Jean Constantin
Constantin Cornel Jean, known professionally as Jean Constantin (Romanian pronunciation: [ʒaŋ konstanˈtin]; 21 August 1927 – 26 May 2010), was a Romanian actor and singer, recognized locally as one of the greatest comedians of his generation. Born into a mixed family, he prioritized his Greek ethnicity, while also allowing directors to racially typecast him as a Romani man, and using his comparatively dark complexion for humorous effect. He never had formal training in the theatrical arts, evolving through amateur productions during his early years—when he was a construction foreman, trade unionist, and accountant. Jean had his breakthrough in the 1950s, when he became permanently employed by Fantasio, a revue troupe in Constanța. He was recognized by critics for his naturalness, and well-liked by the public for the comedic duo he formed with Gelu Manolache. He was co-opted as a character actor in Romanian cinema during the 1960s, earning good reviews for his dramatic roles in Maiorul și moartea and Prea mic pentru un război atît de mare. Overall, he preferred lighter films, and was praised for comedic roles in box-office hits by Dinu Cocea, Mircea Drăgan, Sergiu Nicolaescu and Geo Saizescu, as well as in the police-procedural series Brigada Diverse. Also distinguished for work in humorous programs for the Romanian Television, and a star of its miniseries Toate pînzele sus, he endured as one of the most popular actors in Communist Romania during the 1970s and '80s.
Jean's standing sketch comedy and the revue genre was preserved after the fall of communism in 1989, though he struggled to make ends meet. The quality of the film roles he was offered declined sharply during the transition to capitalism, with sex comedies that bordered on the pornographic. He was also a frequent guest at comedy shows performed abroad for the Romanian diaspora, thus supplementing his regular income—in this context, he renounced his collaboration with Manolache, and formed a comedy team with Stela Popescu and Alexandru Arșinel. Jean was critical of the new capitalist society, but was not interested in politicizing his comedic material; he also kept very discreet about his personal life, including his marriage, only commenting on it to refrain rumors that he was having affairs with young debutantes.
Throughout his final years, Jean was the host and star attraction of variety shows, which also involved traditional music acts and pop stars such as Mădălina Manole. The formula was highly successful, and led to his name being fraudlently used in advertising rival shows. From 1991, he was also an occasional presenter of entertainment programs on TVR 1. Later that decade, he switched to the commercial station Pro TV, and then to its rival, Antena 1; his fame was also preserved by his presence in advertisments for vodka. Ignoring his debilitating heart illness, he continued to act to his final days, and gave a final, celebrated, dramatic performance in The Way I Spent the End of the World (2006)—his only collaboration with the "Romanian New Wave" in cinema. He was a recipient of the Gopo Lifetime Achievement for 2008.
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