Louis Velle, actor and one of the deans of French cinema, died on February 2, 2023 at the age of 96. What had he played in? The Internet user looks back on his journey.
One of the deans of French cinema has left us. Actor Louis Velle died on Thursday February 2, 2023, revealed his daughter, Catherine Velle, in a press release to AFP on Friday. The actor, who was particularly active in the theater and on television, died at the age of 96 without the circumstances of his death having been further discussed. Louis Velle made his film debut in the 1950s, alongside Maurice Chevalier in “I had 7 girls” and Dany Robin in “Le coin calme”. First young first of French cinema, he will very early write his own roles for the small screen alongside his wife, the novelist Frédérique Hébrard.
Louis Velle is best known for the six-part soap opera “La Demoiselle d’Avignon”, released in 1972. They also wrote “Le Mari de l’Ambassadeur” in 1990 or “Le Château des Oliviers” in 1993. Louis Velle was especially very active in the theater, and has nearly 25 plays in his career. Actor and author, he wrote the novel “Ma petite femme”, as well as several plays.
In cinema, Louis Velle made his debut in 1951 with “Agence Matrimoniale” by Jean-Paul Le Chanois. We also saw him two years later in the adaptation of André Hunebelle’s “Three Musketeers”. He has also filmed several times under the direction of Jean Boyer, Jean Girault (in “Le Permis deriving” in particular) or Philippe de Broca (in “La Poudre d’escampette”).
Louis Velle was born on May 29, 1926 in Paris. We know little about his youth, except that he began his dramatic studies at the Conservatoire, before joining the Cours Simon. It was on this occasion that he met Frédérique Hébrard, who became his wife in 1949 and whom he never left afterward. He began his film career in the 1950s, before diversifying on the small screen and on stage.
Louis Velle was a one-woman man: since 1949, he was married to the author, actress and director Frédérique Hébrard. During their 74 years of marriage, they had three children together: Catherine Velle, Nicolas Velle and French director and screenwriter François Velle.
Louis Velle is particularly known for his role in “La Demoiselle d’Avignon”. This six-episode TV series was broadcast on the second ORTF channel in 1972. Louis Velle co-wrote it with his wife, Frédérique Hébrard. He plays the main role of diplomat François Fonsalette alongside Marthe Keller, who plays Koba Lye-Lye.