Coluche

Coluche — Biography

Born Michel Gérard Joseph Colucci in Paris on 28 October 1944, Coluche became a French stand-up comedian, film actor, screenwriter, director and philanthropist, and he died in Opio on 19 June 1986. He rose to fame by bringing a cheeky, irreverent attitude toward politics and the establishment to the stage and to television, and he is regarded as one of the first major comedians to make profanity a regular ingredient of his humour on French television.

He was born in the 14th arrondissement of Paris to an Italian-born father and a French mother, and he grew up in Montrouge, just south of the capital. When he set out in show business at the age of 26, he adopted the stage name "Coluche". He first made his mark in cabaret and music-hall venues, and throughout the 1970s his one-man shows were captured on live recordings that earned him a wide following. Over the same period he also became a familiar voice on the radio, where his comic broadcasts enjoyed lasting popularity.

He entered the cinema at the end of the 1960s with small parts, playing secondary characters in films such as Peau d'Âne (1970), Themroc (1973) and L'an 01 (1973). His appearance opposite Louis de Funès in L'Aile ou la Cuisse (1976) moved him into more central roles. The following year he stepped behind the camera, co-directing with Marc Monnet the film Vous n'aurez pas l'Alsace et la Lorraine, which also marked his debut as a screenwriter. During the 1980s he stood at the top of the bill, mostly in comedies that drew large audiences: Inspecteur la Bavure (1980), Le Maître d'école (1981), Deux heures moins le quart avant Jésus-Christ (1982), Banzaï (1983), La Femme de mon pote (1983), Le Bon Roi Dagobert (1984) and Les Rois du gag (1985) are among the highlights of this period.

Although he had become a dependable star of box-office comedies, he also demonstrated genuine dramatic talent: his performance in Tchao Pantin (1983), directed by Claude Berri, brought him the César Award for Best Actor in 1984.

Seen variously as a provocateur or an agitator because of his social stands, Coluche announced his candidacy for the 1981 presidential election, but withdrew from the race in the face of heavy pressure and threats. He channelled his enormous popularity into charitable action, founding in 1985 the association Les Restos du Cœur, which provides free meals and essential goods to people in need and continues its work to this day.

Only a few months after the charity was established, on 19 June 1986, he was killed near Opio when his motorcycle collided with a lorry. He was married to Véronique Colucci and had two sons, Romain and Marius. Decades after his death, he remains one of the emblematic figures of French culture and holds a special place in the hearts of the French public.