Jean-Paul Vignon (30 January 1935 – 22 March 2024; age 89), was the actor who portrayed Edouard in the Star Trek: The Next Generation first season episode "We'll Always Have Paris". His character was listed as "Edourd" in the end credits of the episode.
Born in Ethiopia of a French father and an Italian mother, Vignon made many records in France under the Barclay Records label (songs "Quand le Soleil se lèvera" & "Excusez-moi si j'ai 20 ans" were his hits in the 60s), and recorded many records on Columbia Records in the US ("Don't Cry Little Girl" went to #32 on the the top 40s chart in 1964). He appeared 8 times on The Ed Sullivan Show, 33 times on The Merv Griffin Show and 7 times on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson.
As an actor, he starred in two films in France Les Promesses Dangereuses and Asphalte, and co-starred with William Holden and Cliff Robertson in the US film The Devil's Brigade (1968). In Hollywood he appeared in several television shows such as The Rockford Files, L.A. Law, Murder, She Wrote, Columbo, and Gilmore Girls and films including the comedy Double Agent (1987, with Michael McKean, John Putch and Judith Jones; directed by Michael Vejar; casting by Junie Lowry; costumes by William Ware Theiss). His career, from playing waiters, maître d's and various other "French" characters, stretches back to the 1960s. He also played a part in the first Shrek film as one of the merry men. He is the only actor playing a French person in The Next Generation who actually speaks French as a first language.
Vignon died due to liver cancer on 22 March 2024.[1]