Our Hero: Jimmy Jean-Louis

JJL: I think the writers did a good job at introducing the character the way they did. He came from nowhere and he didn’t speak at all in the first few episodes so that itself generated intrigue and straight away he became mysterious. Along the way they gave him some lines, but each time he spoke it was because he had something extremely important to say. Otherwise, he just wouldn’t speak.

If he had spoken more, maybe yes he would have lost a little bit of the intrigue a little bit of the mystery, but I’m just happy the way they actually took care of The Haitian from the first season until now in the fourth season. If you follow his storyline, its quite interesting and you still don’t know that much about him.
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I like to watch Heroes and comment with some fellow viewers just to listen in and enjoy the reactions during key points. Like many of you out there, while I saw “Shadowboxing,” the eighth episode of the fourth season, I totally missed when Claire spoke out to Jimmy’s character and called him by his given name for the first time. I think either I was utterly shocked or I was in denial until I got a text message from my friend Richie saying, “Did she just call The Haitian, Rene?”

I said, OMG, I heard her say the name but I did not realize who she said it to! Before I knew it, she said it a second time confirming he had finally received a name!!

So I asked Jimmy, why did he get a name now? Did it have anything to do with some of the comments I had read on some Heroes fansites where some fans have stated that they find it denigrating to call someone simply, “The Haitian?”

JJL:I knew about the name from the very first episode. From season one we knew his name would be Rene. But they just took their time to reveal the name. Obviously “The Haitian” is a lot more mysterious than Rene. As far as I’m concerned, I have no problem being called the Haitian on the show. I am from Haiti I don’t find it offensive. If anything I think its a good thing for Haiti to be associated to a show called Heroes.

So for me it didn’t bother me at all. Yes I have read that a lot of comments saying it was a negative thing but definitely not for me.
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At this point I tried to find out what the cards hold for his character in the future. What will his new name bring to his character.

JJL: On Heroes we don’t know about anything until we need to know. So I really don’t know where they are going with him obviously they would have to come up with some story lines for Rene but where they are going with him I really can’t tell you.

Now that his name has been revealed I would like them to concentrate a bit more on Rene as far as who exactly he is, what does he do? We always see him when we need him. But when we don’t need him what does he do? Where does he go when he is not needed? It would be interesting to know a little bit more about Rene. Are they going to do that? I don’t know so let’s see what happens.

At the end of the day, it is a good show. Regardless of what anybody says. Yes, we did have some difficult times esp in season 2 and 3. In season 3 it started to get much better and now season 4 is definitely good. With that kind of show, knowing that its well received all over the planet I don’t see why they should stop it. So there is hope for a 5th season and I think Heroes deserves a 5th season.
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One of our loyal readers wanted to know, if he could have played any other character on the show, who would it have been and why? (He answered this question about a half a second after I asked it!)

JJL: Sylar! I think he is a bad ass, I really like his character. But if I had to choose, I would definitely stay with mine. Rene is really strong and I still believe they have not used him at all. He is capable to do so much. At this point he can go in whatever direction he wants to go. Whether he wants to continue to be good or whether he wants to go bad for whatever reason. Rene has a big key for resolving most of the problems because of his powers so let’s see what they are gonna do with him.
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Jimmy confessed that he has recently been in and out of the country a lot. He had just returned from a trip to France where he was a judge at the 2010 Miss France competition. He is jumping in and out of the country so much that he agreed he was much like his character Rene in real life!

I tried to get some inside scoop about what we can look forward to when the show returns in January. There isn’t much that he could give away but he did tease that there will be some good surprises by the end of the 4th season but that at this point he could not reveal them.

Well, maybe he did tell me something juicy but then wiped my memory so I could not report it!? I guess we will have to wait and see what happens.
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Jimmy’s life thus far reads like the pages of an inspirational book. He started his life in a small town called Petitionville on the island of Haiti. At a young age he moved to Paris to pursue a modeling career.

I wondered if he ever dreamed his life would have turned out this way?

JJL: I don’t think anyone can ever dream any kind of lifestyle. Especially for me growing up where I grew up, I had no inspiration of becoming an actor. Coming from Haiti, growing up in Paris. Having to go through hard times in Paris, deciding to go to Barcelona, Spain where I worked in musical theater for about 2-3 years and then I continued to Italy, South Africa, England to work as a model. Its impossible to foresee this type of lifestyle and then here I am now in Hollywood. Been here for nine years and things are going the way they are going. I keep on following my heart to some level and my curiosity towards life, towards the world, towards who we are and its a learning process for me more than anything else.

Yes I end up doing some things i get recognized for, but like everybody else, I’m still learning about life.

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Having worked in theater, television, modeling and movies, I asked him what he favored the most.

JJL: Right now my favorite is what I’m doing which is acting but being a dancer and being a model was great! People look at models and think they only think about their bodies. That they are only conscious about their physique but at the same time we don’t realize that modeling opens up the walls of a person. To me, modeling allowed me to travel around the world.

It’s not just about my physique, it’s a real job. There are some skills you have to acquire to do it at a professional level.

