Marcel Marceau given UN role

Marcel Marceau with American comic Jerry Lewis

French mime artist Marcel Marceau has been chosen to be a United Nations goodwill ambassador for the older generation.

The 78-year-old performer, known around the world for his silent portrayal of a white-faced clown with battered hat, will be officially appointed next Thursday at a ceremony at the UN's New York headquarters.

He accomplishes in less than two minutes what most novelists can not do in volumes

Theatre critic

His task will be to promote awareness of the needs of older people ahead of the UN's second world assembly on ageing, to be held in April 2002 in Madrid.

The UN has predicted that there will be almost two billion people over the aged of 60 by the year 2050, compared to 606 million today.

First appearance

The first assembly on ageing was held almost 20 years ago in Vienna.

Marcel Marceau has been performing for more than 50 years

Marceau follows figures from the arts such as actress Mia Farrow, who works with UNICEF, the UN children's fund, and South African author and Nobel laureate Nadine Gordimer, who works with the UN development programme.

Other stars to have worked with the UN include Geri Halliwell and Robbie Williams.

Marceau was born in Strasbourg, France, in 1923 and studied under mime master Etienne Decroux in Paris.

His character Bip, the white-faced clown in striped pullover and hat, made his first appearance in 1947.

In 1978, Marceau founded the Ecole de Mimodrame de Paris. He has made several films including Un Jardin Public.

Silent era

The celebrated mime has been touring the world for more than half a century and continues to perform, most recently in the United States.

He was inspired to become a mime by the great American actors of the silent era such as Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton and Harry Langdon.

One critic once wrote of his performance: "He accomplishes in less than two minutes what most novelists can not do in volumes."