Ivan Desny (born Ivan Nikolaevich Desnitsky;, 28 December 1922 – 13 April 2002) was a French actor of Russian Chinese origin. He had a lengthy career in French and German cinema, appearing in over 200 film and television roles over 50 years, and was a two-time German Film Award winner.

Early life

Desny was born Ivan Nikolaevich Desnitsky in Beijing, China. His Russian father, Nikolai Desnitsky, gained French citizenship and worked as a secretary at the French embassy. His mother was Swedish.

Career

Desny was a film actor. Bilingual in French and German, he acted in more than 150 films, both in Germany and France. In 1980, Desny received an honorary German Film Award for "his continued outstanding individual contributions to the german film over the years."

Death

Desny died in Ascona, Switzerland.

Selected filmography