Julien Poulin, interpreter of Elvis Gratton, has died

Quebec actor Julien Poulin died Saturday in hospital. He was 78 years old. The family of the deceased did not wish to reveal the cause of death. His agent Eugénie Gaillard confirmed the news on Sunday on -.

We know him for the hundred films to his credit, including 15 February 1839, Truck et A miracle. He is also known as being the great friend of Pierre Falardeau and as a man committed to Quebec. But he is best known as Bob Gratton and his alter ego Elvis Gratton.

If the films Elvis Gratton : The movie, Elvis Gratton II : Miracle in Memphis, Elvis Gratton XXX : The Revenge of Elvis Wong and the spin-off series Bob Gratton : Ma vie, My Life have amplified his notoriety across the country, Julien Poulin was already carving out his place in the Quebec cultural universe before playing the famous federalist mechanic with great ambitions – and large garage.

Born in Montreal in 1946, Julien Poulin began his artistic career in the theater, before finding himself in the cinema for the first time in 1973 with the films You burn…. You burn… by Jean-Guy Noël and Réjeanne Padovani by Denys Arcand.

His collaboration with director Pierre Falardeau, however, changed the direction of his career.

In 1980, Julien Poulin co-directed the short film with Pierre Falardeau Speak White. Produced by theNFBthe work consists of a reading of Michèle Lalonde’s poem by Marie Eykel. In addition to co-directing, Julien Poulin also provided the music for the film.

Then, still with Pierre Falardeau, the artist created the character of Elvis Gratton, aka Bob Gratton, a mechanic who has the ambition of becoming Elvis Presley’s double.

But, above all, a character who wants to reflect the ills of Quebec society and a biting critique of the relationship between Quebec and the rest of Canada, even the rest of the world.

“They have it, the Americans.” This is the idea that we wanted to exploitJulien Poulin has already explained.

In 1981, the two friends released their first short film, Elvis Gratton. Two other short films will then follow: Elvis Gratton’s Vacation (1983) et Not yet Elvis Gratton (1985).

From these three compiled works, a feature film was created which would then become a classic of Quebec comedy: Elvis Gratton : The King of kings.

Quotes from the film are still used in popular culture today, including a response given by Elvis Gratton to a Frenchman when asked where he is from.

I am a Canadian from Quebec. A French, French Canadian. A French North American. A French-speaking Quebecer from Canada. A French-Canadian-speaking Quebecer. We are American Canadians, French speaking from North Americahe then says to him.

The character will have followed Julien Poulin for the rest of his life. The main person concerned was always surprised that he was recognized as such decades later.

But Julien Poulin will not only have played comedy.

Some will remember Julien Poulin for his role as the complex doorman Gaétan Langlois, aka Vieuxin the series Midnight, eveningbroadcast on - at the end of the 2000s. This performance earned him the Gémeaux Prize in 2007 for best male supporting role in a drama series.

Then, for his main role in the film Truckby Rafaël Ouellet, the Montrealer received the Iris Prize (former Jutra Prize) for best actor in 2013.

Thirteen years earlier, in 2000, he received the Jutra Prize for best supporting actor for The Last Breathby Richard Ciupka.

In the hundred films in which he played, there are also The Crime of Ovide Plouffe (1984), The Us (1985), Seraph : A man and his sin (2002) et Grandma (2008).

More recently he has been seen in the films Arsenault and Son et Paul in Quebec.

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