Actor since adolescence, Riton Liebman experienced a meteoric rise then a descent into hell before rebuilding himself. The artist looks back on his past and shares his story with Christophe Dechavanne.
Born in Brussels in 1964, Riton Liebman caused a sensation at the age of 13, when he was chosen for a role in the cult film “Preparez vos mouchoirs” by Bertrand Blier. Alongside Gérard Depardieu, Patrick Dewaere, and Carole Laure, the young Riton starred in a film that won the Oscar for best foreign film in 1977. Immediately propelled into the spotlight, he became the new prodigy of French-speaking cinema.
This sudden rise quickly brought him to Paris, where he made friends with celebrities like Vanessa Paradis and Florent Pagny and opened the doors to the seventh art, where he rubbed shoulders with notable figures like Thierry Lhermitte, Claudia Cardinale, Michel Serrault and Richard Berry.
The Shadow Behind the Spotlight: The Descent into Drugs
But behind the success, Riton begins to suffer from the shadow imposed by the success of his comrades and his own celebrity. The pressure and intense pace of life lead him to addiction. In the heart of the 80s, he became a regular at Mirano, an emblematic Brussels club, where passing stars rub shoulders.
Over time, he descends into drugs, a destructive spiral that impacts both his personal and professional life. On the sets, his behavior deteriorates, to the point of losing the trust of those around him and those close to him. “Little by little, he fell into drugs and he became addicted”says his mother, Adeline Liebman. “It was a descent into hell for him. But we didn’t know that”adds her sister Sophie.
Redemption: a rehab center and a second chance
After fifteen years of fierce struggle with addiction, Riton made the decision to seek treatment. He then joined a rehab center in Soissons, in the north of France, run by Kate Barry, the daughter of Jane Birkin. This center, renowned for its treatment method without drug treatment, imposes severe discipline. “The hardest two months of my life”he remembers, but determined, he overcomes the ordeal.
Freed from his demons, Riton Liebman regains his taste for creation. Having become an author, he took the stage to tell his story and his resilience through several one-man shows, reaching an audience who rediscovered him in a new light. Still an actor, he maintains a strong link with cinema and even directed a film inspired by his passion for football and Standard de Liège. “I create my own projects, I write and I put on my shows”he confides.
Watch “The Storms of Life”, presented by Christophe Dechavanne every Tuesday at 8:25 p.m. on RTL tvi and streaming on RTL play.
Riton Liebman The storms of life Christophe Dechavanne
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