Michael Lonsdale Biography – Michael Lonsdale Wiki
Michael Lonsdale (born Michael Edward Lonsdale-Crouch) was a British-French actor. He was best known for his roles as the villain Hugo Drax in the James Bond film “Moonraker”, the detective Claude Lebel in The Day of the Jackal, and M. Dupont d’Ivry in The Remains of the Day.
He portrayed Louis XVI in Jefferson in Paris (1995) and appeared in other notable films including Jean-Jacques Annaud’s The Name of the Rose (1986), James Ivory’s The Remains of the Day (1993), John Frankenheimer’s Ronin (1998), and Steven Spielberg’s Munich (2005) during his acting career spanning more than 60 years. He also played a pastor in Orson Welles’ The Trial (1962), a tortured vice-consul in Marguerite Duras’ India Song (1974), and a strange shoe salesman in François Truffaut’s Stolen Kisses (1968).
Lonsdale and his family moved to Morocco in 1939. He told The Wall Street Journal in 2010, “My parents became friends with the officers [there at the time] and they brought me along to see all the great movies by John Ford, George Cukor, Howard Hawks. I even saw Casablanca in Casablanca. It was amusing to see Hollywood’s idea of Morocco, which was a kind of extravagant Egyptian fantasy. Of course, nobody looked anything like that.” He returned to Paris in 1947 to study painting but took acting classes and appeared on the stage for the first time when he was 24.
He won France’s Cesar for best supporting actor in 2011 for his role in Xavier Beauvois’ “Of Gods and Men.” His performance in “The Day of the Jackal” earned him a supporting actor BAFTA nomination. He was nominated in the Cesar supporting actor category twice more, for “Nelly & Monsieur Arnaud” (1995) and “Heartbeat Detector” (2007), according to Variety.
Michael Lonsdale Age
He was born on May 24, 1931, in Paris, France as Michael Edward Lonsdale-Crouch. He died on September 21, 2020, in Paris, France. He was 89 years old.
Michael Lonsdale Wife
Michael Lonsdale was never married.
Michael Lonsdale Children
Michael Lonsdale did not have any children.
Michael Lonsdale Family
He was the son of English Army officer Edward Lonsdale-Crouch and his half-French, half-Irish wife Simone Béraud.
Michael Lonsdale Death
He died at his home in Paris, France on Monday, September 21, 2020, at age 89. His agent, Olivier Loiseau, confirmed to the AFP.
Michael Lonsdale Cause of Death
Michael Lonsdale’s cause of death was not revealed.
Michael Lonsdale Net Worth
Michael Lonsdale’s net worth was estimated to be $3 million.
Michael Lonsdale Height
He stood at a height of 6 feet 1 inch (1.85 m).