Grégoire Aslan (born Krikor Kaloust Aslanian; 28 March 1908 – 8 January 1982) was a Swiss-Armenian

actor An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek term is (), li ...

and musician.

Early life

Krikor Kaloust Aslanian ( hy, Գրիգոր Գալուստի Ասլանյան) was born in Switzerland or in

Constantinople la, Constantinopolis ota, قسطنطينيه , alternate_name = Byzantion (earlier Greek name), Nova Roma ("New Rome"), Miklagard/Miklagarth (Old Norse), Tsargrad ( Slavic), Qustantiniya ( Arabic), Basileuousa ("Queen of Cities"), Megalopolis ( ...

, according to different sources. He made his professional début at 18 as a vocalist, trumpeter and drummer with the

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...

dance band of

Ray Ventura Raymond Ventura (16 April 1908, Paris, France – 29 March 1979, Palma de Mallorca, Spain) was a French jazz pianist and bandleader. He helped popularize jazz in France in the 1930s. His nephew was singer Sacha Distel. Career Ventura was born to ...

et ses Collegiens, then launched an acting career under the name of Coco Aslan. He also performed with guitarist

Django Reinhardt Jean Reinhardt (23 January 1910 – 16 May 1953), known by his Romani nickname Django ( or ), was a Romani-French jazz guitarist and composer. He was one of the first major jazz talents to emerge in Europe and has been hailed as one of its most ...

Career

Aslan's first film appearance was uncredited in Marc Didier's 1935 ''Le Bille de mille''. His first credited appearance was in ''Feux de joie'' (1939), along with conductor Ventura. During World War II he toured South America with actor Louis Jouvet and eventually started his own theatre troupe. He became an indispensable feature in many British and American films, usually playing foreigners – Russians, Frenchmen, Italians, Germans, Albanians and Middle Easterners – with equal finesse. Aslan's screen appearances include gangster boss Duca in '' Joe MacBeth'' (1955), '' King of Kings'' (1961) as Herod, and '' Cleopatra'' (1963) as

Pothinus Pothinus or Potheinos ( grc-gre, Ποθεινὸς; early 1st century BC – 48 or 47 BC), a eunuch, was regent for Pharaoh Ptolemy XIII Theos Philopator of the Ptolemaic Kingdom. He is most remembered for turning Ptolemy against his sister and co ...

. In 1961, in ''

The Devil at 4 O'Clock ''The Devil at 4 O'Clock'' is a 1961 American adventure film directed by Mervyn LeRoy and starring Spencer Tracy and Frank Sinatra. Based on a 1958 novel with the same title by British writer Max Catto, the film was a precursor to ''Krakatoa, Eas ...

'', alongside Frank Sinatra and

Spencer Tracy Spencer Bonaventure Tracy (April 5, 1900 – June 10, 1967) was an American actor. He was known for his natural performing style and versatility. One of the major stars of Hollywood's Golden Age, Tracy was the first actor to win two cons ...

, he portrayed Marcel, a criminal who finds repentance by giving his life to save children from being killed by a volcanic eruption on a South Sea island. He played a police chief in '' Paris When It Sizzles'' (1964) and '' The Return of the Pink Panther'' (1975). He appeared in over 110 film and TV roles. He also appeared on the French stage in productions from 1946 to 1981.

Personal life

From 1948 to 1955, Aslan was married to French theatre actress Denise Noël.

Death

Aslan died of a

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which ma ...

Breage Breage or Breaca (with many variant spellings) is a saint venerated in Cornwall and South West England. According to her late hagiography, she was an Irish nun of the 5th or 6th century who founded a church in Cornwall. The village and civil pari ...

