Jacques Martial, the French actor who played Inspector Bain-Marie in the long-running television series “Navarro” and later became deputy mayor of Paris in charge of Outre-mer affairs, died on 13 August after a prolonged illness, the Paris mayor’s office said. He was 69. Best known to television audiences for appearing in 98 episodes of “Navarro” from 1989 to 2006, Martial also lent his distinctive voice to the French-language versions of films starring Denzel Washington, Wesley Snipes and Samuel L. Jackson. His stage career spanned five decades and included roles in works by Racine, Shakespeare and contemporary playwrights. Martial entered public service in 2006 as president of the Parc et Grande Halle de la Villette before being elected to the Paris Council in 2020 and appointed deputy mayor two years later. Mayor Anne Hidalgo, calling him “a grand homme de théâtre, de cinéma et de télévision”, highlighted his work on memorial projects such as the statues of Solitude and Paulette Nardal and his tenure at the Mémorial ACTe in Guadeloupe. Martial held France’s honours of Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur and Officier des Arts et Lettres.