He was born Jacques Michel André Sarrazin in Quebec City, Quebec, and moved to Montreal, Quebec, as a child. After acting in school plays he landed his first professional role at age 17. Sarrazin worked on television productions in Toronto, Ontario, and then gained a contract with Universal Studios. His early appearances include The Virginian (1965), the TV film The Doomsday Flight (1966), Gunfight in Abilene (1967), and a starring role in The Flim-Flam Man (1967) with George C. Scott. In 1969 he starred in four films, one them being the dark Great Depression drama, They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?. The Sydney Pollack-directed movie earned nine Oscar nominations, with Sarrazin starring alongside Jane Fonda, Susannah York, Gig Young, Red Buttons, and Bruce Dern. He served as a supporting actor in Sometimes a Great Notion (1971). He starred in a string of successes, including the television film Frankenstein: The True Story (1973), the crime caper Harry in Your Pocket (1973), the screwball comedy film For Pete’s Sake (1974), and the horror film The Reincarnation of Peter Proud (1975), about a man doomed to die the same kind of death twice. His film career as a leading man came to a close with his role in The Gumball Rally (1976). He also appeared in Joshua Then and Now (1985), the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode “The Quickening” (1996), and the The Outer Limits episodes “I Hear You Calling” (1996) and “The Other Side” 1999. He hosted the April 15, 1978, episode of Saturday Night Live. Sarrazin was originally cast to play Joe Buck in the drama film Midnight Cowboy (1969); however, he was unable to gain release from a prior contract and the part went to Jon Voight. Sarrazin died of cancer. According to a family spokesman, his daughters Catherine and Michele were at his side when he died.