Olivier Guimond

Olivier Guimond, actor, mime (born 21 May 1914 in Montréal, QC; died 29 November 1971 in Montréal). His innate comic sense and extraordinarily supple body prompting comparison to Charlie Chaplin, Olivier Guimond stood as one of Québec’s greatest and most beloved comics.

Early Life and Career

The son of vaudeville artists Effie MacDonald and Olivier Guimond (Ti-Zoune), he was placed at age seven in Mont-Saint-Louis, a private Catholic school in Montréal, where he stayed until he was 16.

In 1932, he made his stage debut at the Théâtre Impérial à Québec, and joined his father’s company the following year. In 1934, he joined Jean Grimaldi’s troupe, where he developed the classic burlesque routine “Trois heures du matin” with Manda Parent.

Television

It was television that made Guimond Québec's number-one comic. In 1958, producer Noël Gauvin hired him as the star of the popular variety show Music-Hall (Radio-Canada). Aired on Télé-Métropole between 1965 and 1970, Guimond played the title role in the television series Cré Basile. Other series followed (Le zoo du capitaine Bonhomme, À la branche d'Olivier and Smash) as well as operettas (Les Trois Valses, La Vie parisienne).

Film Credits

Le Survenant (1957)

Television Credits

Le Survenant (1956)

Marie-Didace (1958)

César (1959)

Le Zoo du Capitaine Bonhomme (1964)

Cré Basile (1965)

Place à Olivier Guimond (1967)

À la branche d'Olivier (1970)

Smash (1971)