Lou Tellegen Biography

At the apex of his film career, Dutch actor Lou Tellegen was considered one of the best-looking players on stage and screen. Born Isidor Van Dameler in Holland, he first appeared on the Amsterdam stage in 1903. By 1909, he had become a leading man in Paris and frequently played opposite Sarah Bernhardt. In 1910, Bernhardt and Tellegen went on a North American tour. A little later, the two acted together in three films for the Film d'Art company. One of those films, Queen Elizabeth, was a box-office smash in America. In 1913, Tellegen returned to the U.S. and launched a brief Broadway career before going to Hollywood to star in a number of silent films. At one time he was married to film and opera star Geraldine Farrar. He published his memoirs, Women Have Been Kind, in 1931. Tellegen also directed a few films. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi