Even though the public do not know him very much, Claude Carliez is an important name of the entertainment industry, especially cinema.
His career in the cinema started in 1953 as an actor (nowadays he would be credited as a stuntman) in Lucrèce Borgia by Christian-Jacque1Christian-Jacque, 1953. Lucrèce Borgia, Cinédis., but it is in 1960 that he held for the first time the role that will mark his major contribution in film-making industry, being stunt and fighting coordinator for the film Le Capitan by André Hunebelle2A. Hunebelle, 1960. Le Capitan, Pathé.. During his career he participated in the making of numerous films, both French and international, for instance by being stunt coordinator in 1979 for Moonraker by Lewis Gilbert3L. Gilbert, 1979. Moonraker, United Artists..
Regarding the French cinema, with Rémi Julienne, he helped to formalize the profession of stuntman, but his work as a fighting coordinator was also an important influence outside the borders of France. This is what led to his being promoted chevalier des Arts et des lettres (Knight of Arts and Letters) in 2002 and chevalier de l’Ordre du mérite (Knight of the Order of Merit) in 2013.
From 1988 to 2012 he was the president of the Académie d’armes de France (French Academy of Fencing). Within this framework, both nationally and internationally, he was one of the pioneers of stage fencing, that is to say, the whole discipline combining the technique of fencing with acting.
On May 17, 2015, he died at the age of 90 years.
These last fifteen years, I had the opportunity first to follow his teaching, then to work with him. This will remain for me extremely formative experiences.
I delayed writing this note, but his death has caused some upheaval ...
