Monsieur Spade Cast & Character Guide

Summary

• Clive Owen delivers a vulnerable and compelling performance as retired detective Sam Spade, showcasing his versatility as an actor.
• The show takes a fresh approach to the iconic character, exploring his retirement in the French town of Bozouls and his quest to solve the murder of six nuns.
• The ensemble cast, including Dénis Menochet and Matthew Beard, brings believability and genuine emotion to their roles, making the series a riveting neo-noir mystery.

Based on the iconic character created by Dashiell Hammett, Monsieur Spade is a riveting neo-noir mystery series with an impressive cast of talented actors. Although the show is inspired by an iconic literary character, Monsieur Spade is not directly based on one of Hammett’s books. Instead, the show takes place long after the events of Detective Sam Spade’s most famous appearance in the celebrated classic The Maltese Falcon. The show explores aspects of Spade’s background and history via flashback sequences, but Monsieur Spade focuses on the title character’s retirement in the French town of Bozouls.

Despite enjoying his time away from the crime-light, Spade is soon thrust back into action when six nuns are mysteriously murdered in a convent. This sets him on a quest for the truth and on a collision course with some of the community’s residents. While star Clive Owen takes center stage, the series succeeds thanks to supporting roles from the likes of Dénis Menochet and Matthew Beard. Were it not for the strength of the ensemble imbuing its characters with believability and genuine emotion, it’s unlikely that Monsieur Spade would be as engaging as it is.

Clive Owen As Sam Spade

Date Of Birth: October 3, 1964

Actor: Clive Owen was born in Keresley, Coventry, Warwickshire, England. He got his big break in 1998, playing Jack Manfred in the crime drama Croupier. In 2005, he was nominated for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role at the Oscars. He’s best known for acting in art house films.

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Character: A celebrated detective enjoying his retirement in the South of France, Sam Spade is in the pantheon of iconic sleuths thanks to his prior appearance in The Maltese Falcon. The version of the character seen in Monsieur Spade, however, is a very different iteration from the one audiences may be familiar with. Struggling with debts and a debilitating breathing condition, Spade is perhaps not the force he once was. This vulnerability is expertly realized by Clive Owen.

Cara Bossom As Teresa

Date Of Birth: August 30, 2005

Actor: Teresa is played by 18-year-old Cara Bossom, an Anglo-French actor who is new to the professional acting business, getting her first role in 2018 in the action thriller Deep State. Prior to Monsieur Spade, she only had two roles. However, her performance shows promise that she’ll become a well-established actor.

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Character: Accompanying Sam Spade on his mission to solve the mystery of the murdered nuns is enigmatic teenager Teresa. At 15, she provides a stark contrast to Spade’s grizzled veteran detective. However, it soon becomes clear that there is more to her than meets the eye, with there being some suggestion that she may even have special abilities of her own.

Denis Ménochet As Chief of Police Patrice Michaud

Date Of Birth: September 18, 1976

Actor: Denis Ménochet was born in Enghien-les-Bains, Val-d’Oise, France. He got his big break in 2009 when he got the role of Perrier LaPadite in Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds, playing a memorable part in one of the most tense opening scenes in cinema history. Ménochet is no stranger to taking on such complicated characters, as he has experience playing authority figures in projects like Hannibal Rising and The French Dispatch.

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Character: As is somewhat typical of shows featuring private detectives, Chief of Police Patrice Michaud is an antagonistic foil to Sam Spade – constantly putting him in his place and generally being a thorn in his side. This provides a certain menace to his personality – enhanced by Denis Ménochet’s stern portrayal.

Louise Bourgoin As Marguerite Devereaux

Date Of Birth: 28 November 1981

Actor: Louise Bourgoin was born in Vannes, France, and she got her big break with her first professional acting role as Audrey Varella in the 2008 comedy movie La Fille de Monaco. In 2015, Bourgoin won the Best Actress award for her performance in I Am A Soldier at the Cairo International Film Festival.

