
“One man. One pen. And ideas come to life.”
This devil of a man plunges the viewer into the very heart of the Voltaire whirlwind, that incandescent mind who shook his century. The series follows his meteoric rise, his exiles, his battles and flashes of genius, in a Europe still tightly bound by absolutism. We discover an unbowed, charming, formidable man whose pen makes ministers, kings and fanatics tremble. Between glittering salons, damp prisons and passionate loves, Voltaire crosses the Age of Enlightenment like a meteor. Each episode reveals a confrontation, a flight, a victory wrested through the sheer force of intellect. Carried by elegant direction and a sweeping, novelistic energy, the series paints a vibrant portrait of a fighter for freedom. A journey into the life of a man who never stopped thinking, loving and provoking.
First Aired: 5/4/1978
Languages: French
Created by: Marcel Camus
Type: Scripted
Companies: TF1, Télécip
Countries: France

This devil of a man retraces the tumultuous life of Voltaire, from his insolent youth to his triumphant return to Paris. The series follows his exiles, his battles against injustice, his clashes with the powerful and his intellectual friendships, all while revealing the man behind the myth. Through meticulous historical reconstruction and dynamic storytelling, the work highlights the major cases that shaped his commitment, such as the Calas affair.

Michel Herbault
Forcalquier

Gérard Caillaud
Beaumarchais

Jean Turlier
Tronchin

Roger Carel
Keyserling

Jean Mourat
Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Nicole Garcia
Adrienne Lecouvreur

Marie-Christine Demarest
Mme Denis

Denis Manuel
Voltaire jeune

Roland Monk
Thiérot

Bernard Lavalette
M. Du Châtelet

Georges Descrières
Duc de Richelieu

Geneviève Grad
La Pompadour
2022

2025

2024

2022

1997

1984

2014

2025

2023

2022

N/A

1985
1987
2017

2015

1996

2017

1996

2021

2017

1988

2019

2014

1998

2015

1994