Pierre Richard-Willm, born as Alexandre Pierre Richard, who was raised by his maternal grandmother, was best known as a French actor. He studied at the École des Beaux-Arts in Nantes between 1913 and 1914 sculpture and had to join the Army in 1916 for World War I. After the war he became a sculptor, and in 1921 started his acting career at first on stage, and then in the movies. From 1925 on he worked at the Odeon in Paris in plays like La dame aux camellias. He became a popular actor, often a young premier, in 40 films during the 1930s and the first half of the 1940s. He then had his most famous role, as Edmond Dantès in The Count of Monte Christo. In 1946 he ended his career in the movies and joined the “Le Théâtre du Peuple” of Maurice Pottecher, who had participated in the literary competition in 1912. In 1975 he wrote his memoires Loin des Étoiles. His wax figures often show classical dancers.