In the yellowed margins of the original text of the “Dinner for idiots”hides an unpublished treasure: the handwritten annotations of Jacques Villeret. Published this November 6 by Fayard, they reveal the hard work of the man who played François Pignon for more than two years on stage, before winning the César for best actor for his performance in the cinema.
The meticulous art of comedy by Jacques Villeret
Behind the apparent simplicity of Jacques Villeret's game hid the work of a goldsmith. From his first reading of the text, the actor “began to blacken the pages“, as his son Alexandre recounts in the preface. On nearly 250 double-sided pages, the actor meticulously recorded his stage directions, his acting intentions, his emotions: “doubtful“, “a time of distrust”, “embarrassment”. “Surgical, precise work, because comedy, like a musical score, requires rigor”, underlines Alexandre Villeret. An approach that reflects the actor's philosophy: “99% work, 1% talent.
Jacques Villeret or the obsession with perfection
The document reveals the unfailing demands of Jacques Villeret. “His only obsession: not to lose his voice!”remembers his son. He then recalls the daily exercises his father engaged in. This perfectionism paid off: the play remained on display at the Théâtre des Variétés for more than two years from September 1993, before being adapted for the cinema in 1998. The film reached 9.2 million admissions and was worth Villeret won the César for best actor in 1999, as well as the best television audience for TF1 in 2001.
A legacy for future actors
This publication is also an opportunity for transmission. “Thirty years after the creation of the piece and twenty years after the death of my father, it is important for me to pay tribute to him and take you behind the scenes of his mind.”explains Alexandre Villeret. The impact of this work goes beyond the framework of the show: recently, a French teacher devoted four hours of class to the study of these annotations.
“Between the lines, behind the technique, there is his whole life, the intensity of the rehearsals of a legendary actor, whose every annotation, every gesture bears witness to his passion for incarnation, his dedication to the art of theater and its infinite attachment to the pleasure of the public”concludes his son.
