Was it the Zinneke side that pushed you to create the character of Agent Verhaegen?
“Yes, clearly, it is inspired by my father, by this generation of Brussels, by the environment in which I grew up, by what I saw and heard. I was inspired by my father and also by my city and Belgium in general since it is part of me, of my roots.”
Now that Officer Verhaegen is so well known, isn’t it a handicap on the street, when the police recognize you and might want to take revenge for the “mockery”?
“No, on the contrary, it was rather beneficial to me (laughs). The police officers are very nice, it amuses them because this character makes them think of their leader, the older generation who gets a little lost. It brings them a little nostalgia. With globalization everywhere, we lose a little of the identity of each culture and I think that’s what pleases people in this character. He refers to our parents, our grandparents, our uncles or. our cousins, who are increasingly rare people and I think it’s important to keep what makes us Belgian. The culture is also the accents and that’s why I love it so much. accents because it’s a beautiful window into who we are. A character like Verhaegen reflects, beyond his accent, this Belgianness.”
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Making a career in humor is not easy, you need talent, but also a bit of luck. What made your career take off?
“It’s very difficult to say. I’m really very grateful because it takes a lot of luck, but also a lot of determination and work. When I started, at the time, with the comedians of my generation like Kody, Vizorek, from Warzée, we did it out of pure passion because it was not a job like it is today. Of course, it remains a difficult job, but there are more opportunities for the new generation. to do radio reviews, to make videos on social networks there are more opportunities to make yourself known whereas in our time, there was an element of madness because the only references of those who had succeeded. , it was Pirette and the Taloches, that’s all. Today, there is a whole generation of which I am part who lives from it and this new generation can allow itself to dream a little more.
Your latest show is called Gamin and is a little more intimate. As a kid, were you ever the one who made others laugh?
“When I was a child, I already liked to imitate my parents, my teachers, to act as a clown. It’s something instinctive in me. In adolescence, that changes, we try to please girls, we ask more questions, we are afraid of judgment Today, I don’t need to act like a clown in my private life, I already do it enough on stage. I’m rather calm, composed, even if I have. also crazy moments in my private life I know that there are comedians who are sad in life. Personally, I am very happy, very fulfilled and I don’t need to act like a clown. time whereas when I was a kid I needed to attract attention all the time As a teenager, it changed a bit I hated this period because it’s a time when we are particularly. false, we are not connected with who we are We are looking for ourselves, we need to please our friends and girlfriends We create a character, I have always hated this period because I have always been quite sensitive and. I think that this period where it’s the loudest who gets away with it was never really my thing, but it shaped me. It’s a period when we suffer where we tell ourselves that no one loves us, no one understands us, but it’s a period where we gain a lot of sensitivity. I think there are people who get stuck in this. We are all idiots during adolescence and some remain idiots and who remain stuck in their little role and they become executives in a company and are unbearable.”
At this time, your career as a comedian was still far away. Do you plan to do anything else if it doesn’t work?
“When I was 18 I really wanted to do theater, not just comedy, but to go to the conservatory to become an actor. I knew that was what I wanted but, in my education, it wasn’t a job so it was not possible and so I studied communication and obtained my master’s degree in communication at Ihecs. It was only afterwards that I took a sabbatical. to have fun, to do what I want to do I went to drama school, only thinking of doing it for a year, but I had so much fun that I said to myself: I have to do this. It’s visceral. And then if I don’t make a living, so be it, but I have to do it. That’s how it happened. I always wanted to do that, but it took me. time to allow me to do so.”
The Devils are also a turning point in your career. The capsules produced to support the national team are a real hit. Was it obvious to tackle the subject of Devils, out of passion?
“I started by doing the stage, creating this character of Agent Verhaegen. I developed it on stage, on the radio and then when I said to myself that it would be nice to make videos with this character and I had to tackle subjects so I chose subjects that make me dream, that I love and I’m really passionate about football so it happens quite naturally. With these capsules, I don’t expect anything. Either way, I tell myself I’m going to make a video, it’ll be funny and I tell myself that I’ll talk about the match from the day before that we all saw, we have the same references, it’s easier to relate to it. laugh.”
