Biography of Louis de Funes
Louis de Funes is the great comedic talent of France, who, in fact, has long belonged to the whole world. The vivid images created by this wonderful actor are truly unique. Each film with Funes's participation, filled with overflowing fun, magnificent stunts and incredibly funny adventures of his heroes, retains the charm of old French cinema.
In the photo: Louis de Funеs The work of the brilliant comedian is such a unique phenomenon that his birthday is considered a national holiday in France.
Do you want to feel like a person whose life is easy and carefree? Then watch comedies with the participation of Louis de Funes more often!
Height, weight, age. Years of life of Louis de Funes
The world cinema star, despite his passing away in the 80s, is of interest to numerous fans now. It is documented what the comedian's height, weight, and age were. The years of Louis de Funes' life are officially known. The man would have celebrated his centenary in 2014. Events dedicated to this were widely held not only in France, but also in other countries. In 2014, movie lovers in Russia were able to watch almost all the films in which the comedian played.
Louis de Funes, whose photo in his youth and now can be found quite easily, died at 69 years old. This became a real tragedy not only for the artist’s family, but also for numerous fans.
The world cinema star was short in stature, he barely exceeded 150 cm. And the man weighed 55 kg. For many years, Louis played sports, he ran in the morning, did push-ups and swam. The artist paid special attention to his daily routine. He did not drink alcohol or fatty foods. Every day De Funes drank milk at night, he assured that it would prolong his days. When health problems arose, our hero carefully followed all the doctors’ recommendations.
early years
Louis Germain David de Funes de Galarza was born on July 31, 1914 in the town of Courbevoie, a Parisian suburb located 8 km from the center of the capital.
Louis de Funes in childhood His parents from the aristocratic families of Spanish Seville came to France in 1904, fleeing the wrath of their relatives who were against the marriage of lovers.
Louis's father, a famous lawyer in his homeland, became a diamond cutter in France: money was needed as the family grew (Louis was the third child) and expenses increased.
Louis de Funes's parents were from aristocratic families in Spanish Seville. His mother ran a household. Being a temperamental woman by nature, she reacted very quickly to the pranks of her favorite Louis, who knew how to make her laugh until she became colicky.
Perhaps this implicit but tangible support from his mother strengthened the boy in his desire to continue the acting “research” that he was so passionate about, demonstrating his remarkable artistic abilities.
With extraordinary accuracy, Louis imitated the speech of those around him, their gait and habitual gestures, and he copied not only his relatives, but also everyone he saw - the milkman, the baked goods delivery man, traders at the bazaar, or even passers-by.
Subsequently, the boy will be repeatedly summoned to the director's office for constantly mocking the teachers and educators of the boarding college in Coulommiers, where Louis studied. It was in this educational institution that the young artist appeared on stage in the role of a gendarme - a role thanks to which he became famous throughout the world many years later.
For his jokes, Louis de Funes was repeatedly summoned to the director of the boarding college. In addition to his passion for acting, the boy enthusiastically learned to play the piano, practiced drawing, and studied foreign languages. And just as he was lucky in fishing, no one could have found another such fishing boy on the banks of the Seine!
Despite such varied hobbies, Louis already at an early age clearly realized that he wanted to be an actor. He enthusiastically watched movies with his beloved Charlie Chaplin, repeating the antics of the famous comedian.
Louis de Funes enthusiastically studied to play the piano, but he was afraid to tell his father and mother truthfully what his burning desire was, because he understood: his parents would impose a strict ban on such a career. Therefore, Louis could only play mischief in college, parodying teachers and classmates. Because of his funny appearance, his friends called the boy Fufu.
On the distant approaches to a career
Louis's career began immediately after finishing school. The young man grabbed any job so as not to sit on his parents’ neck. He was a draftsman and accountant, a traveling salesman and shoe shiner, a furrier and a courier.
Soon he was lucky: one of the restaurants in the Pigalle district needed a pianist playing jazz. Very quickly, Louis gained incredible popularity among visitors who flocked to this establishment to have a lot of fun watching Funes' grimaces during the game.
In his youth, Louis De Funes took on any job. However, the young man still dreamed of a career as an actor, so he attended drama courses by Rene Simon, a former member of the Comedy Française troupe.
Thanks to these activities, Louis Funes was able to prove his professionalism to some theater directors, and he began to be hired for small roles.
