Marshall was born in Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, a hospital in Los Angeles on 13 September 1944. When his parents divorced, his father made sure that he receive an American education. He began studying Law, but he dreamed of becoming an actor. He later joined his mother in Paris. He began to take drama classes from Raymond Griard and later directed his first film, Potato, in France under the direction of Robert Thomas, adapted from the play's eponymoys Marcel Achard. He had already appeared in