Jules Berry (French pronunciation:[ʒylbɛʁi]; bornMarie Louis Jules Paufichet; 9 February 1883 – 23 April 1951) was a French actor.

Jules Berry
Born	Marie Louis Jules Paufichet (1883-02-09)9 February 1883 Poitiers, Vienne, France
Died	23 April 1951(1951-04-23) (aged 68) Paris, France
Occupation(s)	Actor,director
Years active	1883–1951

Berry and his two brothers were born to parents who sold hardware and settled inPoitou. The family moved to Paris in 1888.^[1] Berry completed his studies at theLycée Louis-le-Grand and then graduated fromÉcole nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts.

It was during his studies that Berry developed an interest in the theater. Following an audition, he was hired by theThéâtre Antoine-Simone Berriau to act inLa Mort du duc d'Enghien by Léon Hennique, andLe Perroquet vert byArthur Schnitzler.

Later he performed at theThéâtre de l'Ambigu-Comique and theThéâtre de l'Athénée. During a tour inLyon, he was noticed by Jean-François Ponson, who hired him for a period of 12 years at the Théâtre royal des Galeries Saint-Hubert inBrussels. Audiences in Brussels gave him a warm welcome, where he played in productions such asLe Mariage de mademoiselle Beulemans.

Berry subsequently performed in 30 successful plays forMarcel Achard,Alfred Savoir,Louis Verneuil, and Roger Ferdinand. One of Berry's first movie roles was the silent filmOliver Cromwell (1911) directed byHenri Desfontaines. His first appearance in a talking picture wasMon coeur et ses millions (1931) withSuzy Prim. Over the course of his career, Berry acted in 89 motion pictures.

Bombastic, extravagant, and whimsical, Berry was as flamboyant as any entertainer of the period, includingPierre Brasseur. Berry is often considered one of the greatest actors in the history of French cinema.^[2]

Among Berry's best films are:The Crime of Monsieur Lange byJean Renoir,Les Visiteurs du Soir byMarcel Carné,Le Jour Se Lève by Marcel Carné,Strange Inheritance byLouis Daquin,Baccara byYves Mirande,27 Rue de la Paix byRichard Pottier andL'Habit vert byRoger Richebé.

Berry ended his film career in 1951 to interpret the texts ofJacques Prévert.

Berry was romantically involved with actressesJane Marken, Suzy Prim, andJosseline Gaël. He and Gaël had a daughter named Michelle in 1939.^[3]

A compulsive gambler, Berry frequented casinos and horse races.^[3] In April 1951, Berry was admitted to the Hôpital Broussais, where he died of a heart attack caused by treatment for rheumatism. He is buried in thePère Lachaise Cemetery (division 80).^{[citation needed]}

• Jules Berry atIMDb
• Jules Berry atFind a Grave