About
Louis de Funès, full name Louis Germain David de Funès de Galarza, was a French actor born on July 31, 1914 in Courbevoie and died on January 27, 1983 in Nantes. Of Spanish immigrant descent, he began as a jazz pianist before turning to cinema in 1945. He achieved late success in the 1950s and became one of the greatest stars of French comedy, notably through the Gendarme de Saint-Tropez and Fantômas series, as well as films like La Grande Vadrouille. His hyper-expressive acting and comic energy earned him immense popularity. He received an Honorary César in 1980.
* 1914-07-28 — † 1983-01-27
Major works
- La Traversée de Paris (1956)film
- Le Gendarme de Saint-Tropez (1964)film
- Fantômas (1964)film
- La Grande Vadrouille (1966)film
- L'Avare (1980)film
Key milestones
- 1968Voted France's favourite actor.
- 1980Receives an Honorary César.
- 2020The Cinémathèque française devotes its first-ever actor exhibition to him.
Themes
ComedyFacial expressionsFamily and bourgeoisieAuthority and blundersCuisine and gastronomy
Sources: id.loc.gov · cinematheque.fr · deutsche-biographie.de