32
Singer/Performer
Heterosexual
French
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Appearance: Terry Gillet is a man with features that befit a man. He stands at 5 foot 8 inches (1.72 meters) and lives even taller. He is the pinnacle of physical strength from years of training in dance and the arts. Is eyes are a dark brown and his hair an even darker brown. The passing glance at Terry might trick the eye into thinking he has black hair. A notable feature is a small scar on the left of his face.
Gillet often wears flashy clothes of either great size or blinding colour. Bright vests and big jackets are his staple. However, he cleans up nicely and does own clothes that are more subdued in nature. That is mostly a reflection of his formal wear, though, which still manage to reflect his lavish, stand out side. He will opt for a neck tie as opposed to a bow tie on most days and enjoys rolling up his sleeves. It's more to show off his muscles than anything else.
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Personality: Terry's first love is performing. He can perform to an audience of just a few people or to an audience of hundreds and he will give the same amount of effort. All that matters to him is that he is giving something to his audience. He dedicates a fair amount of his days to his art too. At times, he will practice relentlessly until it is as perfect as it can be. Until then, his job isn't over.
Beyond his performance life, he is a rather flamboyant man. He is used to attention and attracts it even outside of his work. Some would say that he tries to live a lifestyle outside of his price range, but to him, it is just living life to the potential that he believes he is capable of. And to his defence, he has sustained that life for several years.
He values determination and dedication and tends to scoff at the lazy and unmotivated, but that isn't to say that Terry doesn't have a day or two where he will just relax. On those days, he tends to enjoy his solitude, reading a book or listening to records. He has dabbled in writing music as a hobby, but has never really been all that good at it. Yet still, his determination gets the better of him and he will write disappointing music and only grow frustrated with himself when he feels like he is getting nowhere with it.
At a party (which Terry will often be seen at), you will often see him stilling by or at the piano. He looks for his opportunity to play a song and sing for the crowds.
Terry's main vice would be his affinity for a smoke. He enjoys it much like one might a fine wine.
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History: Terry Gillet was born Thierry Guillet on a June afternoon in the late 1800's. His father, Emile Guillet was a physician. His mother, Anaïs Thierry (Maiden name, Picot) lived at home and provided for her family like a mother should. Thierry lived in Dijon for the first 3 years of his life. It was his mother's death that lead his father to move as far away from his old life as possible. It was said in the French community that he lived in that Emile wished to escape from the guilt that he felt for his affair, but most knew better. After Anaïs' died giving birth to Thierry's sister, Pénélope, Thierry decided to start a new life with his mistress where there would be no one to judge his actions. New York was the perfect escape with the perfect opportunities.
It was when Thierry was 5 when he changed his name to Terry. He picked up the American language much quicker than the rest of his family. It was at the age of 5 that he changed his name to Terry to Americanize himself and avoid any ridicule from the kids around his neighbourhood. The ridicule never really stopped though. It was now his accent that the kids would make fun of. He dedicated his time to pick up the American accent and eventually got good enough at it that most people who didn't know him couldn't tell that he was French. Most of the kids stopped picking on him after that.
Terry's family was lucky. He was able to afford a decent schooling. It was there that he started to notice the girls. He wanted to stand out from the rest of the guys around him. His father's mistress, Sylvie, whom Terry believed was his mother, told him that any good looking girl would get dolled up for a man who could sing and dance like in the theatres. This single conversation is what sparked Terry's dedication to performance.
The Great War ravaged the country and Terry's father was enlisted. His experience as a doctor was a pivotal roll in the war, which Terry viewed as a romantic endeavour over seas. A shelling in the trench that Emile was stationed at forced him to come home from the war early. Emile was lucky to live with his broken femur. It never set properly and he had a lot of trouble walking when it did heal. Over all, it changed Terry's father. His father would tell stories of the war and of France. All of the stories were likely untrue, but at the time, they seemed so real and so heroic. Emile sparked an interest in Terry's home country for him.
He met his first and only girlfriend when he was 15 year old. Ethel was her name. She was only a year younger than him. The two of them were inseparable and would go on to live many happy years together as a couple. But it didn't come without trouble. Another boy was vying for her attention at the time. The situation came to a head in a fight between the two that had broken out over her. In the middle of the fight, the boy pulled out a knife and cut Terry across the face, leaving a permanent scar.
Terry would later go onto Marry Ethel at age 21.
When Terry left home, he became a professional singer, dancer, actor. He made a very good name for himself. Meeting all the big names in the world of Broadway and Tin Pan Ally. He even met the famous Ziegfeld of the ever famous Ziegfeld Follies. Ziegfeld eventually offered Terry a part in one of his Follies shows. It was an opportunity of a lifetime and he couldn't see a reason to say no.
It was around this time that Emile finally admitted to Terry that his real mother had died in childbirth and that Sylvie had been his mistress. This broke Terry. This brought out a true fear of his. He came to a realization (whether this realization is deluded or not is not up to me to decide) that everything about his life and the city he lived in a was a lie. 25 years of his life had been wasted. Out of fear that he'd been lying to himself about his love, he divorced his wife. He declined Ziegfeld's show in fear that this too was a lie and then he moved to Paris, which he believed was a city with few secrets.
It was only after moving there that he realized that not much was different. His imaginings of Paris was yet another lie concocted from the tales of the war that his father would tell him. But he wasn't about to go back. He had to much pride to do that. Instead, he attempted to make his career in Paris. Paris wasn't as kind to him. He was an French American living in France. Despite being born in France, he was very much American.
Things have been looking up for him recently. A London producer had heard of his success in America and wishes to have a talent like that work for him. He's asked to meet Terry in his offices in Nottingham. But upon his arrival in Nottingham, he was informed that the producer is currently in London working on a show. He's bought a ticket to London in hope to finally become the performer he's dreamed of being.