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1-12 of 12
- Actor
- Writer
- Director
Louis Germain David de Funès de Galarza was born on July 31, 1914, in Courbevoie, France. His father, named Carlos Luis de Funes de Galarza, was a former lawyer of Seville, Spain, who became a diamond cutter. His mother, named Leonor Soto Reguera, was of Spanish and Portugese extraction.
Young Louis de Funès was fond of drawing and piano playing. He dropped out of school and worked various jobs, mostly as a jazz pianist at Pigalle, making his customers laugh every time he made a grimace. He studied acting for one year at the Simon acting school. There he made some useful contacts, including Daniel Gélin among others. During the occupation of Paris in the Second World War, he continued his piano studies at a music school, where he fell in love with a secretary, named Jeanne de Maupassant, a grand-niece of writer Guy de Maupassant. She had fallen in love with "the young man who played jazz like god"; they married in 1943, and had two sons born in 1944 and 1949. Funès continued playing piano at clubs, knowing there wasn't much call for a short, balding, skinny actor. His wife and Daniel Gelin encouraged him until he managed to overcome his rejection. He made his film debut in 1945, at the age of 31, and went on playing about one hundred film roles in the next twenty years.
Louis de Funès shot to international fame in the 1960's after his roles in such slapstick comedies as The Gendarme of Saint-Tropez (1964) and the Fantomas (1964) trilogy. He brilliantly portrayed a funny French policeman, whose hilarious hyperactivity, uncontrolled anger, and sardonic laughter produced a highly comic effect. Funès was voted the most favorite actor in France in 1968, and remained very popular in Europe during the 1970's. He also continued to play on stage during his career as a film star, and was acclaimed for his stage works in classic French theatre. Funès was instrumental in making film adaptations of such theatre plays as 'Oscar continues' and the Molière's 'The Miser', among other plays.
Nicknamed "the man with the forty faces per minute", Louis de Funès played bit parts in over eighty films, before he got his first leading roles, eventually becoming the leading French comedian. He co-starred with the major French actors of the time, including Jean Marais and Mylène Demongeot in the Fantomas trilogy, and also Jean Gabin, Fernandel, Bourvil, Coluche, Annie Girardot, and Yves Montand. Funès's collaboration with director Gérard Oury produced a memorable tandem of Funès-Bourvil. He also worked with Jean Girault in the famous 'Gendarmes' series. In a departure from the Gendarme image, Funès collaborated with Claude Zidi, who wrote for him a new character full of nuances and frankness in The Wing or The Thigh? (1976), which is arguably the best of his roles.
Funès played over 130 roles in film and over 100 roles on stage. From 1943-1983 Louis de Funès was married to Jeanne Barthelemy de Maupassant. Their son, Olivier De Funès , had a brief acting career before becoming a pilot with Air France, his other son, named Patrick de Funès, became a medical doctor. Louis de Funès was also a rose grower, a variety of roses has been named the "Louis de Funès rose" after him. He died of a heart attack and complications of a stroke on January 27, 1983, in Nantes, France. He was laid to rest in the Cimetière du Cellier, and a monument of him was erected in the rose-garden of his wife's castle.- Actor
- Additional Crew
Jean Brochard was born on 12 March 1893 in Nantes, Loire-Atlantique, Pays-de-la-Loire, France. He was an actor, known for Diabolique (1955), The Bullocks (1953) and Angel and Sinner (1945). He died on 17 June 1972 in Nantes, Loire-Atlantique, Pays-de-la-Loire, France.- Jacques Viot was born on 20 November 1898 in Nantes, Loire-Atlantique, France. Jacques was a writer, known for Black Orpheus (1959), Le Jour Se Leve (1939) and Il prigioniero del re (1954). Jacques died on 29 January 1973 in Nantes, Loire-Atlantique, France.
- Music Department
- Soundtrack
Laurent Verney was born on 18 April 1960 in Beirut, Lebanon. He is known for Love Reinvented (1996). He died on 4 May 2021 in Nantes, Loire-Atlantique, France.- Composer
- Actor
- Music Department
Marcel Delannoy was born on 9 July 1898 in La Ferté-Alais, Essonne, France. He was a composer and actor, known for Misdeal (1928), Volpone (1941) and Due sorelle amano (1950). He died on 14 September 1962 in Nantes, Loire-Atlantique, Pays-de-la-Loire, France.- Josette Bertal was born on 13 February 1930 in Colombes, Hauts-de-Seine, France. She was an actress, known for Carnaval em Caxias (1954), Au pays du soleil (1951) and Amei um Bicheiro (1953). She died on 9 January 2018 in Nantes, Loire-Atlantique, France.
- Director
Lisa Bresner was born on 29 October 1971 in Paris, France. She was a director, known for Misako (2005) and Le cercle de minuit (1992). She died on 28 July 2007 in Nantes, Loire-Atlantique, Pays-de-la-Loire, France.- Pierre BrIdonneau was born on 19 May 1921 in Saumur, Maine-et-Loire, France. Pierre was a writer, known for À dix minutes près (1970). Pierre died on 29 February 2012 in Nantes, Loire-Atlantique, France.
- Terry Stewart was born on 18 March 1916 in Nantes, Loire-Atlantique, France. Terry was a writer, known for La soupe à la grimace (1954) and Black Sequence (1984). Terry died on 27 January 1983 in Nantes, Loire-Atlantique, France.
- Art Department
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
- Animation Department
Bruno Le Floc'h was born on 20 November 1957 in Pont-l'Abbé, Finistère, France. Bruno was an assistant director, known for Highlander: The Animated Series (1994), Black Mor's Island (2004) and Freddie as F.R.O.7. (1992). Bruno died on 5 October 2012 in Nantes, Loire-Atlantique, France.- René Donnio was born on 20 August 1889 in Loudéac, Côtes d'Armor, France. He was an actor, known for Don Quixote (1933), Don Quichotte (1933) and Coquecigrole (1931). He died on 2 January 1934 in Nantes, Loire-Atlantique, France.
- Composer
- Music Department
- Actor
Étienne Perruchon was born on 23 October 1958 in Suresnes, Hauts-de-Seine, France. He was a composer and actor, known for Les arcandiers (1991), Les percutés (2002) and Voir la mer (2011). He died on 14 May 2019 in Nantes, Loire-Atlantique, France.