Jimmy Jean-Louis and Adrian Pasdar in Heroes

Jimmy Jean-Louis says the experience of acting the character of "The Haitian" on NBC's Heroes, "is magic and the thing is sometimes you carry it off screen. I find myself maybe having a cup of tea with one of my colleagues, one of the other actors, and sometimes, because of the reception of the people around us, you almost feel like you're still that character from the show. You feel like maybe you could do all those magical things just because of the way that people are talking to you and that energy is there. It feels like magic completely. That's what I love about being an artist, it's that feeling of creating. Is it real? Is it not?...you sort of sometimes sit down and think deeply about it and your like, 'maybe it is possible, maybe there is an element in me that could give me the skills to fly or to read somebody's mind.' It just takes you to a different world"

Jimmy Jean-Louis

Jimmy Jean-Louis grew up on the outskirts of the inland Haitian city of Petion-Ville. He spent much of his time playing soccer with balls that he and his friends put together using scrap paper and plastic bags. He walked to school and his home had no electricity. "If we wanted to play we had to come up with our own games and that was probably the best experience of my life. With very very little indeed to play with, but at the same time your mind just got developed." Jimmy's mother, through her job working as a maid for a French family, moved her family to Paris where Jimmy attended high school (lycee) and later went on to attend the Academe International de Dance. There he trained in ballet, modern, jazz, tap, and hip hop, training he paired with his imaginative background and took to the stage, to the high fashion runway, to film, and now to television. Jimmy says that for his role on Heroes he uses his experience in dance, "quite a bit because, as you know, my character, the character of The Haitian, doesn't speak too much. So it's all about physical appearance and as a dancer you know exactly how to hold yourself. Sometimes it could just be how you stand, how you walk, how you move your head, your arms, the body movements...sometimes they just give me a few seconds and in those few seconds I have a huge message to give without saying a word"

Actor Jimmy Jean-Louis as The Haitian in Heroes

Jimmy embraces the opportunity to represent his country through the powerful scope of television: "To be able to associate Haiti to hero, The Haitian the hero, for me that means a lot." Jimmy explains that despite its recent political difficulties, Haiti is a mystical place of great beauty and life. Jimmy taps into this richness in his portrayal and he believes that his character artistically gives his country a voice in the world.

Jimmy Jean-Louis

Beyond his deep history and success, who is Jimmy Jean-Louis? He is playful, contemplative, friendly, and, at the same time, private. Like his character, like his country, there is an element of indefinability: "You know what, at the end of the day nobody will ever know who I am cause I don't even know who I am. Even to myself I am still a mystery."

Jimmy Jean-Louis

Links:
www.jimmyjeanlouis.com
www.nbc.com/Heroes/

Stylist: Marc Little John

Photos courtesy of John L. Moore
Photo Attribution (in order as they appear in the article): Heroes-Pictures.com, Photographer Allan Amato, Heroes-Pictures.com | NBC, Photographer Bryan Williams, Photographer Allan Amato (2)

From time to time Splash Magazines receives complimentary products and services from companies. The receipt of these gifts in no way affects our reviews or opinions in our editorial coverage. Our loyalty is to you, our readers, and we will give you our honest, unbiased opinions.

Copyright © 2003 - 2010 Splash Magazines Worldwide. All rights reserved.

Top of Page