Biography

[b]Baron or Boyron, Michel[/b] (mēshel' bärôN' or bwärôN') [key], 1653–1729, one of the first great French actors. A protégé of Molière, he acted at the Hôtel de Bourgogne and at the Comédie Française. He brought a naturalness to the bombastic acting style established by Montfleury. In 1691 he retired at the height of his power only to return (1720) in perfect form to act with Adrienne Lecouvreur. He wrote several plays, of which L'Homme à bonnes fortunes (1686) was the most popular.