Louis Arbessier

Frenchman Louis Arbessier didn't always want to be an actor, but after studying law and working in the insurance industry during the early 1930s, he decided to attend the Conservatory of Dramatic Arts in Marseille. Following his training, he moved to Paris in order to pursue acting, earning his first role in Alphonse Daudet's "Sappho." World War II, however, put his budding career on hold. After the war ended, Louis met fellow actor Jean Vilar and the pair starred together in plays like "Dance of Death" and T. S. Eliot's "Murder in the Cathedral." Though Louis would go on to enjoy a long career in film, he was confined almost exclusively to supporting roles and was often typecast as lawyers, judges, and politicians. In addition to playing Napoleon III in "Violetas Imperiales" and Tsar Alexander II in "Michael Strogoff," the actor portrayed King Louis XIII of France on three different occasions, including in the 1953 version of "The Three Musketeers." Louis continued to work in film, television, and theater for the remainder of his life, making his final appearance in the 1995 TV movie "L'Affaire Dreyfus" at the age of 88. Louis died three years later, leaving behind a legacy of impassioned acting.