Actor Michel Blanc has died at the age of 72

He is one of the figures of French cinema, the legendary Jean-Claude Dusse of “Bronzés”. The actor and director Michel Blanc died during the night from Thursday to Friday in hospital, several sources indicate to Le Parisien, confirming information from Paris Match. The actor suffered a heart attack in the evening and was transported in serious condition to a Parisian hospital.

In a story published overnight on Instagram, his sidekick from the Splendid troupe, Gérard Jugnot wrote “Fuck Michel… What have you done to us…”. “Michel my friend my brother my partner”, reacted on Instagram the actress Josiane Balasko, another figure of the troupe.

The actor who was revealed for his comedic talent in the 1970s has played in more than 70 films, and directed several critically acclaimed feature films – “Marche à l’ombre”, “Grosse fatigue”, “Embrassez whoever you want” and “Bad pass”.

Popular successes with the Splendid

In his early days, the actor had a string of popular successes – “Les Bronzés”, “Les Bronzés sont du ski” – alongside the Splendid troupe, made up of his group of friends, Gérard Jugnot, Christian Clavier, Thierry Lhermitte, Josiane Balasko and Marie-Anne Chazel. In these films, he often remains confined to the roles of an endearing loser or a clumsy flirt.

A hard worker, a perfectionist, Michel Blanc knew how to use his complexes and his writing talent to explore disenchantment and shape the characters in his films.

After the enormous public success of “Marche à l’ombre” (1984), his first film as a director, the actor bounced back and broadened his range by disappearing as the first of the Splendid gang. Two years later, he shattered the “glass ceiling” with the transgressive “Evening Tenue” (1986) by Bertrand Blier. He plays Antoine, a man who becomes infatuated with Gérard Depardieu and cross-dresses.

The role won him a prize for best actor at Cannes. In the following years, he distinguished himself in a dramatic genre, under the direction of André Téchiné (“La fille du RER”) and Alain Corneau (“Le second souffle”). The year 2012 marked a turning point for his career: he received his first César, that of best actor in a supporting role for “The State Exercise” by Pierre Schoeller.

A Caesar for “The Exercise of State”

A consecration for the actor who takes on the role of a chief of staff to a Minister of Transport in this political thriller. “It’s a very different role from what I have been able to tackle,” he commented when receiving his prize.

“It’s a type of role I dreamed of. I wasn’t sure that the public would accept me in these roles. And so, I thank you for giving me authorization to continue in this direction, to continue to be demanding.”

In 2006, Patrice Leconte brought together the “Bronzés” troupe again for a third part, which was a critical failure. Despite this, Michel Blanc still wanted to work again with his former accomplices from Splendid, as he said in the spring to Paris Match: “Doing things together, yes, but not The tanned ones. We no longer know how to do this humor. It was almost fifty years ago, the world has evolved.”