, whilst visiting

Cornwall Cornwall (; kw, Kernow ) is a historic county and ceremonial county in South West England. It is recognised as one of the Celtic nations, and is the homeland of the Cornish people. Cornwall is bordered to the north and west by the Atlantic ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

.''Screen World'', Volume 34 (1983), p. 233

Selected filmography

* ' (1935) * '' Adventure in Paris'' (1936) as Un membre de l'orchestre de Ray Ventura (uncredited) * ''Feux de joie'' (1939) as Coco * ''

The Maelstrom of Paris ''The Maelstrom of Paris'' or ''The Whirlwind of Paris'' (French:''Le tourbillon de Paris'') is a 1928 French silent film directed by Julien Duvivier and starring Lil Dagover, Léon Bary and Gaston Jacquet.Goble p.2 Cast * Lil Dagover as Lady ...

'' (1939) as Coco * ''

Radio Surprises ''Radio Surprises'' (French: ''Les surprises de la radio'') is a 1940 French comedy film directed by Marcel Aboulker and starring Marguerite Moreno, Armand Bernard and Grégoire Aslan. It is a revue show.Quinlan p.135 It was shot at the Epinay S ...

'' (1940) as Robert * ''La fruta mordida'' (1945) * ' (1947) as Coco * ''

Sleeping Car to Trieste ''Sleeping Car to Trieste'' is a 1948 British comedy thriller film directed by John Paddy Carstairs and starring Jean Kent, Albert Lieven, Derrick De Marney and Rona Anderson. It was shot at Denham Studios outside London. The film's sets were d ...

'' (1948) as Poirier, the chef * '' Keep an Eye on Amelia'' (1949) as Le prince * '' Wicked City'' (aka ''Hans le marin'', 1949) as Le Brésilien * '' A Man Walks in the City'' (1950) as Ambilarès * '' Last Holiday'' (1950) as Gambini * '' Cairo Road'' (1950) as Lombardi (as Coco) * ''

Cage of Gold ''Cage of Gold'' is a 1950 British drama film directed by Basil Dearden, and starring Jean Simmons, David Farrar, and James Donald.

'' (1950) as Duport * '' The Adventurers'' (1951) as Dominic * ' (1951) as Ernest Duranval * '' The Red Inn'' (1951) as Barboeuf * '' No Vacation for Mr. Mayor'' (1951) as M Beaudubec * ''Jouons le jeu'' (1952) as l'acteur (segment 'La jalousie') * ' (1952) as Coudert * '' A Mother's Secret'' (1952) as Georges Lavier * '' Innocents in Paris'' (1953) as Carpet Seller * '' Good Lord Without Confession'' (1953) as Varesco * '' Le Chevalier de la nuit'' (1953) as Le préfet de police * '' This Man Is Dangerous'' (1953) as Siegella * '' Act of Love'' (1953) as Commissaire (uncredited) * ' (1954) as Mortimer Schoom * ''La soupe à la grimace'' (1954) as Karl Worden * '' Oasis'' (1955) as Pérez * '' Mr. Arkadin'' (1955) as Bracco * '' Joe MacBeth'' (1955) as Duncan * ''Une fille épatante'' (1955) as Atcheminocc * ' (1956) as Bodoni * ' (1956) as Zajir * '' He Who Must Die'' (1957) as Agha * ''Les suspects'' (1957) as Inspecteur Ben Hamman * ' (1957) as Le prince Yucca * ''Casino de Paris'' (1957) as Mario * '' A Bomb for a Dictator'' (1957) as Général Ribera * ''

Windom's Way ''Windom's Way'' is a 1957 British thriller film directed by Ronald Neame and starring Peter Finch and Mary Ure. Made in Eastman Color, it is set during the Malayan Emergency. Premise Dr Alec Windom is a British doctor who works in a village i ...

'' (1957) as Mayor Lollivar * ' (1957) as Mouillefarine * ''

The Snorkel ''The Snorkel'' is a 1958 British thriller film from Hammer Films. It was directed by Guy Green and stars Peter van Eyck, Betta St. John and Mandy Miller. It was the last film role for Miller. Plot Paul Decker kills his wife, Madge, by drug ...

