Updated10. October 2024, 7:15 pm
ParisFarewell to Michel Blanc, who finished this time
His friends from Splendid and even a man on skis: many of them said goodbye to the actor, who died at the age of 72 years.
His friends from “Splendid”, Brigitte Macron, Patrice Leconte and a thousand fans came to pay their last respects to the “anxious clown” on Thursday in Paris, during the funeral of the actor Michel Blanc, who died suddenly at the age of 72 .
The ceremony, led by the parish priest Yves Trocheris, began around 4:05 pm in the church of Saint-Eustache, located in the heart of the city where the actor lived, noted AFP.
People join people: friends from Splendid including Gérard Jugnot and Josiane Balasko, Brigitte Macron, actors and directors Jean-Paul Rouve and Isabelle Mergault, who directed her first film, “Je vous très beau” (2005 ), with Michel White in the title role, or the Minister of Culture Rachida Dati.
“Like idiots with dark glasses”
Jean-Paul Rouve spoke during the mass. “Fuck, Michael, what have you done to us? Because of you, we end up like idiots with dark glasses and handkerchiefs in church. You left Michel, but not to the local restaurant. We miss you”.
Outside, hundreds of anonymous people and fans have gathered in front of the gates that define a security perimeter. Many of them managed to squeeze their way into the seats of the crowded church. Those who missed it can follow the ceremony thanks to an audio broadcast on the square.
“He was a simple man who never got a big one, who we could invite to our table at home,” says Monique Picard, 72, who praises the actor’s “extraordinary cinematography”, including “Les Bronzés” she looks when she is. there is “bout of the blues”.
“He’s someone who made us laugh, we watched all his movies. We are there out of curiosity and respect and to pay tribute to him,” says Jean, 74, who did not wish to give his name.
A man on skis in the church
Winks, like the actor, punishes this open and popular tribute: the mass libretto includes a cult line from Michel Blanc: “I feel that I am going to make it happen” and, at the back of the church, a man appears in winter sports equipment, including skis, a reference to the second part of “Bronzés”.
In the midst of the tributes and hymns, a cheeky fan also quietly walked forward, grabbed the microphone and sang the cultural refrain “When will I see you again, great country?”, sung by Blanc sitting on a ski lift (“When will I see you again, wonderful country?”), sung by Blanc sitting on a ski lift (“Les Bronzés go skiing”, 1979). The audience followed him in chorus, twice.
“I think he liked it”
“It was a very beautiful ceremony. There were many people, even Jean-Claude Dusse was behind it. I think he liked it. There was decorum, good music, and many people who loved him,” Josiane Balasko told AFP after the ceremony.
A major actor in comedy cinema in the 1980s before moving towards dramatic roles and a career as a director, Michel Blanc suffered a heart attack during the night from Thursday to Friday and was transported to a hospital in Paris where he died.
According to those close to him, the actor was a victim of anaphylactic shock, a rare but violent allergic reaction to food, drug or venom, which can lead to death within a few minutes. The prosecutor’s office in Paris told AFP it was not aware of his death.
(afp)