Louis Jourdan was a French actor best known for his role as the debonair romantic lead Gaston Lachaille in Gigi and as wealthy Afghan prince Kamal Khan in the James Bond film Octopussy.
Born in Marseille, Jourdan landed his first movie role at 18 in a French film that would never be completed. In 1948 he was cast as Stefan Brand in Letters From an Unknown Woman, which launched his career. Jourdan would come to be known as the French romantic with the smooth, continental charm. He would use this persona to his advantage for years to come, making both French and American films throughout the ’40s, ’50s and ’60s.
In 1953 Jourdan tackled American television beginning with A String of Blue Beads, a holiday-themed television movie. In the mid-to-late ’70s, he appeared in several television movies, including The Count of Monte Cristo, The Man in the Iron Mask and Count Dracula. He also played a French police detective on the show Paris Precinct, which aired in the U.S. as well as France. For American television shows, Jourdan held small roles on The F.B.I., Columbo and Charlie’s Angels, among others.
Louis Jourdan was a French actor best known for his role as the debonair romantic lead Gaston Lachaille in Gigi and as wealthy Afghan prince Kamal Khan in the James Bond film Octopussy.
Born in Marseille, Jourdan landed his first movie role at 18 in a French film that would never be completed. In 1948 he was cast as Stefan Brand in Letters From an Unknown Woman, which launched his career. Jourdan would come to be known as the French romantic with the smooth, continental charm. He would use this persona to his advantage for years to come, making both French and American films throughout the ’40s, ’50s and ’60s.
In 1953 Jourdan tackled American television beginning with A String of Blue Beads, a holiday-themed television movie. In the mid-to-late ’70s, he appeared in several television movies, including The Count of Monte Cristo, The Man in the Iron Mask and Count Dracula. He also played a French police detective on the show Paris Precinct, which aired in the U.S. as well as France. For American television shows, Jourdan held small roles on The F.B.I., Columbo and Charlie’s Angels, among others.
In addition to his film and television work, he also had several turns on Broadway, including a role in The Immoralist, opposite Geraldine Page and a then-unknown James Dean.
In 2010, France presented Jourdan with its Legion of Honour. He also had two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, both of which were awarded in 1960.
Jourdan died February 14, 2015, in Beverly Hills, California. He was 93.
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