Louis De Funes performed jazz in a restaurant. In 1939 he was drafted into the army, but a month later he was demobilized. With his frail build (Louis weighed 55 kg and was 164 cm tall), he also coughed a lot. Doctors suspected tuberculosis and sent the fighter home, although the real reason for his thinness and constant cough was smoking low-quality tobacco. After being released from military service, the young man still repaid his duty to the army as best he could: he often spoke to soldiers in military camps.
Louis de Funes' height was 164 cm. Soon the Germans occupied Paris. Funes, who remained in the capital, taught at a music school. To survive, he also played and sang in the evenings in restaurants in front of drunken Germans.
Film career
Louis de Funes was already a 31-year-old man when the war ended. Are all hopes over? Maybe for someone less stubborn, yes. But not for Funes. He made new attempts to achieve his dream - and happiness smiled on him: Louis received a cameo role as a receptionist in the film “The Barbizon Temptation” (1946) by director Jean Staley.
Louis De Funes in the film “The Barbizon Temptation” And although this debut did not bring fame to the actor, a beginning was made: Louis began to regularly act in films. Albeit in small, insignificant roles, but, by Funes’s own admission, it was a kind of school for him, allowing him to hone his acting skills and replenish his “combat arsenal” with new techniques that enriched his game.
At the beginning of his career, Louis De Funes starred in small, insignificant roles. Here is what the actor said about his development:
“I don’t regret at all that my acting career developed so slowly. It was this slowness that helped me thoroughly understand my profession. When I was unknown, I tried to color small roles with details, gestures, and facial expressions. I gained comic baggage, which helped me make a career. And if I were offered to start a career again, I would repeat the chosen path again.”
“Six Lost Hours” (1947), “Du Guesclin” (1949), “First Communion” (1950), “Street without Law” (1950) - a total of 75 films with minor roles, as many as 13 years of work on the set of films, now completely forgotten.
Louis De Funes stubbornly waited for his main roles. From the outside it seemed that he was playing without straining, easily and naturally. In fact, the artist was having a hard time with the lack of offers with bright title roles, which was expressed by sharp swings in his mood. Interview with Louis de Funes It was this period of his biography that served as the basis for rumors about Funes’s rough and even conflictual character. It was about this period that Funes himself spoke to Geraldine Chaplin like this:
“I waited for a very long time in the reception room of His Majesty Success. I waited and knocked on doors until they finally let me in.”
His long progress towards the desired success, towards recognition was finally crowned with victory. In 1958, the film actor starred in the film “Not Caught, Not a Thief” (“Blérot”), in which his colossal comic talent literally flowed. De Funes's triumphant star flashed in an instant. Now he was known far beyond the borders of France. Louis De Funes in the film “Not Caught, Not a Thief” Everything he dreamed of came to him: worldwide fame, excellent roles, big money... Every year he starred in several films, working hard and as if trying to make up for lost opportunities. Movies with his participation were loved by millions of viewers and looked forward to them.
Louis De Funes as Commissar Juve (“Fantômas”) People wanted to watch again and again and laugh until they dropped at the collisions that happened with Commissar Juve, businessman Leopold Saroyan, conductor Stanislas Lefort, gendarme Louis Cruchot...Louis De Funes. Funny moments from "The Gendarmes" Trilogy about Fantômas (1964-1966), "Razinya" (1964), "The Big Walk" (1966), trilogy about the Gendarme (1964-1968), "Frozen" (1969), “One Man Band” (1970) – these and many other hit films became worldwide box office champions.
Louis De Funes on the set of the film "Razinya" In 1968, Louis de Funes was recognized as the best French actor. In 1973, he received the Order of the Legion of Honor, France's highest award, and in 1980, the prestigious national Cesar film award. The life of Mr. de Funes The French genius of comedy, who played over 120 roles, forever entered the history of world cinema.
Personal life of Louis de Funes
Louis de Funes was married twice. The first marriage, concluded in 1936, lasted 6 years and ended in divorce, during which ex-wife Germaine Louise Elodie Carruyer obtained an agreement from Louis never to see their common child Daniel. Which, of course, Funes promised, but did not fulfill: he still maintained secret contacts with his son.
Louis de Funes and his first wife Germaine Louise Elodie Carruyer Jeanne Augustine de Barthélemy de Maupassant, the great-niece of Guy de Maupassant, a classic of French literature, became his second wife.
