Jimmy Jean-Louis: 'The Haitian' From Heroes Searches For Family

by Jon Azpiri | January 13, 2010 at 02:12 pm

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Jimmy Jean-Louis, the actor who plays 'The Haitian' on the NBC series Heroes, is searching for his parents in Haiti. Like many other Americans with roots in Haiti, Jean-Louis is frantically trying to locate friends and family that have been affected by the Haiti earthquake. The actor had just returned from Haiti two weeks ago to visit friends and family.

"I have not slept yet. The second house that I grew up in was down, and some relatives have died, from what I have been told," Jean-Louis said Wednesday. "I haven't been able to reach my parents. I have heard that they are OK, but I do not know what is going on around them."

Jimmy Jean-Louis was born in Petionville, Haiti and moved to Paris as a child to pursue a modeling career. He is best known to American audiences for his recurring role on Heroes, where he plays a character called, fittingly, "The Haitian". Jean-Louis helped found Hollywood Unites for Haiti, a nonprofit organization to help underprivileged children in the Caribbean nation. He says that his foundation will now work to raise funds for earthquake relief.

Even though he was just in Haiti, he plans to return as quickly as possible.

"I am going to try to get in, but I am going to try to understand the situation first to see how I can best help," Jean-Louis said. "The plan is to at some point visit, and right now, I am trying to be as productive as I can be here."

Jean-Louis and Hollywood Unites for Haiti are encouraging people looking to help to send money instead of goods at the moment.