On October 4, 2024, the world of French cinema lost an essential figure. Michel Blanc, iconic actor and director, died at the age of 72 following a fatal allergy. His death shocked the Splendid troupe, with whom he shared decades of success. This Saturday, December 21, Thierry Lhermitte was present on the set of the show What an era! on France 2, to present the latest project of all the members of the group brought together, the work The Splendid by the Splendid, we had so much fun!. The opportunity for the actor to return to his friend's funeral, and to share an unexpected anecdote!
The surprise guest at the funeral of Michel Blanc
Thierry Lhermitte told this story to an all-hearing Léa Salamé: “Pendant the funeral was at the Saint-Eustache churchthere was a guy in a tracksuit crossing, coming from the back, talking to one of the priests, so we wondered what was happening.” An intrusion which quickly raised questions in the building, some believed it was an inappropriate disruption of mourning, while others were simply taken aback.
The priest then informs them that the man in question has a statement to make to the assembly: “The guy says, 'Michel is talking to me,' so it's a little chilling. He says: 'he wants you to sing, for us all to sing together'and he starts 'when will I see you again, wonderful country', it was so nice, so spontaneous and warm! I think Michel would have loved it.” An anecdote which touched the public, still shocked after the sudden loss of the actor.
The latest work of the Splendid
Proposed by Thierry Lhermitte, the book The Splendid by the Splendid, we had so much fun! is a collaborative project. Each member of the troupe shared their memories and delved into their personal archives to illustrate this story. Gérard Jugnot, moved, had already told it to our colleagues at Parisian : “We all took out our old photos, which were sometimes a little personal. Jean-Pierre Lavoignat responded to these photos and it made a pretty wonderful book that I found beautiful.”
The words of Michel Blanc, written shortly before his death, particularly marked Thierry Lhermitte: “The day Michel died, I didn't sleep, I read everything he had written, it shocked me.” However, a doubt persists for him: “Three days before his death, we all received the latest version of the book. Did he have time to read everything? I don't know.” More than a simple work, this book is a testimony of friendship. Thierry Lhermitte sums it up like this: “These are love letters let us write to each other.” The collection has been available since November 21 in bookstores.
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