Poiret was born in Paris, and first rose to prominence in 1951 playing the role of Fred Transport, one of the heroes of Pierre Dac and Francis Blanche's radio series Malheur aux Barbus.

In 1952, he met his future co-star of La Cage Michel Serrault at the Sarah Bernhardt Theatre.

In 1973, Poiret wrote and starred in the stage play La Cage aux Folles.

Although Poiret was replaced by Italian actor Ugo Tognazzi in the role of Renato Baldi, Serrault reprised his stage-role of Zaza Napoli and won a César Award for his work.

[1] Poiret died of a heart attack in Suresnes on 14 March 1992, three months before the film's premiere.