Paul Bonifas (June 3, 1902 – November 9, 1975) was a distinguished French actor of stage and screen who, after a celebrated career in the classical French theatre, became a familiar face in a number of major international films.
A graduate of the prestigious Conservatoire de Paris and a member of the legendary Comédie-Française, Bonifas’s career was interrupted by World War II. A decorated soldier for the French army, he was evacuated from Dunkirk, joined the Free French forces in London, and worked for the resistance radio. He also appeared in Alfred Hitchcock’s short propaganda film, Aventure malgache (1944).
After the war, his dignified presence made him a go-to character actor. He is best known to American audiences for his memorable supporting roles as the humble stamp seller Monsieur Felix in the romantic thriller Charade (1963) and as the heroic French Resistance member Didont in the WWII classic The Train (1964). His other notable film appearances include roles in Fanny (1961) and the epic Is Paris Burning? (1966).
