Lafont, Pierre-Chéri (1797-1873)

Lafont, Pierre-Chéri

ACTOR (FRANCE)

BORN 16 May 1797, Bordeaux, Gironde - DIED 19 Apr 1873, Paris
GRAVE LOCATION Paris: Cimetière de Montmartre, 20 Avenue Rachel (division 02)

Pierre Chéri Lafont was born in Bordeaux as the son of an auctioneer. His father wanted him to be a doctor and he travelled to the Indies as a naval medical student. When he was twenty years old, he gave up medicine and enrolled in a singing class of the Conservatory in Paris. After Marc Antoine Madeline Désaugiers, the director of the Vaudeville theatre, saw him play he hired him. He debuted in Scribe's "La Somnambule" on 12 May 1821. From 1822 to 1827 he created many parts in new productions at the Vaudeville.

In 1828 he followed the director Bérard to the Théâtre des Nouveautés. On 10 November he performed the title role in "Jean" by Paul de Kock with great success. In 1829 he appeared in London and at Gretna Green in Scotland he married his traveling companion Jenny Colon. After their return to France, they cordially decided that their marriage was a mistake, and their marriage was annulled.

The Vaudeville theatre convinced him to come back and in 1830 he returned there in "Arwed". In 1832 he appeared at the Théâtre des Nouveautés once more and after that more performance at the Vaudeville followed. In 1839 he was hired by the Théatre des Variétés where he worked for fifteen years. In 1848 he married the dancer Pauline Leroux. This marriage was no mistake. In 1855 he returned to the Vaudeville and in 1859 he was hired by the Théâtre du Gymnase. The Comédie-Française wanted to hire him in 1863, but at the age of sixty-six he was afraid of the intrigues there and his contract was terminated before he had started.

After the Franco-Prussian War of 1870/1871 he returned to the Vaudeville once more. He was still successful when he died in 1873 in Paris. He was buried at the Montmartre Cemetery. After her death in 1891 Pauline Leroux was buried in the same grave.

Family
• Wife: Leroux, Pauline (1848-1873)

Related persons
• performed with Colon, Jenny

Images
The grave of Aminthe Delisle-Leroux, Pauline Leroux and Pierre Chéri Lafont at the Cimetière de Montmartre, Paris. Picture by Androom (03 Nov 2022)	The grave of Aminthe Delisle-Leroux, Pauline Leroux and Pierre Chéri Lafont at the Cimetière de Montmartre, Paris. Picture by Androom (03 Nov 2022)