Michel Blanc

Small, bald, and of average appearance, French comedian Michel Blanc is among his country's most popular and prolific contemporary funnymen. He also has a devoted international following. In addition to acting, he is a talented screenwriter and has directed two films as well. Blanc started out as a member of Le Splendid comedy troupe. Though not the most popular of the players, he was the first to become a director, making his debut with Marche a l'ombre (1984), which became a big box-office hit in France. Blanc became a star in 1986 after filmmaker Bertrand Blier invited him to replace the recently deceased Patrick Dewaere in his comedy Tenue de Soiree and star opposite French superstar Gerard Depardieu. His performance earned him a Best Actor award at the 1986 Cannes Film Festival. In 1989, Blanc broke out of the comedy mold and proved himself a fine dramatic actor in the highly regarded Monsieur Hire. For comedians, a sudden foray into drama is a risky move, but for Blanc it was an excellent one and he received considerable praise for his efforts. In 1994, he returned to the director's chair for the scathing comedy Grosse Fatigue, based on an original idea by his friend Blier, in which Blanc plays a dual role to archly comment upon French cinema and to make fun of his own fame and fortune.