Roland Magdane

In 1980, Roland Magdane wrote and starred in "Cherchez l'Erreur," a film that combined elements of romantic comedy with an apocalyptic storyline about an engineer who specializes in weapons technology. The movie was Magdane's big-screen debut, but by no means was he a newcomer to the world of entertainment. In fact, the film was just another milestone in a circuitous career that had begun more than a decade earlier. A native of southeastern France, Magdane was a teen when he headed to Paris in the late 1960s. His goal was to find work as an actor, and he did whatever he could to get noticed. When he wasn't taking acting classes, Magdane worked as a street performer, singing and telling jokes to passersby as a means of paying his rent. He landed a variety of roles in a series of stage productions in the 1970s, a decade that also saw him polish his comedic chops as the star of several inventive one-man shows. Magdane was introduced to North American audiences in the 1980s. He was named the best foreign comedian on the Ed McMahon-hosted television talent show "Star Search," and he co-starred in the short-lived Canadian comedy series "Diamonds." In the 1990s, Magdane devoted most of his energy to French TV movies and series, though he also had a supporting role in the critically acclaimed period picture "Les Enfants du Marais." In the following decade, Magdane penned himself another star vehicle, the made-for-TV movie "Comment Lui Dire."