French actor Michel Blanc, best known for his roles in Le Splendid troupe comedy films like the 1978 cult classic Les Bronzés (French Fried Vacation) and its subsequent 1979 and 2006 sequels, died early Oct. 4 at 72 of a heart attack following anaphylactic shock, per the Agence France-Presse.
A fixture in French cinema, his death was mourned by president Emmanuel Macron, who wrote on X: “He made us cry with laughter and moved us to tears. A monument of French cinema, Michel Blanc is gone. Our thoughts go out to his loved ones and his acting accomplices.”
The French Minister of Culture, Rachida Dati, added in a statement: “This morning the sorrow is immense, as great as his talent. In front of the camera of Bertrand Blier, Robert Altman or Pierre Schoeller, Michel Blanc amazed us with the variety of his acting, but also with his talents as a director with films like “Marche à l’ombre” or “Grosse fatigue”. Cinema, the world of culture and all French people will not forget him.”
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In addition to memorably portraying Jean-Claude Dusse in the satirical film Bronzés — which he co-wrote as part of the café-théâtre company he founded alongside childhood friends Christian Clavier, Gérard Jugnot and Thierry Lhermitte (as well as Josiane Balasko and Marie-Anne Chazel) — he was in L’Exercice de l’État (The Minister), the thriller-drama for which he won a Best Supporting Actor César Award, the equivalent of the Oscar in France. In addition to comedic roles, Blanc was known for dramatic portrayals with 1989’s Monsieur Hire and 2007’s Les Témoins (The Witnesses), about a close-knit friend group that is impacted by the AIDS epidemic in 1980s Paris.
Other notable accolades include his 1986 Best Actor win at the Cannes Film Festival, for his starring role in Tenue de soirée (Evening Dress, also known as Ménage). He also won the fest’s Best Screenplay Award with Grosse Fatigue (Dead Tired), a film he starred in, co-wrote and directed, which was also nominated for the coveted Palme d’Or.
Occasionally, Blanc crossed over into Hollywood, starring opposite the likes of Jerry Lewis, Jeff Goldblum and Helen Mirren. A multi-hyphenate, Blanc was also a prolific filmmaker and screenwriter, garnering several César nominations, including for Best Screenplay twice for Dead Tired and Summer Things. Marche à l’ombre, another ’80s French comedy staple, was also co-written and directed by star Blanc, who received a César nom for Best First Work. In 2021, the Splendid troupe received the anniversary César Award.
“Very often, I like to play characters that touch me one way or the other,” he said in an interview conducted last year, adding, “I am fortunate that people have asked me to play interesting characters and that I had the possibility—or the talent, whatever that may be—to portray them. So it’s a mixture. It gets you nowhere if you’re very lucky but don’t know how to play your character. And if you’re an incredible actor who only gets small or insignificant roles, you’re also stuck. In the end, it’s a combination of circumstances—and luck.”
Blanc remained active in the film industry up until his death. Two films in which he starred, Le Routard and La Cache, are slated for release next year.
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