Jean-Paul Vignon Dies: Singer, Soap Star, TV & Movie Actor Was 89
Jean-Paul Vignon, a prolific French vocalist and actor who voiced one of the Merry Men in Shrek and narrated the rom-com 500 Days of Summer, has died. He was 89.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the family of the star revealed he died of liver cancer in Beverly Hills, California, on Friday, March 22.
“Jean-Paul will be lovingly remembered for his love of life, his devotion to his friends and loved ones, and his amazing ability to capture an audience and endlessly entertain,” said a statement on a Facebook page for Vignon. “May his light and life be a reminder to all to enjoy every moment. This page will be left open for all to share their memories and stories of Jean-Paul.”
Vignon was born on January 30, 1935, in Ethiopia, not long before World War II, to a French father and an Italian mother. He spent his childhood in Djibouti and later studied in France. In his late 20s, he moved to the United States, where his show business career took off.
He debuted as an opener for Woody Allen at New York’s supper club The Blue Angel in 1963, which led to opportunities on Ed Sullivan‘s CBS variety show (where he once dueted with a young Liza Minnelli) and on Johnny Carson and Merv Griffin’s programs.
Vignon would go on to sign with Columbia Records, releasing his debut U.S. album, Because I Love You, in 1964.
His acting career also began to pick up, with his first major supporting role in the 1968 World War II film The Devil’s Brigade. From there, he would go on to appear in TV shows such as The Rockford Files, The French Atlantic Affair, Crazy Like a Fox, Falcon Crest, L.A. Law, Dallas, Murder, She Wrote, Star Trek: The Next Generation, and more.
Throughout the 1990s, Vignon appeared in several daytime soap operas, including The Young and the Restless, The Bold and the Beautiful, and Days of Our Lives. He also featured in an episode of the hit comedy-drama series Gilmore Girls in 2000.
His later roles included voice work for Shrek, 500 Days of Summer, and the French short film Le jeu des soldats.
He is survived by his longtime partner, Suzie Summers; daughters Marguerite Vignon Gaul (from his marriage to late American actress Brigid Bazlen) and Lucy Brank; and granddaughters Leah and Hannah.
