BARON, MICHEL (1653-1729), French actor (whose family name originally was Boyron), was born in Paris. At the age of twelve he joined the company of children known as the Petits Comediens Dauphins. He joined Moliere's company, and then became a member of the company at the Hotel de Bour gogne, and from this time until his retirement in 1691 was undis puted master of the French stage, creating many of the leading roles in Racine's tragedies, besides those in two of his own come dies, L'Homme d bonnes fortunes (1686), and La Coquette (1687). In 1720 Baron reappeared at the Palais Royal. He died on Dec. 22 1729.
His son ETIENNE MICHEL BARON (1676-1711) was also a fine actor, and left a son and two daughters who all played at the ' Comedic Francaise.
See George Monval, Un Comedien amateur d'art (1893) ; also the Abbe d'Allamial's Lettres d mylord XXX. sur Baron et la demoiselle Lecouvreur, in F. G. J. S. Andrieux's Collection des memoires sur fart dramatique (1822).