Claim: At the age of ten, Catherine Heigel played Cosette in a radio drama of Les Misérables, a French historical novel by Victor Hugo, published in 1862, and considered as one of the greatest novels of the 19th century.
Evidence: The production costarred Martin Gabel as Javert, Alice Frost as Fantine, and Virginia Nicolson, Welles's first wife, as the adult Cosette. William Johnstone (Judge, Second Inn Customer), Orson Welles (Jean Valjean), Martin Gabel (Inspector Javert), Ray Collins (Thenardier), Agnes Moorehead (Madame Thenardier) Hiram Sherman (First Inn Customer), Estelle Levy (Cosette) Les Misérables (/leɪ ˌmɪzəˈrɑːbəl, -blə/, French: [le mizeʁabl(ə)) is a French historical novel by Victor Hugo, first published in 1862, that is considered one of the greatest novels of the 19th century.