Jean Hersholt
Jean Pierre Carl Buron (12 July 1886 – 2 June 1956), known professionally as Jean Hersholt, was a Danish-American actor. He is best known for starring on the CBS radio series Dr. Christian (1937–1954) and inspiring later subsequent TV series (1956-1957), along with co-starring in the Shirley Temple film Heidi (1937).[2] Asked how to pronounce his name, he told to The Literary Digest, (major influential magazine of current affairs / news, opinion and cultural affairs, published 1890-1938) "In English, her'sholt; in Danish, hairs'hult."[3] Of his total motion picture credits during 1924 to 1955, 75 were silent film and 65 were "talkies" - 140 total; he directed four.
Jean Hersholt
2 June 1956 (aged 69)
Jean Pierre Hersholt
Jean Buron Hersholt
Actor (film and radio), philanthropist, humanitarian, literary editor / translator
1906–1955
1 son
Early life[edit]
Hersholt was born Jean Pierre Carl Buron on 12 July 1886, in Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark. Hersholt claimed later to be born into a family of actors,[4] but in reality, both of his parents: Henri Pierre Buron, the son of a French Roman Catholic father and a Danish Protestant (Evangelical Lutheran / Church of Denmark) mother - Clara (née Petersen), the daughter of a Danish Protestant father and a Danish Jewish mother, were hairdressers, though the father later was a cigar and wine merchant /vendor.[5] Hersholt appeared in two of the first short films of the Danish film studio Nordisk Film in 1906, but did not find much success in his youthful early years in Denmark.[6] Hersholt emigrated to the United States in 1913, and spent the remainder of his acting career in America.
Family[edit]
Hersholt married Via Andersen on 11 April 1914. They had one son: Allan Hersholt.
He was the paternal half-uncle (by marriage) of actor Leslie Nielsen and former Canadian Deputy Prime Minister Erik Nielsen.[11]