Banjo's World

Marcel Marceau was a celebrated performer among the deaf people. Though he is not deaf but it has been said that he knows sign language and had deaf pupils study under him. For instance, Bernard Bragg according to a mini-biography of his on the official website of ASL Films.

There are several performers that are favoured by the deaf because they are very physical and deaf-friendly. Charlie Chaplin and Rowan Atkinson come to my mind. Rowan is widely known for playing in the role of Mr. Bean in several TV specials for BBC. The sequel to the first Mr. Bean movie, 'Mr. Bean's Holiday' is currently playing at the theatres in North America. It should also be noted that Mr. Bean rarely speaks. Instead, he's very physical. Charlie Chaplin was known for hiring deaf actors and actresses. In fact, a famous deaf painter helped Chaplin develop several techniques that were used in his silent movies. Some of you may know him as Granville Redmond. Here's the webpage where I got some of the facts on Redmond and Chaplin. Fascinating!

It was Chaplin who inspired Marcel Marceau to become an actor. Marcel Marceau is a tremendously talented performer and rarely performs with his voice. He is a very expressive mime performer, he has taught thousands of people over the years. He has been a huge influence over many especially in France where he was born in and lived in until his death. For a detailed webpage on the life of Marceau, click here. It's where I got some of the facts that I recently mentioned.

Here's a clip from the movie, 'Silent Movie' which was directed by Mel Brooks. Marcel Marceau made a short but memorable cameo appearance. At the end of the scene, he spoke.



"No!” he said.

Amy Cohen Efron made a wonderful vlog to honour the memory of Marceau. She shares a heart-warming experience that took place back in her teenage years. Click here to watch it.

Marcel Marceau, you will always be remembered by many people including the deaf communities around the world.