Michael Sarrazin (May 22, 1940 – April 17, 2011) was a Canadian film and television actor best known for his role in the drama film They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? (1969).
He was born Jacques Michel André Sarrazin in Quebec City, Quebec, and moved to Montreal, Quebec, as a child. After acting in school plays he landed his first professional role at 17.
Sarrazin worked on television productions in Toronto, Ontario, and then gained a contract with Universal Studios. His early appearances include The Virginian (1965), Gunfight in Abilene (1967), and a starring role in The Flim-Flam Man (1967) with George C. Scott. He served as a supporting actor in Sometimes a Great Notion (1971). He starred in a string of successes, including the television film Frankenstein: The True Story (1973), the crime caper Harry in Your Pocket (1973), the screwball comedy film For Pete’s Sake (1974), and the horror film The Reincarnation of Peter Proud (1975), about a man doomed to die the same kind… read more
Michael Sarrazin (May 22, 1940 – April 17, 2011) was a Canadian film and television actor best known for his role in the drama film They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? (1969).
He was born Jacques Michel André Sarrazin in Quebec City, Quebec, and moved to Montreal, Quebec, as a child. After acting in school plays he landed his first professional role at 17.
Sarrazin worked on television productions in Toronto, Ontario, and then gained a contract with Universal Studios. His early appearances include The Virginian (1965), Gunfight in Abilene (1967), and a starring role in The Flim-Flam Man (1967) with George C. Scott. He served as a supporting actor in Sometimes a Great Notion (1971). He starred in a string of successes, including the television film Frankenstein: The True Story (1973), the crime caper Harry in Your Pocket (1973), the screwball comedy film For Pete’s Sake (1974), and the horror film The Reincarnation of Peter Proud (1975), about a man doomed to die the same kind of death twice. His film career as a leading man came to a close with his role in The Gumball Rally (1976).
He also appeared in Joshua Then and Now (1985), and the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993–1999) episode The Quickening (1996). He hosted the April 15, 1978, episode of Saturday Night Live.
Sarrazin was originally cast to play Joe Buck in the drama film Midnight Cowboy (1969); however, he was unable to gain release from a prior contract and the part went to Jon Voight.
For fourteen years he was in a relationship with actress Jacqueline Bisset, whom he met while making the drama film The Sweet Ride (1968).
Death
Sarrazin died after falling ill with cancer. According to a family spokesman his daughters Catherine and Michele were at his side when he died. —Wikipedia
