“My ideal would be to look without being seen, or to be seen only through my characters,” said the French actor Bruno Cremer. Best known in this country as Maigret in the long-running detective series, Cremer had a powerful physical presence — an imposing bulk, keen blue eyes, a strong chin with a scar from a childhood bicycle accident and an eagle-like profile. And yet, as if true to his word, he managed to give the impression that he and his characters had a vast, largely invisible emotional hinterland.
Initially known for his action movies and his tough guys, he excelled at portraying contemplative types. A dreamer at the heart of the action, on the big screen he was for much of his career one