Pierre Louis Baron de Bris, known to the world as Pierre Brice, was born on February 6, 1929 in Brest, France. This charismatic French actor and singer, who comes from a long aristocratic family, is best known for his unforgettable role as Apache chief Vinnetou in a series of German adventure films based on the novels by Karl May.
Brice happened to get the role of Vinnetou. Although he had never heard of the character, producer Horst Wendlandt saw him at the Berlin Film Festival and immediately cast him. Despite initial hesitation, Bryce accepted the role that made him famous around the world. Films featuring his character Vinnetou became a phenomenon in the 1960s, and Bryce was greeted by enthusiastic fans after each premiere. The tragic death of his film hero in one of the last episodes caused great disappointment to the audience.
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