For the last four years, audiences have grown to know Haitian-born actor Jimmy Jean-Louis as a character called “The Haitian” on NBC’s Heroes. Sadly, his most-recent TV appearance was on CNN’s Larry King Live, where he plead for help for his countrymen in earthquake-ravaged Haiti.
In the days immediately following the 7.0 quake, Jimmy was unable to reach his family in Haiti. He didn’t know if his parent were alive or dead. On Jan. 15, he left Los Angeles on a trek to his homeland to seek out his loved ones.
Four days after the disaster struck, he finally reached them. His parents were alive, though “I obviously lost quite a few people,” Jean-Louis tells Tonic. “Friends, and distant family.”
From the epicenter of the destruction in Port-au-Prince, Jean-Louis spoke to Tonic contributor Jennifer Birn on the phone. Here’s what he had to say.
Getting from L.A. to Haiti…
It took me many many hours to get to Haiti. I had to go from Los Angeles to New York City to Santo Domingo and I got completely stuck in Santo Domingo and was told I was unable to leave the city. I talked to people and met with the head of US aide in Santa Domingo who got me to the military airport and took me in a military helicopter to Haiti. I thank the gentleman from US aide.
On reuniting with his family…
My family is fine as far as my mom and dad, but obviously I lost quite a few people, friends, and distant family. My parents’ house is down, the house that my dad spent 45 years to build and was so proud of. That one went down and he’s not really coping that well with the situation. When I saw them I felt relief, happy. I gave them a warm hug. It was very emotional. But, right after that I went to visit the home that they lost and also a home there I lost. I went to see the home I lost and underneath that home there was a body. Not only did the house collapse on the guy, but then there was a fire. I can’t stop telling you stories like that, it’s unbelievable what people see out here.
On what he’s seen and realized since returning to Haiti…
I’m realizing how devastating the whole situation is here. Each day I see it’s worse and worse and worse. Each day I go to a different location and the conditions are always worse than the one before. You can’t comprehend the devastation and total destruction until you’re here and you’re seeing it right in front of you. It’s not getting better. There are lots of people here doing work but the differences aren’t going to be seen anytime soon. The whole city of Port-au-Prince is down and all they can do is and get rid of the bodies, all of the dead bodies, all around. All of the major structures are down from the bank to the school, the politicians don’t have any place to go, their homes are gone, nobody can function.
Every day there’s another story to tell. The first day I went around and was seeing bodies being burned in front of me. There are piles of bodies up to 50 at the same time. I’ve been going to hospitals to help and been giving large donations to some of the hospitals. I’m going to be giving survival tips to the people because they’re desperately in need of a morale boost. People who lost their houses, which is almost everyone, the only place they have is outside and they’re all outside. The real help you can give them is food. They need food and it’s getting in now. The port is functioning, the airport is running and trucks are driving in from Santo Domingo.
The most positive thing he’s seen the last couple of days in Port-au-Prince…
What I like is the fact that I see that everyone wants to unite to actually help. Almost a week after the earthquake they’re still finding people still alive, buried. I see a lot of nationalities in town. Spanish, English, Jamaican, Chilean, Filipino, Americans, you name it, they’re here and they’re doing the work and that’s something rarely see. The search and rescue teams are doing a great job, They found people alive under a supermarket because under a supermarket they were able to get a little bit of food. I just hope that it continues after the breaking news simmers down. I hope everything doesn’t disappear when people don’t speak about it anymore. This place needs help, it needs lots and lots of help.
On his recent pre-earthquake trip to Haiti with the philanthropic organization he founded, Hollywood Unites for Haiti…
I was there a few weeks ago, I go there quite often. I have an organization called Hollywood Unites for Haiti. There’s another group called Artists for Peace and we all went to Haiti together. Olivia Wilde from House came on the trip and we helped a school where they take care of kids who can’t pay.
His message…
I need to stress how devastating the place is and that it’s a lot worse than people actually see on TV or YouTube videos because some of the images are so graphic that TV can not show them, you have to be here to see. Just imagine New York City completely collapses and everything is down. There’s no subway, no Empire State building, no stadiums, nothing still standing. That’s what it is here now.
I think the easiest thing for everyone to do to help is donate money. Every single organization is struggling to provide the right help. These organizations have the infrastructure and just need the money to keep things going, so that’s the best thing people can do before they start giving items and goods is to give money. For the moment, that’s what everyone should do. The organizations have the structure they need, they just need money to fund the programs.
It would be good to have a lot of people come to volunteer, too, but logistically it’s difficult because there aren’t any hotels. The hotels are down and there’s no places to put anybody, so we have to create big tents for everyone to sleep. We need a lot more people, we need doctors. Today I went to a place where a doctor was going crazy because she needed to do five urgent operations and she was the only one there and she was crying for help. This doctor wanted me to go back on Larry King, do something to get the word out that they need help. We need a lot of doctors but I don’t know where they’d go. I’ve been told that after the 21st it should be easier. If there are doctors who can come I will find them a place to stay.
It’s going to take a long time before anything gets better. This was the worst catastrophe for the past 200 years, so I don’t know how long it’s going to take for the people and the country to recover, so that’s the situation.
Jimmy is returning to the United States Friday, in hopes of making it in time to take part in George Clooney’s Hope for Haiti telethon, and with the fate of a fifth season of Heroes still up in the air, he tells Tonic, “I may turn around and head straight back. I’ll do whatever is the best thing for me to do.”
Jimmy is working with the charity he founded Hollywood Unites for Haiti and has partnered with Pan American Relief. He posted this plea for help on YouTube shortly after the quake.
Hollywood Unites for Haiti is a non-profit charitable aid organization that puts 100 percent of its donations directly into the cause of helping Haitian citizens and raising global awareness of ways in which people can help. www.hufh.org
Pan America Relief is a non-profit organization established in 1962 to promote, facilitate and implement social and economic development in Latin America and the Caribean. It is one of the largest non-governmental organizations in Haiti with nearly three decades of work on the ground and in the past year has had more than 5.6 million beneficiaries in 18 countries.
Donations can also made by calling (877) 672-4484.
For additional information and updates from Jimmy Jean-Louis, visit www.HaitianHero.com
For more of Tonic’s ongoing Haiti coverage, CLICK HERE.
Photo by Getty Images