Jimmy Jean-Louis Movies
Born in Petion-Ville, Haiti, actor
Jimmy Jean-Louis moved to Paris during adolescence (1980). He enrolled in business courses, but quickly realized that his heart lay in performance, and studied at the Academie International de Dance. This marked a prescient move, for around a decade later, producers discovered
Jean-Louis during one of his dancing stints in a French club (1991); deeply impressed, they tapped him to appear in a Coca-Cola ad, the success of which prompted the star ascendant to spend several years modeling across Europe for such notables as Gianfranco Ferré and
Valentino. By the mid-'90s, he was gracing music videos by such superstars as
Mariah Carey,
Seal, and
George Michael, and appearing in low-budget "independent" films in Los Angeles. Hollywood A-list roles were quick to follow.
Jean-Louis debuted on the big screen in the
Jean-Claude Van Damme action opus
Derailed, then signed for supporting roles in such films as
Hollywood Homicide (2003),
Monster-in-Law (2005), and
Phat Girlz (2006). He achieved his most widespread fame, however, when cast in the recurring role of The Haitian on the superhero-themed serial
Heroes (2007). ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide