Character guide
Éponine
from Les Misérables
Eponine is the street-smart, heartbroken young woman of "Les Misérables," whose quiet devotion to a man who loves someone else makes her one of the show's most affecting figures.
- Show
- Les Misérables
- Broadway premiere
- 1987
- Role
- Supporting
- Music by
- Claude-Michel Schönberg
Éponine on stage vs screen
Broadway compared with the 2012 film
Samantha Barks is one of the few actors to play the same Les Misérables role on stage and on screen: she was Éponine in the West End and in the 25th Anniversary Concert before winning the part in the 2012 film. The role was created by Frances Ruffelle, who played it in London in 1985 and on Broadway in 1987, winning the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress.
On screen, Éponine still takes a bullet for Marius at the barricade and dies in his arms after handing him Cosette's letter. But the film cuts her from the finale, where the Bishop of Digne takes her place alongside Fantine.
Who is Éponine?
Éponine grows up rough on the streets of Paris, the daughter of the conniving Thénardiers, and comes of age still carrying real feeling beneath her hardened exterior. She loves Marius deeply, but he only has eyes for Cosette, leaving Éponine to navigate her unreciprocated feelings while helping the very romance that shuts her out.
Despite her circumstances, Éponine acts with striking selflessness, protecting Marius and aiding the revolutionaries even as her own heart goes unanswered. Her fate by the story's end cements her as one of the most poignant characters in the show.
Éponine's role in Les Misérables
Éponine is a supporting role, but one of the most coveted in the show thanks to her emotionally raw solo material. The part requires a strong belt and the ability to convey heartbreak with restraint, since much of her power comes from what she does not say aloud.
Performers are often drawn to Éponine because the role offers a compact, intense arc, letting a single actor make a lasting impression in a relatively focused amount of stage time.
Éponine: frequently asked questions
What show is Éponine from?
Éponine is a character in "Les Misérables," which premiered in 1987.
Is Éponine a lead or supporting role?
Éponine is a supporting role, known for her emotionally powerful solo moments.
Who wrote the music for Les Misérables?
Claude-Michel Schönberg composed the music for "Les Misérables."
Think you can name today's mystery character in eight guesses?
Play today's Character Guesser