On October 3, Michel Blanc suddenly left us at the age of 72, leaving the Splendid troupe orphaned by one of its most emblematic members. As a book celebrating the 50th anniversary of the legendary troupe comes out on November 21, Thierry Lhermitte finally breaks the silence in an interview with Le Parisien.
A sleepless night for Thierry Lhermitte
The sudden disappearance of Michel Blanc deeply affected his traveling companions, particularly Thierry Lhermitte who confided with emotion: “The day Michel died, I didn’t sleep, I read everything he had written, it upset me.” A confidence which testifies to the strong bond which united the two men, particularly in the preparation of the work “The Splendid by the Splendid, we had so much fun!”, a true artistic testament to their friendship.
The modest silence of Thierry Lhermitte in the face of mourning
Faced with questions about the troop's media discretion after the death, Thierry Lhermitte explains bluntly: “We didn't want to. We're not forced to share our pain. I don't feel any obligation of any kind, especially in the heat.” A modesty which takes nothing away from the depth of their pain, as evidenced by his presence at the funeral at the Saint-Eustache church in Paris on October 10.
A final symbolic reading for Michel Blanc and Thierry Lhermitte
The anniversary work, which Thierry Lhermitte describes as “love letters that we write to each other”, now takes on a particularly moving dimension. The actor reveals a poignant detail: “What I said to Michel was recorded a month before his death, I was happy at the idea of him discovering it.”
Michel Blanc had received the proof only three days before his disappearance, leaving a question that still haunts Thierry Lhermitte: “Did he read everything? I don't know.”
