Before Marcel Marceau became a world-famous mime, he helped save the lives of Jewish children during WWII.
Marceau was born Marcel Mangel on March 22, 1923. When he was 17 years old his family had to flee their home in France. Soon after, he changed his last name to Marceau to hide his Jewish identity for safety and later joined the French Resistance.
As part of the French Resistance, he helped escort Jewish children to the Swiss border, sometimes using mime to keep them quiet when necessary. “I went disguised as a Boy Scout leader and took 24 Jewish kids, also in scout uniforms, through the forests to the border, where someone else would take them into Switzerland.”
In 1944, Marcel’s father Charles was murdered in Auschwitz. Marceau had his first major performance for American soldiers after the liberation of Paris. He served as a liaison officer for General Patton’s Third Army.
“I cried for my father, but I also cried for the millions of people who died. Destiny permitted me to live. This is why I have to bring hope to people who struggle in the world.”
Marceau went on to become a legendary mime and performed around the world for more than 60 years. He passed away in Paris in 2007 at the age of 84. May his memory be a blessing.
