PARIS - French actor Jean Desailly, who worked in film and theatre, has died, officials said Thursday. He was 87.

Desailly died Wednesday at a hospital in the Paris region, according to officials at the Theatre de la Madeleine, which he headed.

Desailly appeared in films including "Maigret tend un piege" (Maigret Lays a Trap), "La Mort de Belle" (The End of Belle) and starred in Francois Truffaut's "La Peau Douce" (The Soft Skin). He also played in supporting roles, becoming a familiar face to a generation of French film lovers.

Besides acting in dozens of plays, he ran the Theatre Hebertot in the 1970s before moving on to the bigger Theatre de la Madeleine. He was awarded the prestigious Moliere acting prize in 2002.

President Nicolas Sarkozy saluted Desailly, whose career he said "spanned the theatrical life of the 20th century in its most prestigious symbols," including the renowned Comedie Francaise. The president's homage noted that Desailly went on to dominate the stage with his wife, Simone Valere.

Valere and Desailly were one of France's most famous acting couples. He is survived by Valere, 84.

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