Beloved French actor and vocalist, Jean-Paul Vignon, has passed away at the age of 89 from liver cancer. He died in Beverly Hills on March 22 and was surrounded by his family. With a career spanning over eight decades, Vignon was famous for his voice acting and narration in major films and television programs.
Born on January 30, 1935, Vignon began his career in France where he started performing in Parisian cabarets and starring in French films like Asphalte and Les Promesses Dangereuses. In 1963, he made his US debut when he opened for comedian Woody Allen at The Blue Angel in New York, which led to his appearances on CBS variety shows in the US and singing a duet with Liza Minnelli.
Jean-Paul Vignon later appeared in various other TV shows, including teen sitcom Gilmore Girls, hospital drama Days Of Our Lives, and detective series The Rockford Files. He was also known to lend his voice to the dreamworks animation, Shrek, where he played as one of the Merry men. Additionally, his narrations are also featured in the 2009 romcom 500 Days Of Summer starring Zooey Deschanel and Joseph Gordon-Levitt.
The multi-talented artist was not just limited to acting as he was also a successful singer. He was described in a 1994 profile by the Los Angeles Times as having “fulfilled the American image of the romantic, singing Frenchman.” Despite being compared to other famous French crooners, Vignon said that he had a Bobby Darin kind of voice, which could sing fast and passionate or gentle and slow.
He married King Of Kings and How The West Was Won actor Brigid Bazlen in 1966 but the couple divorced two years later. The actor is survived by his long-time partner Suzie Summers, his daughters, and granddaughters
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