Biography
Jean Hersholt was a Danish-American actor. Born in Copenhagen, he emigrated to the United States in 1913 and appeared in more than 140 films between the silent era and the 1950s, of which 75 were silent and 65 were sound films. He also directed four films.
Hersholt is known for roles including Marcus in Greed (1924), Senf in Grand Hotel (1932), Adolph Kramer in Heidi (1937) and Professor Heinrich in Alexander's Ragtime Band (1938). He starred as Dr Paul Christian in the CBS radio series Dr. Christian from 1937 to 1954 and in related films. He served as president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences from 1945 to 1949; the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award is named in his honour.
