docteur Mézy | 
             
            | 1974 | La grande Paulette as Paul | 
             
            | 1974 | Glissements progressifs du plaisir as The Judge | 
             
            | 1974 | Le Droit à la Ville as Narrator | 
             
            | 1974 | Film sur Hans Bellmer as Narrator | 
             
            | 1973 | Les grands sentiments font les bons gueuletons as Stéphane | 
             
            | 1973 | La fille au violoncelle as Philippe Lariel | 
             
            | 1973 | Out 1: Spectre as Thomas | 
             
            | 1973 | Çakalın Günü as Deputy Commissioner Claude Lebel | 
             
            | 1972 | L'Automne as Julien, le réalisateur | 
             
            | 1972 | Chut ! as Sergel | 
             
            | 1972 | Les années Lumière as Narrator (voice) | 
             
            | 1972 | Il était une fois un flic... as Commissioner Lucas | 
             
            | 1972 | La Vieille Fille as Monod | 
             
            | 1971 | Le Printemps as L'homme qui fuit | 
             
            | 1971 | Les Assassins de l'ordre as Inspector Bertrand | 
             
            | 1971 | Kalp Mırıltısı as Father Henri | 
             
            | 1971 | Papa les petits Bateaux… as Hippolyte the brother of Marylène | 
             
            | 1971 | Jaune, Le Soleil as Un juif | 
             
            | 1970 | Le revolver et la rose as Philippe de la Tour / Dimitri Korkesky | 
             
            | 1970 | Un troisième as Le réalisateur | 
             
            | 1970 | La Fenêtre as Bracquemont | 
             
            | 1970 | L'Étalon as Commissioner Donald Both | 
             
            | 1969 | L'Hiver as Julien & Marc | 
             
            | 1969 | Détruire, dit-elle as Stein | 
             
            | 1969 | Hibernatus as Edouard Loriebat | 
             
            | 1969 | La pince à ongles as Le mari | 
             
            | 1968 | La Grande Lessive (!) as Delaroche | 
             
            | 1968 | Çalınan Buseler as Georges Tabard | 
             
            | 1968 | La mariée était en noir as Morane | 
             
            | 1968 | L'Homme à la Buick as L'inspecteur Farjon de la P.J. | 
             
            | 1968 | Zoo Story as Peter | 
             
            | 1968 | Concerto pour un exil as Un acteur au théâtre | 
             
            | 1967 | L’Authentique Procès de Carl-Emmanuel Jung as L'Avocat de la Défense | 
             
            | 1967 | Le Judoka, agent secret as Thomas Perkins | 
             
            | 1967 | Les Compagnons de la Marguerite as Lastac / Lataque, expert en écritures / Le juge (voice) | 
             
            | 1966 | Paris brûle-t-il? as Debu-Bridel (uncredited) | 
             
            | 1966 | La Bourse et la Vie as Speaker at the shy people's club | 
             
            | 1966 | Comédie as L'homme (M) | 
             
            | 1965 | Je vous salue, mafia! as Hyman | 
             
            | 1965 | La Redevance du fantôme as Kernan | 
             
            | 1965 | Les Copains as Lamendin | 
             
            | 1964 | Behold a Pale Horse as Reporter | 
             
            | 1964 | Les Petites Demoiselles as L'elève | 
             
            | 1964 | Jaloux comme un tigre as The grimacing motorist | 
             
            | 1964 | Le petit Nicolas as The father | 
             
            | 1962 | Snobs! as Charles Dufaut | 
             
            | 1962 | Dava as Priest | 
             
            | 1962 | La Dénonciation as Mercier | 
             
            | 1962 | Le crime ne paie pas as Acteur | 
             
            | 1962 | Le bureau des mariages | 
             
            | 1962 | Adorable menteuse as Albert | 
             
            | 1960 | Les portes claquent as Georges | 
             
            | 1960 | La main chaude as Nobert | 
             
            | 1960 | Les Trois Sœurs as Andreï Prodarov | 
             
            | 1958 | Une balle dans le canon | 
             
            | 1956 | C'est arrivé à Aden... as Sinclair | 
                    
        
                
        
Duvar