Marceau has long been known as one of the best mime actors in the world. He began almost sixty years ago pantomiming dramas, creating the famous "Bip" character. He started his own pantomime troupe. When it later went under financially, he started a school for Mimodrame. He is said to have been inspired by the likes of Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, the clowns of the Commedia dell'Arte, Chinese opera and Japanese Noh plays. He hoped to express himself and his feelings with actions without using words. He could make a definite statement without saying a thing.
"Mime, like music, knows neither borders nor nationalities," he once said. "If laughter and tears are the characteristics of humanity, all cultures are steeped in our discipline."
