Famed French actor Michael Lonsdale dies at 89

PARIS — Michael Lonsdale, an enigmatic giant of the silver screen and theater in France who worked with some of the world’s top directors in an acting career that spanned 60 years, died Monday at 89, his agent said. From his role as the villain in the 1979 James Bond film “Moonraker” to that of a French monk in Algeria in the 2011 movie “Of Gods and Men,” Lonsdale acted, often in brilliant supporting roles, under top directors including Orson Welles, Steven Spielberg, Francois Truffaut and Louis Malle. “His spirit was alive but his body was tired.” Lonsdale was a man of faith and played numerous roles reflecting his Christian beliefs. He also played a priest in Welles’ 1962 film “The Trial.” Xavier Beauvois’ “Of Gods and Men” earned Lonsdale a Cesar, France’s equivalent of an Oscar, for best supporting role. Lonsdale made numerous films with New Wave director Jean-Pierre Mocky, the last in 2013, “Le Renard Jaune”.