The fateful day came in the spring of 1975. A call came in to the Nantes fire station — Louis de Funès needed medical attention. It was the voice of his beloved wife Jeanne. She was very alarmed, even though the doctors tried to calm her down. So alarmed that she called the fire brigade instead of an ambulance. That was the beginning of a dramatic episode in the life of the comedian, filled with passion, struggle and incredible strength of spirit.
A winding road to fame
The actor’s life has been far from easy, and he has overcome a great many difficulties over the years. He himself comes from Courbevoie (France). His father was a descendant of a Spanish family, but money was tight. His mother, Eleanor, helped her son to express himself creatively in a certain way. The most terrible thing was that Louis experienced a terrible trauma in his childhood — his father faked his death in order to secretly leave for Venezuela. Louis had to live in a shelter for abandoned children.
He wanted to be an actor since childhood, even though he was still a bit of a bully. His unique sense of humour was noticed at school, which is why he was often kicked out of class. Louis adored Charlie Chaplin and once copied him — he spilled water on the director of a hat shop and ended up out of work. Because he was too thin, he was not accepted into the army. Louis got a job as a storekeeper and secretly stole food, because his pregnant wife was waiting for him at home.
Until the age of 48, he had never played a leading role. He had to get by with temporary jobs and performing in bars. Louis first gained popularity when his performance nearly killed a bar patron. He always gave his all, no matter what he was doing.
The woman who saved Louis
Jeanne Barthelemy met the actor in 1941. At the time, she was working as a secretary. As they later recalled, it was love at first sight. Although Jeanne’s relatives were against their daughter’s relationship with the aspiring actor, she gave herself to him anyway. She was not at all bothered by the fact that Louis was married and had a son.
Jeanne was the actor’s muse and inspiration. She supported him in everything and even saved him from death. The first time this happened was in 1975, when he had his first heart attack. The second happened in hospital, but Jeanne was still by her beloved’s side.
The one who gave himself to death
Actor Louis de Funès did not just act, he gave himself to the stage. He wanted his roles to be laughed at no less than those of Charlie Chaplin. He could practise for days on end to make the audience laugh hysterically and bring them to such a state that they could not contain their emotions.
Louis always had many loyal friends around him. They were with him until the very end. But, to tell the truth, he was very selfish and often thought only of himself.
The end of the comedy king’s career
When he had his first heart attack, the doctors made it clear that he had to stop filming. After being discharged from hospital, he moved to his castle, but he couldn’t live in complete isolation. He was bored.
In Clermont, he realised that he needed to live and develop further. At that point, he switched to writing his memoirs to open the eyes of viewers and remove their rose-tinted glasses. However, his thirst for fame and the stage proved stronger, so as soon as he was invited to star in the film ‘Wing or Leg’, he dropped everything.
A memory that will live on forever
Unfortunately, after his death, no one thought to create a memorial. In fact, the actor was quickly forgotten. In memory of their legendary father, his sons wrote a book. Jeanne decided to sell the castle and moved into an ordinary flat.
Thanks to Louis, many viewers were able to smile and forget about all their difficulties. His films are still relevant today, so you want to watch these funny stories over and over again. The actor will forever remain in the hearts of viewers who appreciate comedic talent. He truly devoted himself to his work until his death, for which he deserves eternal memory.
