Philippe Forquet

Birthday

Sep 27, 1940

Birthplace

Paris, France

Bio: In 1962 as a student in Paris the gorgeous young French aristocrat, Phillipe Forquet was discovered by famous American director, Robert Parrish, who gave him an important role in In the French Style (1963), an award-winning film. Learning English as he went along, he played the handsome younger boyfriend of the hugely popular Jean Seberg, who had won enormous… More Bio: In 1962 as a student in Paris the gorgeous young French aristocrat, Phillipe Forquet was discovered by famous American director, Robert Parrish, who gave him an important role in In the French Style (1963), an award-winning film. Learning English as he went along, he played the handsome younger boyfriend of the hugely popular Jean Seberg, who had won enormous popular acclaim in the Otto Preminger film Saint Joan (1957). French movie stars were very prevalent in Hollywood throughout the Fifties and Sixties. Maurice Chevalier and Yves Montand and Brigitte Bardot were household names and a new generation of new European 'hotties' were coming up. Spotted by producers at Twentieth Century Fox, Philippe was offered a contract with 20th Century Fox and flown to Hollywood to be groomed into the new Alain Delon or Louis Jourdan.Against the firm protests of his mother, the Countess Forquet de Dorne, he left the French Classical Academy to star in the hit movie Take Her, She's Mine (1963), also starring James Stewart and Sandra Dee. His dark good looks and Gallic charm caused quite a flurry among the ladies. He received thousands of fan letters a week.He fell in love with Sharon Tate, who was also a young contract player at Fox and they became formally engaged. This interfered with the plans a certain well-known producer had for Sharon, including some romantic ones, and the proud young Frenchman locked horns with some pretty powerful people. He made some very influential enemies and was the victim of a largely made-up negative publicity campaign. Philippe couldn't deal with the culture shock of Hollywood of the Sixties. Discouraged and brokenhearted, the sensitive young actor moved to New York and studied at the Actor's Studio. His family was demanding that he return home and in 1966, he acquiesced, vowing never to return to Hollywood unless they sent for him. He met the American top model Linda Morand in late 1967 in Paris. He took her to Rome, where he had a starring role in 'Camille 2000', an artistically made film based on the Alexander Dumas novel The Lady of the Camellias." In 1971 he was called back to Hollywood to star in a TV series. Linda and Philippe were married in Carmel California in 1971. In 1976 they were divorced but remained friends.