Former boxer and acrobatic clown who metamorphosed into one of the greatest French character players of all time. Simon first earned acclaim in the stage and film versions of "Jean de la Lune" (1931) and gained wide popularity for his commanding, soulful performances--usually as coarse commoners or unscrupulous rustics--in the films of Jean Renoir ("Boudu Saved From Drowning" 1932), Jean Vigo ("L'Atalante" 1934), Marcel Carne ("Quai des Brumes" 1938), Julien Duvivier ("End of a Day" 1939) and Rene Clair ("Beauty and the Devil" 1950). Although Simon's career tailed off in the 1950s after an accident which affected his central nervous system, he resurfaced with a triumphant performance in Claude Berri's poignant "The Two of Us" (1967). Father of actor Francois Simon.