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Haitian actor making strides in Hollywood

published: Friday | June 9, 2006

Krista Henry, Staff Reporter

THE EXOTICALLY striking Haitian-born international model and actor Jimmy Jean-Louis is causing waves across the globe.

However, despite being a big movie star, Jimmy remembers his life in Haiti, where he was born in a remote village he describes as having very little, not even electricity. Jimmy was very young when his family moved to Paris, where he eventually completed a business degree.

But life was not all he had hoped for. "In Paris they block all the doors, stopping you from growing, I guess because of racism. But at the same time it builds someone's character," he said.

CHALLENGES

Jean-Louis knows all about challenges, as after being frustrated in France he moved to Spain, performing in the musical theatre. He never lets adversity get him down, as he claims, "I always like to challenge myself."

Jean-Louis has travelled to many countries and is fluent in five languages. South Africa was one of the more memorable stops. "South Africa was great. I was proud to be a black man in Africa. People respected me for what I was doing and who I was," he said. "I was blessed to meet Nelson Mandela. We spoke, danced and shook hands," he said.

Jimmy travelled to London, England, after being denied a visa to enter the United States because of his Haitian passport. While in London his modelling career hit the top, with jobs for the likes of Valentino and Gianfranco Ferre. Finally an American agency picked him up, bringing him to Hollywood where he shifted career again, this time adding 'actor' to his credentials. Jimmy attributes this decision to "a desire to express myself more. I wanted a voice, especially to express my people in Haiti".

Hollywood was not all roses, as Jimmy says, "It is very hard for a black man, much less coming from Haiti, in Hollywood as an actor. I had to do a lot of independent student films first." Those days are long gone for the actor who has worked with many A-listers such as Jean Claude Van Damme in Derailed, Bruce Willis in Tears of the Sun, Jennifer Lopez in Monster in law and comedian Monique in Phat Girlz.

Jimmy chooses his roles very carefully. "Most of the time I like the character to have some dignity; that is the direction I'd like to go. One of my inspirations is Sidney Poitier. Anytime anyone said I couldn't do it cause I have an accent, I'd think of Sidney," he said. He sees himself as one of the few black actors who can represent sex appeal and international flair.

Jean-Louis says the closed doors a Caribbean actor encounters in Hollywood have encouraged him to "open doors for others, with or without accents". He plans to do this by doing a few movies in Haiti, thereby assisting the developing film industry, and opening up a local production company. He plans to "tell the Haitian story to the rest of the world".

Jimmy Jean-Louis enjoys spending time with his wife and two kids while working on his next movie, Diary of a Tired Black Man, to be released by the end of this year.

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