'' (1958) as The Inspector * '' Sea Fury'' (1958) as Fernando * '' The Roots of Heaven'' (1958) as Habib * ' (1959) as Stanley père * '' Killers of Kilimanjaro'' (1959) as Ben Ahmed * '' Our Man in Havana'' (1959) as Cifuentes * ''

Under Ten Flags ''Under Ten Flags'' ( it, Sotto dieci bandiere) is a 1960 Italian-American war film directed by Duilio Coletti and starring Van Heflin, Charles Laughton, and Mylène Demongeot. It was entered into the 10th Berlin International Film Festival. ...

'' (1960) as Master of Abdullah * '' The Criminal'' (1960) as Frank Saffron * ''

The 3 Worlds of Gulliver ''The 3 Worlds of Gulliver'' is a 1960 Eastmancolor Columbia Pictures fantasy film loosely based upon the 1726 novel ''Gulliver's Travels'' by Jonathan Swift. The film stars Kerwin Mathews as the title character, June Thorburn as his fiancée Eli ...

'' (1960) as King Brob * ''Bernadette de Lourdes'' (1961) * '' The Rebel'' (1961) as Aristotle Carreras * '' The Invasion Quartet'' (1961) as Debrie * '' King of Kings'' (1961) as

Herod the Great Herod I (; ; grc-gre, ; c. 72 – 4 or 1 BCE), also known as Herod the Great, was a Roman Jewish client king of Judea, referred to as the Herodian kingdom. He is known for his colossal building projects throughout Judea, including his renova ...

* ''

'' (1961) as Marcel * '' The Happy Thieves'' (1961) as Dr. Victor Muñoz * ''

Village of Daughters ''Village of Daughters'' is a 1962 British comedy film directed by George Pollock and starring Eric Sykes, Scilla Gabel, John Le Mesurier, Grégoire Aslan, Graham Stark, and Warren Mitchell Warren Mitchell (born Warren Misell; 14 January ...

'' (1962) as Gastoni (A Father) * (''Marco Polo'', unfinished French film, 1962) * '' Cleopatra'' (1963) as Pothinus * ''

The Main Chance ''The Main Chance'' is a British television series first aired on ITV in four series between 1969 and 1975. It is a drama series that depicts the sudden transformation in the life of a solicitor, David Main (played by John Stride), after he ...

'' (1964) as Potter * '' Une ravissante idiote'' (1964) as Bagda * '' Paris When It Sizzles'' (1964) as Police Insp. Gilet * ' (1964) as Inspecteur Rossi * ''

Crooks in Cloisters ''Crooks in Cloisters'' is a 1964 British comedy film directed by Jeremy Summers and starring Ronald Fraser as 'Little Walter', the leader of a gang of forgers, including Barbara Windsor as 'Bikini', Bernard Cribbins as 'Squirts', Melvyn Hayes ...

'' (1964) as Lorenzo * ''

Amori pericolosi ''Amori pericolosi'' is a 1964 anthology film consisting of three segments directed by Alfredo Giannetti, Carlo Lizzani and Giulio Questi. Cast ; Il generale * Grégoire Aslan: The General * Sandra Milo: The lover of the General * Marco Tu ...

'' (1964) as Il generale (segment "Il generale") * '' The Gorillas'' (1964) as Maître Lebavard * ''

The Yellow Rolls-Royce ''The Yellow Rolls-Royce'' is a 1964 British dramatic composite film written by Terence Rattigan, produced by Anatole de Grunwald, and directed by Anthony Asquith, the trio responsible for '' The V.I.P.s'' (1963). Apparently adapting an idea fr ...

'' (1964) as the Albanian Ambassador * '' The High Bright Sun'' (1965) as Gen. Stavros Skyros * ''

Marco the Magnificent ''La Fabuleuse Aventure de Marco Polo'' or ''Marco the Magnificent'' is a 1965 international co-production (Afghanistan, Yugoslavia, Egypt, France, Italy) adventure film directed by Denys de La Patellière and Noël Howard. Raoul Levy committed ...

