Christian Clavier became one of the comic figures of France. Thanks to his famous catchphrases, his impeccable rhythm and his unmistakable facial expressions, he is one of the stars who have appeared the most in France.
Nominated for a César for Best Actor and Best Original Screenplay for Les Visiteurs in 1994, he is one of the inseparable faces of the popular comedy, with or without his Splendid co-stars. Das also received an honorary Cesar in 2021.
His first film role was The Splendid!
That film is L’An 01, directed by Jacques Doyon in 1973 (now accused of sexual assault, facts he disputes). Adapted from Gébé’s comics, L’An 01 tells the story of the arrival of a new way of life that has put an end to work and the market economy. But then, how do we invent society? And it is with these protest ideas of that time that Christian Klavier appears for the first time in the film!
Christian Clavier sits at a table in “L’An 01”.
You obviously recognized it, it’s Christian Clavier! In this sequence, he appears with his friends from the brilliant Thierry Lhermitte (Shaggy), Gérard Junot (His True) and Martin Lamott (Shoulder Sailor). Everyone is watching a TV show featuring the Hara-Kiri magazine team, who have come to play a conspiracy. Among them we find Professor Choron, Kavanagh, but also Cabou and Delfeil de Ton.
Clavier only has a few lines of dialogue – including one spoken off-camera – but we know him well, even if we’ve never seen him with so much hair!
From extra to headliner
After ’01, which was really a trial run, we saw him again in small roles in It’s Not Because We Have Nothing To Say We Gotta Shut Up, Let The Party Begin (1975), Watch Your Eyes!, as F.. Fairbanks ( 1976) and many others, all of which continue to appear on the stage of Théâtre Le Splendid.
Two years later, he was cast in the group Les Bronzés, which catapulted them to stardom in the new French comedy. He found his first solo role in I’m going to crack!!! (1980) followed by Les babas cool (1981) while continuing his career with Le Splendid (Papy fait de la Résistance). He became a comedy star from Operation Corned Beef and obviously The Visitors. The rest, of course, became legendary.
Source: Allocine
Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.
