Louis de Funès

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Louis de Funès poster from Les Grandes Vacances
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Louis de Funès poster from Les Grandes Vacances

Louis de Funès de Galarza (fyˈnɛs) (July 31, 1914, Courbevoie, France, – January 27, 1983) was a French actor who is considered by many to be one of the giants of French comedy. His acting style is remembered for its high energy performance, a wide range of facial expressions and an engaging, snappy impatience.

He studied at the lycée Condorcet.

He was enormously successful in several countries for many years — France, but also Spain, Germany, Italy, Greece, Poland and the Soviet Union — but remained almost unknown in the English-speaking world. He was only noted in the United States in 1974 with the release of The Mad Adventures of Rabbi Jacob. In a 1968 poll, he was voted France's favorite actor. [1] Many of his most successful films such as those in the Gendarme of Saint-Tropez series were pure slapstick, and although de Funès could play serious roles with a good deal of subtlety he was particularly known for his grimacing and outrageous facial contortions as he expressed anger, contempt, and astonishment.

De Funès as the Gendarme of Saint-Tropez
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De Funès as the Gendarme of Saint-Tropez

Born to a Spanish family, de Funès was not a success in his early life, always being fired from his modest jobs. He became a pianist and played in bars, his musical talent later being showcased in films such as Le Corniaud and Le Grand Restaurant.

De Funès began his show-business career in the theatre, where he enjoyed moderate success. He became better known as a comedian in films, however, becoming a star with such films as Ah! Les belles bacchantes and Le Mouton à cinq pattes. In a number of these films he co-starred with the major French actors of the time, including Bourvil (in La Grande Vadrouille and Le Corniaud) and Jean Gabin (in Le Tatoué and Le Gentleman d'Epsom). At the age of 49, he unexpectedly became a major star with the success of Le Gendarme de Saint-Tropez. For many years, La Grande Vadrouille was the largest grossing film in French history. Even during his career as a movie star, de Funès continued to play theatre.

De Funès as Rabbi Jacob
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De Funès as Rabbi Jacob

The characteristic de Funès role in many of his films was that of a middle-aged or older man with a propensity to hyperactivity, bad faith, and uncontrolled anger. Along with his short height and his Jerry Lewis-like facial contortions, this hyperactivity produced a highly comic effect, especially in contrast to Bourvil's roles of calm, stolid, good-humoured men. In de Funès' successful lead role in a cinematic version of Molière's The Miser (L'Avare), these characteristics are greatly muted but are visible nevertheless percolating just beneath the surface.

In his later years, De Funès suffered from a heart condition after having suffered a heart attack for straining himself too much with his stage antics. He eventually died of a massive stroke.

De Funès was said to be a very shy person in real life, unlike the characters he played.

His remains are interred in the garden of his wife's castle; a variety of rose has been named for him (the Louis de Funès rose).

One of his sons, Olivier de Funès, pursued an acting career alongside him before giving up and becoming an Air France pilot.

[edit] Filmography

[edit] External links

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