Jean Hersholt

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Actor | Radio Personality Born July 12, 1886 in Copenhagen, Denmark

Jean Hersholt, the Danish actor and humanitarian, was known for his roles as the title character in the long-running radio show "Dr. Christian," Marcus in Erich von Stroheim's 1924 undertaking "Greed" and the charming grandfather in the Shirley Temple classic "Heidi."

Off screen, Hersholt often busied himself with helping his fellow industry members. He served as president of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences from 1945 to 1949 and was head of the Motion Picture Relief Fund. In World War II, Hersholt founded the Danish-American Relief Society and later was knighted by King Christian X of Denmark, a title he never used.

Hersholt was also a devoted Hans Christian Andersen scholar. In the early 1940s, he began translating 168 of the author's stories into English, including some never before published.

— Los Angeles Times June 3, 1956

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