Etienne Girardot (22 February 1856 – 10 November 1939) was a diminutive stage and film actor of Anglo-French parentage born in London, England.

The son of Ernest Gustave Girardot, he studied at an art school, but left at age seventeen to go on stage. Having played in the provinces, he made his debut on the London stage at the Haymarket Theatre. He went to America in 1893, where he continued his career. He was a success, with numerous Broadway shows to his credit, including the 1893 production of Charley's Aunt, in which he played Lord Fancourt Babberley for three years.

He also worked in film, both silents and talkies, debuting in 1911 in Intrepid Davy. Among his film roles were the harmless lunatic who fancies himself a millionaire in the 1934 screwball comedy Twentieth Century, with John Barrymore and Carole Lombard, and the harassed coroner in three murder mysteries starring William Powell as detective Philo Vance.

Girardot died after a short stay in the hospital. He was survived by his wife Dr. Violetta Shelton, an "eye, ear, nose and throat specialist."

Biography

Installé aux États-Unis, il se produit au théâtre à Broadway entre 1893 et 1933, principalement dans des pièces, mais aussi dans trois comédies musicales.

Au cinéma, il apparaît durant la période du muet de 1911 à 1922, puis après le passage au parlant, de 1933 à 1940 (son dernier film sort l'année suivant sa mort). Au total, il participe, selon l'IMDB, à 76 films, généralement dans des « seconds rôles », voire des petits rôles non crédités.