After the death of Michel Blanc, Le Splendid releases a book to celebrate the troupe’s 50th anniversary

BOOK – A birthday with a bitter taste. This year, Le Splendid celebrates its 50th anniversary. For the occasion, the members of the troupe are publishing this Thursday, November 21 The Splendid by the Splendid, we had so much fun published by Le Cherche Midi. A project in which Michel Blanc, who died on October 10, participated.

In addition to Michel Blanc, the group of actors, present both in the theater and in the cinema, was made up of Christian Clavier, Gérard Jugnot, Josiane Balasko, Thierry Lhermitte, Marie-Anne Chazel and Bruno Moynot. They all participated in the writing of this tribute work which recounts their rise in the world of French comedy.

These 256 pages plan to immerse us in their history, from the beginnings in the small café-theater Le Splendid, 10 rue des Lombards in Paris, to the successes of the trilogy of Tanned (1978-2006) or the film Santa Claus is trash (1982).

On the program: never before revealed photos and filming anecdotes, but above all unpublished texts from each member of the troupe. “I found the texts so warm,” confides Thierry Lhermitte on this subject in an interview with Parisian.

« At first I only read what I had written to check for bullshit. The day Michel died, I didn’t sleep, I read everything he had written, it shocked me. the actor is moved. “And then I read what everyone had done and it was so cool,” he reveals before describing them as “ love letters that we write to each other.

The actor, who finished writing his passage on Michel Blanc a month before his death, is not sure that he had the time to read it. “The proof was three days before his disappearance. Did he read everything? I don’t know anything about it.” he admits.

Their last joint project

The interpreter of Robert “Popeye” Lespinasse in The Bronzed was also invited to France Inter this Wednesday, November 20, alongside Marie-Anne Chazel and Gérard Jugnot. The latter concedes that “ the party is a little spoiled » for the troop of Splendidwho was counting on this event to find himself.

“We received it as something of incredible injustice, of enormous brutality”admits the actress about the disappearance of her friend. She also confesses that this death “nothing could have been predicted” makes him wonder “Who will be next?” » in this blended family.

The Splendid by the Splendid, we had so much fun will remain “the last thing we will have done together” concludes Thierry Lhermitte.

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