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Character: One of the features that makes Monsieur Spade so compelling is the tangled web of relationships causing chaos behind the scenes. Marguerite Devereaux is a perfect example. A bar owner in Bozouls, she also happens to be Sam’s former lover who approaches him with a potential business opportunity on behalf of her husband. The messiness of the situation only adds to the drama.

Stanley Weber As Jean-Pierre Devereaux

Date Of Birth: July 13, 1986

Actor: Stanley Weber is an actor and producer who was born in Paris, France, and he got his big break playing Count Andrenyi in a 2010 episode of Agatha Christie’s Poirot. In 2017, he won the Best Ensemble award alongside his Let Me Go cast at the Bentonville Film Festival.

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Character: As Marguerite’s husband, Jean-Pierre Devereaux has a complicated relationship with Sam – made even more difficult by his desire to do business with his wife’s ex-lover. He is also banned from entering Sam’s château after an altercation with the sleuth’s now-deceased partner Gabrielle.

Chiara Mastroianni As Gabrielle

Date Of Birth: May 28, 1972

Actor: Chiara Mastroianni was born in Paris, France, and she got her big break with English-speaking audiences as Sophie Choiset in the 1994 comedy movie Ready to Wear. Gabrielle actor Chiara Mastroianni has sustained a successful career in the three decades since then. Her most significant credit is her performance in the acclaimed animated movie Persepolis.

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Character: Despite only appearing in flashback sequences, Gabrielle is a crucial presence throughout Monsieur Spade. Not only does she bequeath Spade with the châteaux in Bozouls, but she is also shown to be a close confidante of his and a much-missed ally.

Matthew Beard As George Fitzsimmons

Date Of Birth: March 25, 1989

Actor: Matthew Beard was born in London England, and he got his big break playing Murray Cope in the 2011 movie adaptation of One Day. However, the English actor with an impressive acting pedigree was nominated for the 2007 award for Most Promising Newcomer at the British Independent Film Awards, predicting his future success. His extensive CV includes The Imitation Game, Vienna Blood, and Johnny English Strikes Again.

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Character: The seemingly innocent son of a landscape painter, George Fitzsimmons is a regular around Spade’s châteaux after expressing a desire to render the surrounding countryside. As a result, he becomes drawn into the complicated stories and relationships that inexorably connect to Spade himself.

Jonathan Zaccaï As Philippe Saint-Andre

Date Of Birth: July 22, 1970

Actor: Jonathan Zaccaï was born in Brussels, Belgium, and he got his big break with his first role as Maximillien Bardo in the 1992 movie Coupable d’innocence ou quand la raison dort. The experienced actor and director is best known for playing King Philip in Robin Hood and Raymond Sisteron in the TV show The Bureau.

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Character: One of the darkest characters in Monsieur Spade, Philippe Saint Andre, is quickly established as a villainous presence. A blackmailer and general ne’er-do-well, his behavior even prompts a private investigation. However, he is also revealed to be Gabrielle’s former lover and Teresa’s father, proving that there is more to his character than first appears.

Monsieur Spade Supporting Cast & Characters

Rebecca Root as Cynthia Fitzsimmons – Cynthia Fitzsimmons is George’s mother who becomes a more pivotal player as the drama develops. Rebecca Root is best-known for her leading role in the 2015 comedy-drama Boy Meets Girl.

Alfre Woodard as Virginia Dell – In a varied and extensive career, 71-year-old Woodard has featured in productions such as Star Trek: First Contact and 12 Years A Slave.

Dean Winters as Father Matthew – An experienced actor and stuntman, Dean Winters is primarily known for his performance as Ryan O’Reily in the prison drama Oz.

Caroline Silhol as Audrey Saint-André – 74-year-old Silhol is a celebrated French theatre and film actor, best known for her performance as Marlene Dietrich in La Vie En Rose.

Clotilde Mollet as Helena Thibaut – In addition to her performance in Monsieur Spade, Clotilde Mollet is known for playing Gina in Amélie.