José Luis de Vilallonga
| José Luis de Vilallonga | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
José Luis de Vilallonga y Cabeza de Vaca 29 January 1920 Madrid, Spain |
| Died | 30 August 2007 (aged 87) Andratx, Majorca, Balearic Islands, Spain |
| Resting place | Poblenou Cemetery |
| Occupation | Author, aristocrat and actor |
| Years active | 1958–1997 |
| Spouse(s) |
The Hon. Esyllt-Priscilla Scott-Ellis (m. 1945; div. 1972) Syliane Stella Morell (m. 1974; div. 1995) María Begoña Aranguren Gárate (m. 1999–2007) |
| Partner(s) | Michèle Girardon (1958–1972) |
| Children | 3 |
José Luis de Vilallonga y Cabeza de Vaca, 9th Marquess of Castellbell (29 January 1920 – 30 August 2007) was a Spanish author, aristocrat and actor who co-starred with Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany's, and Julie Christie in Darling.
Born in Madrid, Spain, de Vilallonga – who also went by the surname of Cabeza de Vaca – was a Grandee of Spain and part of the nobility, holding the title of Marquis de Castellbell. Upon the declaration in 1931 of Spain's Second Republic his family went into exile in Biarritz, France, but returned six months later. When the Spanish Civil War erupted in 1936, de Vilallonga was at a French school, but his father ordered him back to Spain to fight on the side of General Franco. His father was an enthusiastic supporter of Franco, and at age 16 de Vilallonga was a serving member of a Nationalist execution platoon.
After World War II, de Vilallonga became increasingly disenchanted with the Franco regime, and he left the Spanish diplomatic service to live abroad. In 1954 his first novel, The Ramblas End in the Sea, was published, causing the Spanish military government censor to issue a ban on his reentry to the country. He then obtained work as a foreign correspondent for the national press agency EFE and for the magazines Paris Match, Marie Claire and Vogue. His social connections and ability to relate gossip among Europe's jet set enabled him to regularly sell magazine articles, in addition to authoring four autobiographical tell-all books about his numerous love affairs. After recording taped interviews with Spain's King Juan Carlos, he wrote an official biography of the King that was published in 1993.
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