Jose de Soulas Floridor

Floridor (Josias de Soûlas, Sieur de Prinefosse; died c. 1671) was a French actor

He was born in Brie early in the 17th century, the son of a gentleman of German family who had moved to France, married there, and become a Roman Catholic. The son entered the French army, but after being promoted ensign, quit the army for the theatre, where he took the name of Floridor. His first Paris appearance was in 1640. Three years later he was called to the company at the Hôtel de Bourgogne, where he played all the leading parts in tragedy and comedy and became the head of his profession. He was a man of superb physique and excellent carriage, with a flexible and sonorous voice, and manners of rare distinction and elegance, He was much liked at court, and Louis XIV held him in particular esteem. He died in 1671 or 1672.

References

•  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. 

Further reading

• Howarth, William Driver (1997). "Floridor Leaves the Marais in 1647". French theatre in the neo-classical era, 1550-1789. Theatre in Europe. 5. Cambridge University Press. pp. 168–169. ISBN 0521230136. http://books.google.com/books?id=nFaOOQG6-GYC&pg=PA168. Retrieved 2011-05-14. </ref>