Henri Virlojeux was a French actor whose extensive career in film, television, and theatre included notable voice work for animated productions, particularly in dubbing roles for the French market. He was born on March 22, 1924, in Nevers, France. Initially considering a path in law, he instead pursued acting, studying under the renowned theatre practitioner Charles Dullin and performing in Parisian cabarets. His stage career led to collaborations with prominent figures such as Robert Hossein and Jacqueline Maillan.

Virlojeux appeared in approximately fifty films and around one hundred television productions over his decades-long career. His on-screen roles included parts in François Truffaut's classic The 400 Blows (1959) and the prestigious television adaptation of The Accursed Kings (1972), where he played Pope John XXII. He also appeared in films such as The Sucker (1965) and The Tattoo (1968).

While he was a familiar face on screen, Henri Virlojeux was also a highly active voice actor, lending his distinctive voice to numerous characters in French dubs of both live-action and animated works. In the realm of animation, he is recognized for his role as the voice of the wise old stray dog Grodo in the Japanese anime series Hoero! Bun Bun, known in French as Tchaou et Grodo, which was broadcast in France starting in 1984. This series remains one of his most recognized works in animation dubbing.

His other significant animation voice roles were primarily in French productions and dubs. He notably voiced the character of Professor Calculus in the 1972 animated film Tintin and the Lake of Sharks. He was also part of the voice cast for several other classic animated features, including Aladdin and the Magic Lamp (1970) and the Asterix films, where he provided voices for the druid Getafix and the hypnotist Iris in The Twelve Tasks of Asterix (1976). Later in his career, he narrated the French dub of the animated film The Land Before Time (1988).

Beyond animation, Virlojeux's dubbing work was extensive and included some of the most iconic roles in cinema. He was the French voice of Grand Moff Tarkin in the original Star Wars (1977) and later voiced the Emperor Palpatine in Return of the Jedi (1983). His other notable dubbing credits include Lionel Jeffries' character Grandpa Potts in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968) and various roles in films by directors such as Stanley Kubrick, including Barry Lyndon (1975). He also participated in audio recordings of classical theatre, demonstrating his vocal range in works by Aristophanes and Plautus.

Henri Virlojeux passed away on December 19, 1995, in Paris, France. His legacy is that of a prolific and versatile actor whose voice became familiar to French audiences across generations, whether through his live-action performances, his narration, or his memorable character voices in beloved animated films and series.