Personalities and anonymous people in number for a “Splendid” farewell to Michel Blanc

“He was a person who made us laugh, we watched all his films,” confided a septuagenarian who came to pay a final tribute to the actor who died on October 3, 2024.

His friends from Splendid, Brigitte Macron, Rachida Dati and a thousand fans came to pay a final tribute to the “angsty clown”Thursday October 10, in Paris, during the funeral of actor Michel Blanc, who died suddenly at the age of 72.

The ceremony, led by parish priest Yves Trocheris, began around 4:05 p.m. in the Saint-Eustache church, located in the heart of the city where the actor resided, noted AFP. In the assembly, his friends from Splendid including Gérard Jugnot and Josiane Balasko, Brigitte Macron, the actors and directors Jean-Paul Rouve, a very moved Patrice Leconte, Dany Boon and Isabelle Mergault, who directed her first film, “I find you very handsome” (2005), with Michel Blanc in the title role, or the Minister of Culture Rachida Dati.

Outside, hundreds of anonymous people and admirers gathered in front of the gates which demarcate a security perimeter. Many of them managed to force their way into the crowded church pews. Those who failed can follow the ceremony thanks to a sound broadcast on the square.

“He was a simple man who never got a big head, who we could have invited to our table at home”estimates Monique Picard, 72 years old, who rents the “extraordinary cinematography” of the actor, including The Bronzed, that she looks at when she “a bout of the blues”.

“He’s a person who made us laugh, we watched all his films. We are here out of curiosity and admiration, and to pay homage to him“, confides Jean, 74, who did not wish to give his name.

Winks punctuate this popular and open tribute, like the actor: the mass booklet includes a cult line from Michel Blanc: “I feel like I’m going to wrap it up.”. And, at the back of the church, a man appears in winter sports gear, including skis, a reference to the second part of the Tanned.

A major actor in comedic 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 Parisian hospital where he died.

According to his entourage, the actor was the victim of anaphylactic shock, a rare but violent allergic reaction to a food, a drug or venom, which can lead to death in a few minutes. The Paris prosecutor’s office told AFP that it was not aware of his death.