Modeling allowed me to explore the world, go to different continents, speak different languages, get close to different cultures and people. Its probably one of the best learning experiences and that’s probably what opened my mind to give me the freedom to continue to do whatever I wanted to do.

I have an open mind that allows me to do as i want to. So modeling was very important in my life as was dancing and now acting which allows me to make a living, yes, but at the same time gives me the power to express certain things.

Obviously being Haitian, and with the struggle that Haiti goes through it allows me to express myself about the country which is one point.

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I know if you watch Heroes or have caught Jimmy in one of the many movies he has starred in like The Bourne Identity, Phat Girlz or Monster-In-Law you have taken notice of his striking features!

His bone structure is striking and that chiseled, athletic body deserves to be on the pages of every high fashion magazine, television set, movie screen and stage! I say this with all due respect to his equally breathtaking wife Evelyn with whom he has two children.

With him being away so much, I asked him how he was able to maintain that fabulous physique!

JJL: It’s a combination of things but mainly its from playing soccer. Wherever I go, I always manage to have a soccer game! Also in LA I belong to a team called Hollywood United. Its a team made up of professional actors, singers, and ex professional soccer players. We play very often, sometimes 2-3 times per week. So I really do take it quite seriously.

I love tennis, and going into the water, Frisbee, volleyball, all kinds of sports, for me it’s very important to combine sports with my lifestyle. Sport is pretty much food for the body and we always need to feed the body somehow.

Just chasing the kids around is sports!

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When I told you guys, my wonderful readers, that I would be speaking with Jimmy Jean-Louis, so many of you wanted me to let him know how much you love him. Not only is he a wonderful actor, a devoted family man, and a man with dreams of a better life for his people in Haiti.

He was extremely gracious and so happy to hear the fan appreciation.

JJL: Life is a trip man, I would never think I would be in this situation in this position knowing where I started from. That’s what I love about life. We are always being challenged and what comes out is great results from those big challenges. The bigger those challenges are the bigger the rewards will be in the end. I have been so challenged so many times in my life that I still can not believe where I am now.

When I look back, I think I’ve not done too bad at all. Last week I was in France doing the Miss France competition and it was really weird because when i left Paris it was because i was in a situation where nothing was going on for me and I was without a home and i was pretty much sleeping wherever I could. So for me to be able to go back to the country and then judging on national television which drew the biggest audience of the year, I was like WOW isn’t that a trip?

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Jimmy is a major advocate for the children of his native Haiti. He recently started a foundation called, Hollywood Unites for Haiti.   A non-profit organization whose mission is to promote sports and cultural activities for the underprivileged youth of Haiti.

HUFH recognizes the unique opportunity that Hollywood has in raising awareness about Haiti.

JJL: It’s something that came to me last year. Last September I went to go visit Haiti and I was caught in the middle of 3 or 4 hurricanes back-to-back-to-back and those 4 hurricanes pretty much almost destroyed the island. I was in the middle of it and on my way up, because I need to come to L.A. and I saw a picture of how the water was invading the land. I thought it was just part of the sea but when i looked well, I realized that underneath there was a bunch of houses and people buried underneath! I just couldn’t believe it.

When I came back here, of course that just killed me, you know, to see that kind of image and then coming back to L.A. like if nothing ever happened here because everything is so beautiful here. So that is when I really decided to do something about the kids who are struggling because everything starts with the kids. If the kids are not doing well their future will not be headed anywhere.

So that is when I decided to come up with Hollywood Unites for Haiti. Its a non profit organization that is there to help and support the underprivileged kids in the areas of sports and culture.

It’s very difficult, we’ve been around for just under a year and we’re pushing we have been doing a bunch of different events in New York, Los Angeles, in Miami and I’m going to Haiti to work on something else.

Our goal is to build and create sports and cultural centers where the kids can just go and do whatever they want and have fun. The whole nine yards. In the past we’ve been able to send a lot of sports equipment and computer for the kids.

One of the goals we’ve been working on is a Boys and Girls Club. It takes time, putting together proposals, and getting it in the hands of the right people that want to help. It’s very difficult but very possible it requires patience, dedication from not just our crew but also people in general. The Haitian people abroad, the American people, the Haitian people in Haiti to understand what it is we are trying to do. I think we can change the lives of many in Haiti by doing this boys and girls club.

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For more information on Hollywood Unites for Haiti or to make a donation please visit their official website here.

JJL: In some places in the mountains, with just $50 you could actually care for a family for at least a month! Any amount is greatly appreciated, $5, $10, $20 it would be great. We can do a lot with even the minimal.

Spread the word, tell your friends about this amazing organization.
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Watch out for him on the big screen, he has a few movies he is currently working on. He returns to Paris the first week of February to promote the movie Coursier out on February 24 in France. He also wrapped work on two other films, Moloch Tropical directed by Raoul Peck and Orpailleur directed by Marc Barrat.

I want to thank Jimmy Jean-Louis for taking the time to chat with us. We look forward to seeing much more of him and The Haitian in the near future.

Heroes returns on January 4th, 2010.

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• Jimmy Jean-Louis urges help for devastated Haiti
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