After having met him, Enrico Macias (85 years old) was very honest about José Garcia: “He is a…

By Elsa Girard-Basset | Web journalist

Although he is obviously best known for his career as a singer, Enrico Macias has also made a few forays into cinema here and there. The general public remembers him in particular for his roles in two of the opuses of “The truth if I lie”, where he had the opportunity to play with a certain José Garcia. An actor on whom the veteran has a strong opinion.

With over 60 years of career under his belt, Enrico Macias is not satisfied: he will also perform on stage at the start of the school year, once a health problem has been definitively resolved. An ultra-recognizable figure of French variety since the 1960s, the native of Constantine has done almost everything in his life… even act in the cinema, notably in two of the three films of the trilogy “The truth if I lie”!

In these two cult feature films, the singer plays Maurice Boutboul, an accomplished businessman who becomes the father-in-law of Serge Benamou, a failure and notorious con artist, more clumsy than mean, who lives off his cousin. And if, on screen, their disagreements are numerous in the script, in real life, everything seems to have gone well between the two men.

Enrico Macias very complimentary towards José Garcia

While on the RTL set a few months ago, the singer of “Oh guitare, guitare” admitted that he had no particular news from the man who was his son-in-law in the fiction, even though he has no problem with him:

He is very busy and so am I, but I have good memories of him.

What really struck Macias was a scene from the third part of the saga, in which he was supposed to slap José Garcia. And it goes without saying that, to hear him tell it, he wasn’t pretending!

Yes… You know, I laughed out loud during filming. I didn’t want to slap him. When we rehearsed, I pretended to slap him.

So there, I gave it my all… Pan! As we turn, I see a lady with cream, trying to anesthetize him. I’m still pretty stupid!

If Enrico Macias does not pretend his pleasure at having given José Garcia a good slap, the latter has a slightly more contrasted memory (but amused, obviously) of the scene. The sidekick of Antoine de Caunes had in fact admitted that “Enrico really impressed me”. It is perhaps also because he regrets having gone so hard that the octogenarian insisted on praising his younger brother, concluding about him:

In any case, he is an exceptional actor and comrade.

Although he never had great ambitions as an actor, Enrico Macias mainly sought to have fun during his few experiences in the cinema. In this regard, it seems that the slap inflicted on José Garcia is one of his most memorable memories, or at least one of those that amuses him the most. At least, it’s assumed, and even more so since he particularly appreciates the interpreter of Serge Benamou!