Jimmy Jean-Louis is a Haitian-American actor, producer, and humanitarian, celebrated for his versatile performances across film and television. Born on August 8, 1968, in Pétion-Ville, Haiti, he spent his early years in the slums of Port-au-Prince before moving to Paris at age 12. There, he pursued his education and later ventured into the arts, initially as a dancer and then as a model. His modelling career took him to various countries, including Spain, Italy, South Africa, and England, before he settled in the United States.

Jean-Louis's acting career began in the early 1990s, with his debut in Emmanuelle Forever (1993). He gained international recognition for his role as "The Haitian" in the NBC television series Heroes (2006–2010). His film credits include Tears of the Sun (2003), Hollywood Homicide (2003), and The Game of Their Lives (2005). In 2019, he both produced and starred in Rattlesnakes, based on the stage play by Graham Farrow. In 2024, he co-produced and acted in The Goat Life, an Indian-Malayalam language movie, portraying Ibrahim Kadhar, a Somali man with knowledge of escape routes.

Beyond his acting career, Jean-Louis is deeply committed to humanitarian efforts in Haiti. Following the devastating 2010 earthquake, he founded "Hollywood Unites for Haiti," an organisation dedicated to rebuilding efforts and cultural development. He was appointed Ambassador-at-Large to Haiti by the Haitian president in 2014 and serves as the first Ambassador for GHESKIO, an organisation focused on addressing medical, social, and economic needs in Haiti.