Louis Jourdan is a popular French actor who has played various roles in many Hollywood films. The actor was born on June 19, 1921, died on February 14, 2015. The name of the actor is pronounced as Jourdan, Jourdain or Jourdain. Louis was considered a role model all over the world, and in France and European countries also the ideal of beauty, elegance and style. Today we’ll talk about this interesting person.
History of Louis Jourdan
Louis was born into the family of the owner of the hotel, Henri (Henry) Gendre and Yvonne Gendre in Marseille. The family had three sons, Louis was middle-aged. At eighteen, the young man first played a role in the movie, which was called "Corsair." Thanks to his attractive appearance, Louis played lovers and romantic people throughout his career. He also received a joint role with his brother in the film "Heart of the Nation."
When the shots of World War II reached France, the Gestapo arrested the father of the Jourdan family. Then the sons, among whom was Louis Jourdan, famous at that time, joined the ranks of the French resistance. The actor was repeatedly offered to star in propaganda films, but he refused, and therefore films with his participation were banned in the country.
Actor's creative career
Two years after the end of the war, in 1947, Louis was offered to go to Hollywood for a role in Alfred Hitchcock's film "The Paradine Affair." After the release of the film for hire, Louis gained immense popularity in Hollywood. The most famous film with his participation was the musical Vincent Minnelli "Gigi".
In 1961, actor Louis Jourdan played a major role in the movie "Count of Monte Cristo" (Edmond Dantes), then the film of the same name was shot, where Louis played the role of a villain. So he ceased to be a "romantic person" and began to play negative characters. In 1977, the actor tried himself in the role of Dracula, in the film "Count Dracula." In the early 80s of the last century, Jourdan starred in the movie "Octopus" in the role of Kamal Khan - the main opponent of James Bond.
Another important work in the actor’s life was the role of Dr. Anton Erkein, an evil genius in the swamp creature. The last role of Louis Jourdan was a character named Philip in the movie "The Year of the Comet", released in 1992. In addition to feature films, the French actor starred in the series. The most successful series for the actor was Colombo. For his services in Hollywood cinema, Louis was awarded two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Also, the popular actor received the rank of officer of the Legion of Honor. This order is given for special merits in France and is a distinction.
The last years of the actor’s life
The last few years, the actor lived in the south of France and in California on Beverly Hills. Louis Jourdan died in February 2015 in America, at the honorable age of 93, having played about 33 major roles in his films in France and America over his life. He also took part in theatrical productions. In total, there are about 110 productions, roles in films and films, off-screen soundings in which Louis took part.
Family of a popular actor
The personal life of Louis Jourdan is connected with his wife Berta. In March 1946, the wedding of Louis and Berthe Frederick took place. Their marriage lasted 68 years. Berta was born in 1921, like her husband. On October 6, 1951, Louis's only heir, Louis-Henri Jourdan, was born. He died of an overdose of drugs at the age of thirty (May 12, 1981). The family suffered the loss of a son hard. However, parents survived Louis-Henri for 37 years.
The wife of Louis, Berthe Frederick, left this world in 2014, the actor himself died a year later. About the elder brother of Louis Jourdan, nothing is known. Pierre Jourdan - the younger brother of the actor, was born in 1932. He followed Louis and chose an acting career. Like his older brother, he starred in various films and series, and Pierre also made music. Death took him with him in August 2007.