|
| Charles-François-Bienvenu Myriel | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Also Known As |
Bishop Myriel |
| Gender |
Male |
| Eye Color |
Blue (film) |
| Hair color |
White |
| Born |
1739 |
| Died |
1821 |
| Cause of Death |
Old Age |
| Family |
Unnamed General (brother) |
| Relationships |
Unnamed (wife) |
| Job |
Priest |
| Portrayer |
Adam Linstead |
- "Jean Valjean, my brother, you no longer belong to evil, but to good. It is your soul I buy from you; I withdraw it from black thoughts and the spirit of perdition, and I give it to God."
- —Myriel to Valjean[1]
Bishop Myriel (also known as Monseigneur Bienvenu) is the Bishop of Digne. His great kindness serves as a main driving force behind Jean Valjean's change of heart.
Appearance
According to the novel, the Bishop is short in stature and somewhat plump, though he exercises frequently by taking long walks around his gardens, so he is in good shape. In his later years, he does not look visibly aged despite his having white hair. At the very end of his life, he is blind.
Personality
Throughout the novel, the Bishop is portrayed as being a holy man whose only purpose in life is to better the lives of those around him. Willing to put his life at risk for the good of others, the Bishop hardly ever expresses worry, as demonstrated when he is quite content with walking through a bandit-ridden forest in order to spread the good word. He does, however, care very deeply for those who worry about him and does his best to comfort their fears.
Songs
Act I
Act II
- Valjean's Death (2012 film only)
- Finale (silent)
List of Portrayers
Musical
- Ken Caswell – Original London cast
- Norman Large – Original Broadway cast
- Frank Moore – Original Canadian cast
- Paul Monaghan – 10th Anniversary concert
- James Chip Leonard – 2006 Broadway revival
- Earl Carpenter – 25th Anniversary Concert at the O2
- Andrew Love – 2013 Toronto cast
Movies
- George Moss – 1917 film
- Paul Jorge – 1925 film
- Henry Krauss – 1934 films
- Cedric Hardwicke – 1935 film
- Massimo Pianforini – 1948 film
- Edmund Gwenn – 1952 film
- Fernand Ledoux – 1958 film
- Aldo Silvani – 1964 mini-series
- Finlay Currie – 1967 mini-series
- Ángel Garasa – 1973 series
- Claude Dauphin – 1978 film
- Louis Seigner – 1982 film/1985 mini-series
- Peter Vaughan – 1998 film
- Otto Sander – 2000 mini-series
- Colm Wilkinson – 2012 film
Trivia
- The actual Bishop of Digne during the time period in which Myriel's appearance in the novel is set was Bienvenu de Miollis (1753-1843). He served as Victor Hugo's model for Myriel.
- In the 2012 film, he replaces the spirit of Éponine in Valjean's Death.
- "Bienvenu" in French means "welcome."[2]
Gallery
Novel
Musical
Film
Les Misérables 1998
Les Misérables 2012