In these videos, despite the passion you have for Devils, you do not hesitate to make fun of them…
“A joke is love. If you don’t love someone, you can’t winnow them. Someone you don’t love you ignore. It’s like in meals family, we will always winnow those we love. We don’t talk to those we don’t like. For me, it’s a way of saying I love you.
The Devils also participated in certain sketches. Are they really funny?
“Yes, they are very funny. Eden is a little cockerel who also likes to winnow. The Devils remain young people who play football, who are aware of how lucky they are and who also need to breathe because they there’s a lot of pressure. And so making videos with me is a playground for everyone. I’m very happy to meet them, to laugh with them, and they’re happy to get away from the pressure. “a high-level athlete, whether it’s Eden, Thomas Meunier, Yannick Carrasco, Axel Witsel and many others, they are young people who want to have fun, like everyone else.”
During the last Euro, the French did not appreciate a passage from one of your sketches (Who is going to tackle Mbappé in the shins… Amadou Onana). Can we still laugh at everything when humor is today restricted by censorship?
“I didn’t understand. Especially since we had made this video before, at a time when we didn’t know that we were going to play against France. There’s really no intention, we’re hiding . But today it’s the rule of the game, it’s social networks, we’re in a world where people are more sensitive. I think that whatever our feelings, our goal is to. make people laugh, but you have to understand that some people can feel hurt. I think you have to know how to hear it, know how to listen. Personally, I don’t censor myself, but I don’t want to hurt people. people. My job is to make people laugh If there is a real malicious intention behind it, it’s not funny if a comedian makes a spicy joke but you can only sense his energy behind it. is aggressive, there is anger, frustration, it’s never good and at that moment, the comedian is no longer doing humor, he’s doing politics.”
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Between social networks, the stage, radio, TV, what still makes you dream?
“I am entering a phase where I need to challenge myself, to put myself in danger because to remain passionate you have to get out of your comfort zone. I have been trying to work on things other than the characters that people know. That’s why my last show was more personal. Today, I want to approach other media like fiction which has fascinated me for a long time. comedy, but otherwise, by telling a story that is really different from a show or videos on social networks I want to use everything I have learned in fact and try to confront myself with it. a mountain that exceeds me If I always do what I have always done, I will lose the flame. That’s why I’ve been working in the shadows for years to achieve my goal, to reach the level of. Louis de Funès or Robin Williams, for me, this level is a lifetime. When you see de Funès, he has become good at a very old age. Comedy is like wine, the older you are, the better you are I think. I really have the vision of a marathon runner, I continue to work on trying to surpass myself and I prepare myself to try to go to the next stage.”
Is cinema the Holy Grail?
“Yes, that’s one of my goals because I think it represents everything I love. There’s an element of writing, directing, acting, music and we tell a story. We have to bring together all these arts to make people laugh, it’s fascinating I know that it will take shape in some time, but it’s a big risk I can also completely screw up, but that’s what makes me tick. When I started creating my characters, even in my family, people said to me why are you doing that, it doesn’t make sense and then suddenly when it works and I do Forest National, they tell me. says “but yes, it’s great, we knew it…” but we forget that we’ve already been working for ten and fifteen years, that we’ve been struggling, but we have to be ready to show off because it’s “It’s a job where you take a beating.”
On December 9, in Mons, we will find you in a grandiose show, “Christmas with the family”, with many other artists. Can we lift a corner of the veil?
“Christmas has always been a magical time for me. It’s a big celebration that takes us back to childhood. There will be Belgian and French artists. Booder will be there, like Jeanfi Janssens, Victor Vincent, Antoine Donneaux, Véronique Gallo,… There will be very, very big surprises, especially in song, lots of other artists who are very big names. It’s a high level of stupidity, that’s for sure. It’s all there with Sandrine Dans. I’m very happy to be able to put this together. The common thread is Santa’s little slack who asks Verhaegen for a helping hand to get back on track, otherwise he won’t be able to deliver presents. on a mission so that all the children can have their present and above all, he also wants his present. It’s a big surprise at the end because Verhaegen’s gift will be the arrival of someone who is not a comedian. nor a singer, but I can’t say more, you have to come see the show in Mons.”
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