'' (1965) as Achmed Abdullah * '' Moment to Moment'' (1965) as Insp. DeFargo * '' A Man Could Get Killed'' (1966) as Florian * ''

Our Man in Marrakesh ''Our Man in Marrakesh'' (released in North America as ''Bang! Bang! You're Dead!'') is a 1966 British comedy spy film shot in Morocco produced and co-written by Harry Alan Towers, directed by Don Sharp and starring Tony Randall, Herbert Lom an ...

'' (1966) as Achmed * ''

Lost Command ''Lost Command'' (aka ''Les Centurions'') is a 1966 American war film directed and produced by Mark Robson and starring Anthony Quinn, Alain Delon, George Segal, Michèle Morgan, Maurice Ronet and Claudia Cardinale. It is based on the best-sell ...

'' (1966) as Dr. Ali Ben Saad * ''

The 25th Hour ''The 25th Hour'' is the 2001 debut novel by David Benioff. A film adaptation, for which Benioff wrote the screenplay, was directed by Spike Lee and released in 2002. Background The idea for the book came when Benioff returned home to New York ...

'' (1967) as Dobresco * '' Tiffany Memorandum'' (1967) as The Shadow * ''Marry Me! Marry Me!'' (1968) as Mr. Schmoll * ''

A Flea in Her Ear ''A Flea in Her Ear'' (french: La Puce à l'oreille) is a play by Georges Feydeau written in 1907, at the height of the Belle Époque. The author called it a vaudeville, but in Anglophone countries, where it is the most popular of Feydeau's play ...

'' (1968) as Max, Hotel Coq Dor Owner * '' The Thirteen Chairs'' (1969) as Psychiarist * ''

You Can't Win 'Em All ''You Can't Win 'Em All'' is a 1970 British-American war film, written by Leo Gordon (also an actor who appears in the film) and directed by Peter Collinson. It stars Tony Curtis, Charles Bronson and Michele Mercier. Plot The setting is th ...

'' (1970) as Osman Bey * ''Le Cinéma de papa'' (1971) as Le producteur * '' The Pebbles of Etratat'' (1972) as Timakoff * '' Die rote Kapelle'' (1972, TV miniseries) as Baron Maximowitsch * ''Sex-shop'' (1972) as Le père d'Isabelle / Father-in-law * '' The Girl from Hong Kong'' (1973) as Harris * ''

The Golden Voyage of Sinbad ''The Golden Voyage of Sinbad'' is a 1973 fantasy film, fantasy adventure film directed by Gordon Hessler and featuring stop motion effects by Ray Harryhausen. Based on the ''Arabian Nights'' tales of Sinbad the Sailor, it is the second of thre ...

'' (1973) as Hakim * ''

QB VII ''QB VII'' by Leon Uris is a dramatic courtroom novel published in 1970. The four-part novel highlights the events leading to a libel trial in the United Kingdom. The novel was Uris's second consecutive #1 ''New York Times'' Best Seller and th ...

'' (1974, TV miniseries) as Sheik Hassan * '' The Girl from Petrovka'' (1974) as Minister * '' The Return of the Pink Panther'' (1975) as Chief of Lugash Police * '' Bloedverwanten'' (1977) as Rudolphe De Guys * '' Gloria'' (1977) as Le patron du cabaret * ''

Meetings with Remarkable Men ''Meetings with Remarkable Men, autobiographical in nature, is the second volume of the '' All and Everything'' trilogy written by the Greek- Armenian spiritual teacher G. I. Gurdjieff. Gurdjieff started working on the Russian manuscript in 192 ...

'' (1979) as Armenian Priest / Le prêtre arménien

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Aslan, Gregoire 1908 births 1982 deaths Armenian male actors Swiss male film actors Swiss male television actors 20th-century Swiss male actors Swiss people of Armenian descent Burials at Neuilly-sur-Seine community cemetery Swiss male stage actors Swiss expatriates in France French people of Armenian descent