Meet Huguette Mallette: Wife Of Marcel Marceau

Published on: Oct 18, 2023

Huguette Mallette, the wife of Marcel Marceau, shared a strong and enduring bond with him. Their paths crossed through their professional endeavors.

Marcel Marceau, renowned for his role as “Bip the Clown,” was a distinguished French actor and mime artist.

Although Marcel Marceau sadly passed away in 2007, his artistic journey spanned from 1923 until his untimely departure.

Born to Jewish parents in Strasbourg, France, Marceau exemplified bravery during World War II as a French Resistance member, aiding young Jewish individuals in escaping Nazi incarceration.

Now, let’s delve into the intriguing life of Mallette as we unravel the story further.

Who was Huguette Mallette?

Huguette Mallette was a French photographer and artist who collaborated closely with Marcel Marceau throughout the 1960s and 1970s.

She was Marcel Marceau’s assistant. He considered her a personal friend, not his wife.

Mallette and Marceau met in the early 1960s and became close colleagues.

However, she photographed several Marceau concerts, which became part of his visual legacy.

She also worked with Marcel Marceau on some artistic projects, including a collection of black and white films and Marceau’s mime acts with Mallette’s photographs.

Mallette’s work with Marceau helped make his art form more well-known and attracted a larger audience.

Her images of Marceau’s performances caught the expressive strength of his movements and portrayed the emotional depth of his work. Marceau was a French dancer.

Huguette Mallette passed away in 2020 when she was 91 years old.

Huguette Mallette and Marcel Marceau’s relationship

Mallette married the well-known mime artist Marcel Marceau in the year 1950. The couple was blessed with a daughter named Marion.

They had their children raised in Paris during their marriage. The two would frequently tour together.

The show highlights Marecau’s captivating mime performances and Huguette’s graceful choreographed dances.

Sadly, in 1967, the couple decided to end their journey together and filed for divorce.

After her divorce from Marceau, she began her career. Huguette persisted in pursuing a career in dance and choreography.

She contributed some pieces to the Paris Opera Ballet and the Cannes Film Festival. Additionally, she was a faculty member of the Paris Opera Ballet School.

It’s called the Ecole des Beaux-Arts. She served as a judge for some international dance contests throughout her career.

Marcel Marceau’s wife’s professional career

Mallette was a respected dancer and brilliant artist. Some fascinating facts about her.

She was an active participant in the French Amateur Dance Association that she belonged to.

1974, she was the first woman ever to be appointed to the ADNC World Cup competition jury.

In 1975, the French Dance Academy awarded her the gold medal. She was a pioneer in the field.

In 1978, Mallette experienced a significant event in her life.

At this year’s Cannes International Dance Festival, Huguette will be a guest of honor thanks to an invitation she received.

A pivotal time in her life. It was her first time being recognized for her accomplishments, so she was emotional.

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Rather than acting in the role of Marcel Marceau’s IWFE. During the occasion, the gold medal of the French Dance Academy was given to her by its organizers.

In honor of the significant things she has contributed to the field of dance.

The last years of Huguette

Towards the end of her life, Huguette relinquished her career as a performer and teacher, choosing to reside in the serene countryside of France.

Despite her daughter’s migration to the United States and her enduring bond with the dance community, Huguette maintained her relationships.

On October 19, 2016, at the age of 88, she peacefully passed away.

Huguette Mallette’s descendants

Mallette was a dancer who will forever be remembered for impacting the dance world.

She was a choreographer and dancer who garnered a great deal of admiration.

It was often said that her creations possessed beauty and elegance in their design.

Her legacy lives on in the works of modern dancers and choreographers, whose performances and products bear traces of her influence.

Achivements of Marcel Marceau

Marceau received the Médaille Vermeil de la Ville de Paris in 1978 and was a commander of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres and Légion d’honneur.

Paris granted him three-year funding to reopen his International School. President Jacques Chirac named Marceau a grand officer of the Ordre national du Mérite in November 1998.

On the same day as President Jimmy Carter, First Lady Rosalynn Carter, and their daughter Amy Carter were inducted into the Berlin and Munich academies, Marceau was inducted into the Institut de France’s Académie des Beaux-ArtLacking a citation,

Marceau received posthumous doctorates from Ohio State, Linfield, Princeton, and Michigan.

The University of Michigan awarded Marceau the Wallenberg Medal in April 2001 for his gallantry in saving Jews and other refugees during World War II.