Background
He married Danish-born actress Marie-Hélène Copeau (1902–1994), the daughter of the influential French writer, editor, and drama critic Jacques Copeau (1879–1949) and Agnès Thomsen.
He married Danish-born actress Marie-Hélène Copeau (1902–1994), the daughter of the influential French writer, editor, and drama critic Jacques Copeau (1879–1949) and Agnès Thomsen.
Although Jean Dasté is best known for his career on stage as both an actor and director in a variety of works including those by Shakespeare and Molière, he made his first appearance on screen in a 1932 Jean Renoir film (Boudu sauvé des eaux), and 57 years later appeared in his final film at the age of 85. He played also the main character in two Jean Vigo movies, L"Atalante and Zéro de conduite. Later, he worked also with Alain Resnais and François Truffaut.
In 1947, he became the founding director of the Comedie de Saint-Etienne stage company in the town of Saint-Étienne in the Loire département.
The success of his theater was such that there is a college and a theater in Saint-Étienne named in his honor.