Jimmy Jean Louis is first and foremost one of those actors who use their fame for the benefit of the needy.
Let’s take a look at his story, filled with obstacles, but no less exemplary.
He grew up very poor in Haïti before he came to Paris at the age of 12. He worked really hard to study before he dove into acting.
He was first noticed because of his looks and started modellling in Italy, South Africa and England.
In 1998, he tried to make it in Los Angeles and after a few setbacks, he started to appear in blockbuster action films with American stars such as Gerard Butler, Bruce Willis, Monica Belluci, Harrison Ford, Josh Hartnett, Jane Fonda or Jennifer Lopez.
In 2006, he joins the cast of Heroes as René, aka the Haïtian. That is when the public noticed him.
This generous man speaks several languages and has never forgotten his Haïtian roots. He became involved in humanitarian projects, especially for children, and started the charity
“Hollywood Unites for Haiti” to develop artistic and cultural activities there. The charity then expanded after the 2010 earthquake, starting by building a school.
On April 10th, 2014, the actor lost his father to a stray bullet during a robbery. The day after this tragedy, he was releasing the film “Toussaint Louverture” where he plays the main character alongside president Michel Joseph Martelly and prime minister Laurent Salvador. He later confessed having kept many unsaid things with his father and regrets not being able to have expressed his love. And with deep sadness, he nonetheless chose to let him go in peace.
In 2016, he created his own calendar to raise money for his association. At the same time, he kept working in the film industry and became a producer for “Everything But a Man”, his first motion picture shot in Los Angeles which is scheduled for release in 2017.
Jimmy Jean Louis is a journey of a talented man who has nothing left to prove and whom we, at this board, can only thank for not forgetting his community.