In the classic film Charade, Audrey Hepburn plays an American widow pursued across Paris by dangerous men, including the suave Cary Grant, who believe she’s hiding a fortune stolen by her late husband. Released in 1963, this romantic thriller captivated audiences worldwide and even sparked a fashion trend among Parisian youth, thanks to the adorable sweater worn by a young actor in the movie.
According to Dr. Thomas Chelimsky, who played Jean-Louis in the film, the iconic sweater wasn’t part of the costume designer's plan—it was his mother’s idea. “I was just wearing my own clothes on set,” Thomas reveals in a recent interview with Closer. Growing up in Paris as the child of American creatives, Thomas attended the auditions for Charade on a whim. “They needed a kid who spoke both French and English with a French accent,” he explains. And that’s how this six-year-old found himself sharing the screen with two of Hollywood’s biggest legends.
As Jean-Louis, Thomas spent countless hours on set with Audrey Hepburn and Cary Grant. But back then, he didn’t know who they were. “I honestly had no idea what a movie even was,” he confesses. “I was just a carefree kid who trusted that whatever my parents told me to do would be fun.” That lighthearted approach worked in his favor. Initially, the role was written for an older child, but Thomas’ charm and openness won everyone over during his second audition.
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A Sweet Bond with Audrey Hepburn
Thomas remembers forming a special connection with Audrey, who was already a mother herself at the time. “She was incredibly warm and genuinely enjoyed working with me,” he recalls fondly. In fact, their relationship felt more natural than the one he had with his on-screen mom, French actress Dominique Minot. “Dominique seemed a bit distant, but Audrey made me feel so comfortable,” he adds.
On the other hand, Cary Grant took a little longer to warm up to the young actor. “He treated kids like they were from another planet,” Thomas laughs. “It wasn’t until later in production that he finally opened up. One day, we were sitting together waiting for a scene, and Cary started talking about feeling unappreciated in life. He went into this deep explanation about how people often only valued him for certain things, not his true qualities.” While some of Cary’s musings may have been lost on six-year-old Thomas, the conversation clearly left an impact on the veteran actor. “He later told my mom that meeting me had changed his perspective on having children,” Thomas shares proudly. Sure enough, Cary and his wife Dyan Cannon welcomed their daughter Jennifer a few years later in 1966.
Challenges on Set
Despite the camaraderie with Audrey and others, Thomas faced challenges of his own. His understudy, an older boy around 8 or 9, seemed jealous and attempted to sabotage his performance. “He encouraged me to run in front of the camera during filming,” Thomas recalls. When Thomas accidentally ruined a take, director Stanley Donen handled it with patience. “He gently explained to me that the red light meant we were filming and I needed to stay quiet,” Thomas says. The understudy, however, was visibly upset by Donen’s kindness toward him.
A Lasting Legacy
When Charade premiered, Thomas was too young to attend the official screening, but the filmmakers arranged a private one for him and his family. Today, Thomas is a successful neurologist, but he still cherishes memories of his time as a child actor. He proudly keeps a letter Audrey sent him and is currently working on a memoir about his experiences. “I acted a lot in high school, but I never got the lead roles,” he jokes. “Maybe I lost that special presence when I grew up!”
—Reporting by Amanda Champagne-Meadows
