COQUELIN, BENOIT CONSTANT French actor, known as Coquelin nine, was born at Boulogne on Jan. 23, 1841. He was originally intended to follow his father's trade of baker (he was once called an boulanger manqué by a hostile critic), but he entered Regnier's class at the Conservatoire in 1859. He won the first prize for comedy within a year, and made his debut on Dec. 7, 186o, at the Comedie Francaise as the comic valet, Gros-Rene, in Moliere's Depit amoureux, but his first great success was as Figaro, in the following year. He was made societaire in 1864, and during the next 22 years he created at the Francais the leading parts in 44 new plays, including Theodore de Banville's Gringoire (1867), Paul Ferrier's Tabarin (1871), Emile Augier's Paul Forestier (1871), L'Etrangere (1876) by the younger Dumas, Charles Lomon's Jean Dacier Edward Pailleron's Le Monde oil l'on s'ennuie (1881), Erckmann and Chatrian's Les Rantzau (1884). In consequence of a dis pute with the authorities over the question of his right to make provincial tours in France he resigned in 1886. Three years later, however, the breach was healed ; and after touring in Europe and the United States he rejoined the Comedie Francaise as pension naire in 189o. In 1892 he broke definitely with the Comedie Francaise, and toured for some time through the capitals of Europe with a company of his own. In 1895 he joined the Renaissance theatre in Paris, and played there until he became director of the Porte Saint Martin in 1897. Here he won suc cesses in Edmond Rostand's Cyrano de Bergerac (1897 ), Emile Bergerat's Plus que reine (1899), Catulle Mendes' Scarron (1905 ), and Alfred Capus and Lucien Descaves' L'Attentat (1906). In 190o he toured in America with Sarah Bernhardt, and on their return continued with his old colleague to appear in L'Aiglon, at the Theatre Sarah Bernhardt. He was rehearsing for the creation of the leading part in Rostand's Cliantecler, which he was to produce, when he died suddenly in Paris, on Jan. 27, 1909. Coquelin was an Officer de l'Instruction Publique and of the Legion of Honour. He published L'Art et le comedien (188o), Moliere et le misanthrope (1881), essays on Eugene Manuel (1881) and Sully-Prudhomme (1882), L'Arnolphe de Moliere (1882), Les Comediens (1882), L'Art de dire le monologue (with his brother, 1884), Tartuffe (1884), L'Art du comedien (1894). See Schoen, V. Sardou et Constant Coquelin (1910).
His brother, ALERANDRE COQUELIN (1848-1909), called Coque lin cadet, was born May 16, 1848, at Boulogne and entered the Conservatoire in 1864. He graduated with the first prize in comedy and made his debut in 1867 at the Odeon. The next year he appeared with his brother at the Theatre Francais, and became a societaire in 1879. He played a great many parts, in both classic and the modern repertoire, and also had much suc cess in reciting monologues of his own composition. He wrote Le Livre des convalescents (188o), Le Monologue moderne (1881), Fairiboles (1882), Le Rire (1887), Pirouettes (1888). He died on Feb. 8, 1909.