culture
Kristýna Ševčíková
30. 07. 2023
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Who does not know the famous French actor and comedian Louis de Funèse. He started his career at a late age (for a rookie actor), at 32 years old. He is considered one of the best comedians of the last century. Monday marks his birthday, so let’s take a look at some snippets from his rich life.
Louis Germain David de Funès de Galarza was born in Courbevoie, near the French capital, on July 31, 1914. His birthday is now recognized as a public holiday in France. Parents were aristocrats from Seville, Spain. Their families were against their marriage, so they moved to France in 1904. The father was originally a lawyer, but after arriving in France he became a diamond cutter. In addition to Spanish, the mother also had Portuguese ancestors. Louis was gifted and fluent in three languages – French, Spanish and English. He was nicknamed Fufu among his friends and family. He attended piano lessons, which also supported him after leaving school. He played at jazz concerts and entertained and delighted the audience thanks to his performances, during which he alternated various grimaces.
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Overcoming the fear of rejection brought him fame
He studied acting at the Simon acting school for exactly one year, where he established valuable contacts. In 1936, he married Germaine Louise Elodie Carroyer, before they divorced at the end of 1942, they managed to give birth to a son, Daniel. Louis did not have high hopes for an acting career, believing that no one would care for a small, balding and thin actor, so he continued to try to make a living as a pianist. But his wife and son did not stop supporting him and helped him overcome the fear and anxiety of rejection. He started acting a few years later.
The love of life and a big turning point
During World War II, he continued his piano studies and fell in love with the receptionist Jeanne Bartheléma de Maupassant. They married in 1943 and remained together for 40 years, until the actor’s death in 1983. They had two sons together, Patrick and Olivier, who even starred in several films with his father. From 1945, Louis’ career began to take off slowly. He overcame his fear of rejection and began to slowly appear in smaller roles. The big break came in 1956. He starred in the film Across Paris alongside Jean Gabin and Bourvil. An interesting fact is that Louis appeared here in a single seven-minute scene. He is said to have prepared precisely and thoroughly for this scene and was inspired by his vivacious Spanish mother. It is said that it was then that the prototype of the choleric and eternally grumpy man, who constantly shouted at his surroundings, was born.
A precise star was born
Films about the gendarme from Saint-Tropez, which in addition to fame brought him the official rank of honorary gendarme of the first class, the Fantomas series or perhaps box-office blockbusters such as Piti Piti Pa, Tattooed, Great Binge, Hibernatus, Wing or Leg and many others brought him enormous popularity. He also built a reputation in the theater with his performance in Oscar, which he transferred to the screen in 1967. He never underestimated his preparation for roles and was very precise in everything he did. It is even rumored that any joke and gag was thought out and prepared in advance. In his life, he always followed his own motto “People are comedians and we are actors.”
He was a big introvert in his personal life
In real life, unlike the roles he played, he was said to be a very reserved and shy person. In a number of his films, he portrayed a spirited enthusiastic, grumpy middle-aged or mature man prone to impulsiveness and uncontrollable fits of frustration. This impulsiveness, combined with his short stature, led to an extraordinary sense of irony. In later life he lived in the Château de Clermont, a 17th-century château overlooking the Loire River that his wife had inherited. De Funès was a lover of roses and planted a rose garden in the castle grounds. One variety of rose is even named after him. A monument to the actor is also erected in the castle’s rose garden. In his old age, the actor suffered from heart disease after suffering two heart attacks caused by overexerting himself on stage and in films. He died on January 27, 1983 at the age of 68 from a third heart attack. His last sentence was said to be: “It’s not possible, I’m going to die!” He is buried in the Cimetière du Cellier cemetery, which is located on the grounds of the family estate. The love of his life survived him by 32 years, she died in 2015 at the age of 101.
On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the birth of the most famous French comedian, a special banknote was issued in 2014
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Sources: csfd.cz, discoverwalks.com, frenchfilms.org
Photo sources: Tobis / Profimedia.cz, Shutterstock.com
2023-07-30 05:00:00
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