Louis De Funes with his first wife and son The union of Louis and Jeanne was ideal. Funes idolized his wife and was ready to make any sacrifice for her. He refused fabulous fees and paid huge compensation for broken contracts if any of his partners dared to say even one unkind word about Jeanne.
Louis de Funes and his second wife Jeanne Augustine de Barthelemy de Maupassant She also madly loved her illustrious husband, whom she married when he was still an unknown musician in a seedy restaurant. Jeanne was Louis's impresario and defended his interests everywhere, always and in everything, even in small things.
Louis de Funes with his wife and sons In his marriage to Jeanne, Funes had two sons - Patrick and Olivier. The eldest chose the profession of a doctor. The younger, having starred in several films with his famous father, later chose another activity: Olivier became an air pilot.
Family and children of Louis de Funes
The family and children of Louis de Funes mourned greatly after the departure of the star of “Fantômas” and “Gendarmes”. They have preserved and preserve the memory of the world cinema star to this day. A man lived happily with his second wife for 40 years. They traveled, worked and relaxed together. After the actor’s death, the woman lived for another 10 years. At the end of the last century she passed away.
Louis de Funes had three sons. Only Olivier played in several films with his father. But he did not devote himself entirely to cinema.
Our hero's father was a lawyer. But I didn’t work in my specialty for a day. The guy fell in love with the girl with whom he fled from Seville. Carlos Luis began working with diamonds in France. He closely followed the fate of his son. In the 60s, the man passed away. He is buried in one of the French cemeteries.
The hero's mother was born in the Spanish city of Seville. The girl ran away from her parents with her lover in order to preserve her relationship. The woman did not work. She took care of the house and her son, for whom she developed creative talent. After her husband's death, my mother lived with Louis. She died in the late 60s and is laid to rest next to her husband.
last years of life
De Funes' extremely busy and intense work schedule undermined the actor's health. In 1975, he barely survived two heart attacks. The doctors strongly recommended that I stop filming and get as much rest as possible.
After some deliberation, the de Funes couple finally moved from Paris to the Chateau de Clermont (near Nantes) - a royal gift presented by Louis to his beloved wife back in 1967. This is an old estate of the 17th century. once belonged to the Maupassant family. De Funes bought it, restored it and gave it to his beloved Jeanne - and now the two of them whiled away their lives here.
Louis de Funes and Jeanne were madly in love with each other. Louis was going to write his memoirs, but working on the magnificent grounds of his own estate completely fascinated him, and especially caring for the luxurious roses that bloomed in countless quantities in the garden.
Louis de Funes was fascinated by caring for luxurious roses from his own garden. Funes loved to tinker with his grandchildren, played with them, read them fairy tales and fables. He was warm towards the peasants from the village near his castle and often helped them in their endless needs.
However, the days and hours of this calm, measured life were already coming to an end. On the evening of January 26, 1983, Funes complained to his wife of severe pain in his heart. On the morning of January 27, he called Zhanna into his room, saying that he felt very lonely without her - these were his farewell words. Having uttered them, Louis de Funes died.
The great French comedian Louis de Funes was buried in Le Cellier cemetery, and yet he is alive. An inimitable comedian, a talented actor and simply a cheerful person, de Funes greets with a smile everyone who decides to watch his immortal comedies...
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Sons of Louis de Funes - Daniel, Patrick, Olivier
The sons of Louis de Funes - Daniel, Patrick, Olivier were born in two marriages of the actor. They were far from cinema and did not want to continue their acting profession.
Daniel was born in the late 30s. He became the first-born of the actor. After the boy was born, his parents divorced. Louis met Daniel often. He took it on weekends. The guy decided to connect his profession with creativity. He worked in one of the French musical groups. Daniel was married and had a son and daughter, whom their grandfather never saw.
In the 40s, our hero became a dad for the second time. They decided to name the boy Patrick. The guy became a professional doctor. He married twice and became the father of a son, whom he named after his father Louis.
The world cinema star named his last son Olivier. The guy played in several films. But Olivier chose the profession of a pilot. For many years he worked for one of the French airlines.
All three sons came to our hero's funeral. They organized the funeral. The men maintained friendly relations. The division of the great comedian's inheritance did not become the reason for the artist's three sons to stop communicating.
