Pierre-Chéri Lafont

Pierre-Chéri Lafont as Le Chevalier de Saint Georges. Drawing by Alexandre Lacauchie, 1841.

Pierre-Chéri Lafont (16 May 1797 – 19 April 1873) was a French actor, born at Bordeaux.

Abandoning his profession as assistant ship's doctor in the navy, he went to Paris to study singing and acting. and his good looks and excellent voice soon brought him into public favor. After several years at the Nouveautés and the Vaudeville, on the burning of the latter in 1838 he went to England, and married, at Gretna Green, , from whom he was soon divorced. On his return to Paris, he joined the Variétés, where he acted for fifteen years in such plays as Le Chevalier de Saint-Georges, Le Lion empaillé, Une dernière conquête, etc.

Another engagement at the Vaudeville followed, and one at the Gaîté, and he ended his "brilliant career" at the Gymnase in the part of the noble father in such plays as Les Vieux Garçons and Nos bons villageois. On 12 July 1848 he married the dancer Pauline Leroux.

He died in Paris on 19 April 1873 and is buried in Montmartre Cemetery with Pauline Leroux.