Jean Hersholt
Jean Hersholt ( born July 12, 1886 in Copenhagen, Denmark, † June 2, 1956 in Hollywood, California ) was a Danish- American actor.
Life
Jean Hersholt played before the First World War in Danish silent films. His first American silent film he made in 1915. His most famous silent film role he played in Erich von Stroheim's Greed 1924. Too, with the beginning of the sound film Hersholt was still a respected character actor. His most famous role was that of Alm -Uncle in Heidi. In addition to his work as a film actor he teamed up as a translator of the story by Hans Christian Andersen forth into English. Since the 1930s he supported the Motion Picture Relief Fund, which sought medical assistance for film industry workers in distress. From 1945 to 1949 he was the president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. For his commitment, he came in 1940 and 1950 awarded an honorary Oscar. After his death, the Academy introduced the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award.
Jean Hersholt was the uncle of the Canadian actor Leslie Nielsen.