Actor Julien Poulin died on Saturday at the age of 78. He is particularly recognized for his interpretation of Elvis Gratton, a character who marked the collective Quebec imagination. His agent, Eugénie Gaillard, confirmed the news on Sunday. The cause of death is not known at this time.
Born April 20, 1946 in Montreal, Julien Poulin has around a hundred films to his credit. He made his film debut in 1973 appearing in Réjeanne Padovani, by Denys Arcand, and in You burn… you burn…by Jean-Guy Noël.
But no performance by Julien Poulin is as emblematic as that of Elvis Gratton, alias Bob Gratton, a caricature of Quebec society of the time that he co-created with his great friend and long-time partner, Pierre Falardeau. This role and this collaboration have forever marked his career.
Elvis Gratton appeared in his first feature film in 1985, Elvis Gratton: The king of kingsa compilation of three short films. He became a cult character in the Quebec imagination, from his infinitely recognizable “tabarnak” to his “big garage”.
Without forgetting his now legendary response when asked to explain his origins: “I am a Quebec Canadian. A Frenchman, French-Canadian. A French North American. A French-speaking Quebecer from Canada. A French-speaking Quebecer. We are American Canadians, French-speaking from North America. »
Released in 1981, the first short film starring Elvis Gratton arrived just after the first referendum of 1980, an event which served as an inspiration for co-directors and co-authors Julien Poulin and Pierre Falardeau.
The Brossard mechanic who imitates Elvis Presley is intended to be a representation and critique of the Americanization of Quebec and federalism, played in a comic and absurd tone which continued to seduce Quebec with the two cinematic sequels still led by the duo, Elvis Gratton II: Miracle in Memphis et Elvis Gratton XXX : La Vengeance d’Elvis Wong.
A television series written by François Avard and directed by Gabriel Pelletier, Bob Gratton : ma vie, my life was first broadcast in January 2007 and concluded 41 episodes later in April 2009.
A successful career
During his career spanning five decades, Julien Poulin won two Jutra awards (renamed the Iris awards in 2017): that of best supporting actor in 2000 for his role in The last breathby Richard Ciupka, and that of best actor in 2013 for his role in Truck by Rafael Ouellet. More recently, he was in the distribution of another Ouellet film, Arsenault and sons (2022).
Among his other feats of arms, let us note among others his roles in Seraphim: A man and his sin, Monica the machine gun, Grandma, Paul in Quebec et Kiss me like you love me.
On television, there have been a plethora of memorable series: Virginia, The Bougons, The Negotiator, Do you love me?, Unit 9, The Escape and many others. He won the Gemini for Best Supporting Actor for his work in the series Midnight, evening, from Podz, in 2007.
Tributes
“A great Quebec actor. I of course remember his role as Elvis Gratton, but also his exceptional performance in Midnight, evening », Wrote on X the Prime Minister of Quebec, François Legault.
“Quebec today loses a giant of its culture and a giant of activism for the independence of Quebec,” says the leader of the Parti Québécois, Paul St-Pierre Plamondon. Elvis Gratton was such a “real and successful parody of the colonized French-speaking Quebecer, who made us laugh so much and become aware of our greatest collective faults at the same time,” he adds. “Julien Poulin will have left his mark on Quebec culture over the last 50 years; let us be assured that his work will also mark future generations of Quebecers. »
The interim leader of the Liberal Party of Quebec, Marc Tanguay, highlighted “sad news”. “He knew how to make us laugh and move us. »
More details will follow.
