Coluche

Michel Gérard Joseph Colucci (28 October 1944 – 19 June 1986), better known under his stage name Coluche, was a French stage comedian and cinema actor. He adopted Coluche as a stage name at age 26, when he began his entertainment career. He became known for his irreverent attitude towards politics and the establishment, and he incorporated this into much of his material. He was one of the first major comedians to regularly use profanities as a source of humor on French television. He also founded the charity "Les Restaurants du Coeur" which still provides free meals and other products to people in need.

Colucci was born on 28 October 1944, just weeks after the Liberation of Paris, in a hospital in the 14th arrondissement of the city. His mother, Simone Bouyer (called "Monette"), worked as a florist in the Boulevard du Montparnasse. His father, Honorio Colucci, from Casalvieri in Lazio, Italy, was a painter and decorator. His father died in 1947 at age 31 from poliomyelitis; his wife struggled thereafter to raise the young Michel and his sister (Danièle, 18 months older than Michel) on a meagre salary.

Coluche showed little promise at school, and left after completing his primary studies (June 1958). He tried various temporary jobs, and had several run-ins with authorities. During this time his mother bought him a guitar, which he taught himself to play. In 1964 he joined the 60th Infantry Regiment de Lons-le-Saunier, but was imprisoned for insubordination. On his return to civilian life, he worked in his mother's florist shop which she had been able to open on rue d'Aligre, and later in a larger shop which she opened near la Gare de Lyon. He found this work dull, and suddenly quit, which caused a long-lasting breach with his mother.

At the end of the 1960s he tried his luck as a singer in cafes, then turned to comedy.

In 1969, with Romain Bouteille he was present at the start of the Café de la Gare, meeting place of a group of young comedic actors practically all of whom were to become famous: Patrick Dewaere, Henri Guybet, Miou-Miou, Martin Lamotte, etc. Among the patrons of the Café de la Gare were Georges Moustaki, Raymond Devos, Jean Ferrat, Jacques Brel, Leni Escudero, Pierre Perret and Jean Yanne. Later they were joined by Gérard Lanvin, Renaud, Rufus, Diane Kurys, Coline Serreau, Anémone, Gérard Depardieu, Thierry Lhermitte, Josiane Balasko and Gérard Jugnot.

Coluche's first sketch C'est l'histoire d'un mec (It's the story of a guy) was about the difficulties of telling a funny story. He quickly found success, but alcohol problems forced him to leave the group.

He went on to found another group, Le vrai chic parisien (The true Parisian chic) and it was then that he met his future wife, Véronique Kantor. They married in 1975 and had two sons, Marius and Romain Colucci. His behaviour and addictions forced him to leave the new group and launch his solo career.

It was at this point that he began to dress in his well-known outfit of white tennis shoes, blue striped overalls, a bright yellow T-shirt and round glasses. He became famous with his parody of a TV game (Le Schmilblick). He was sacked by the radio stations Europe 1 and Radio Monte Carlo for vulgarity. ...

Source: Article "Coluche" from Wikipedia in English, licensed under CC-BY-SA 3.0.

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Du Schmilblick aux Restos du Cœur, la folle histoire de Coluche

2014

as Self (archive footage)

Coluche - Quand je serai grand je serai con - Vol 1 & 2

2013

as Self (archive footage)

Coluche - Quand je serai grand je serai con - Vol 2

as Georges

The Vengeance of the Winged Serpent

1984

as Loulou Dupin

Good King Dagobert

1984

as Dagobert 1er

Journal Bête Et Méchant Presente: Hara-Kiri N°1

1984

as Self

So Long, Stooge

1983

as Lambert

My Best Friend's Girl

1983

as Micky

Banzaï

1983

as Michel Bernardin

Quarter to Two Before Jesus Christ

1982

as Ben-Hur Marcel / Aminemephet

Elle voit des nains partout !

1982

as Un hallebardier

Droit de Réponse

1981

as Self

Le Maître d'école

1981

as Gérard Barbier

Signé Furax

1981

as L'agent double 098 / 099

Inspector Blunder

1980

as Trainee inspector Michel Clément / Commissioner Jules Clément

You Won't Have Alsace-Lorraine

1977

as Le roi Gros Pif Ier

Drôles de zèbres

1977

as Chef

Mosaïque

1976

as Self

The Wing or the Thigh?

1976

as Gérard Duchemin

The Toilets Were Closed from the Inside

1976

as L'inspecteur Charbonnier

Coluche : C'est pour rire

1976

as Self

Numéro un

1975

as Self

Numéro un

1975

as Self (archive footage)

Système 2

as The office manager

Themroc

Coluche

Acted in

Restos du Cœur, 40 ans de solidarité en France

L'Âge d'or de la pub

Il était une fois Champs-Élysées

Drôles de familles

Les Pieds dans la mayonnaise : Les Irrévérencieux des années 70

Fous rires sur les ondes

La TV des 70's : Quand Giscard était président

Coluche, les plus grands sketchs

Coluche, une époque formidable

10 mai 1981 : Changer la vie ?

Les 60 ans du one-man-show

Coluche : le bouffon devenu roi

Stupor Mundi: Livre 2, Les Hommes qui mangèrent la montagne

Cavanna, jusqu'à l'ultime seconde j'écrirai

Les Enfoirés - Les Enfoirés en chœur de 1985 à aujourd'hui

Du Schmilblick aux Restos du Cœur, la folle histoire de Coluche

Coluche - Quand je serai grand je serai con - Vol 1 & 2

Coluche - Quand je serai grand je serai con - Vol 2

Coluche - Quand je serai grand je serai con - Vol 1

Coluche, l'ami public numéro un

Coluche : Un Clown ennemi d'État

Comiques de toujours (Vol. 1 à 4)

Le mieux du mieux de Coluche

Coluche, la France a besoin de toi

Coluche - Ses plus grands sketches

Renaud, le Rouge et le Noir

Coluche - Le jeu de la vérité

Stars 90

Victoires de la musique

Coluche 1 faux

Madman at War

All Mixed Up

Les Rois du gag

The Vengeance of the Winged Serpent

Good King Dagobert

Journal Bête Et Méchant Presente: Hara-Kiri N°1

So Long, Stooge

My Best Friend's Girl

Banzaï

Quarter to Two Before Jesus Christ

Elle voit des nains partout !

Droit de Réponse

Le Maître d'école

Signé Furax

Inspector Blunder

You Won't Have Alsace-Lorraine

Drôles de zèbres

Mosaïque

The Wing or the Thigh?

The Toilets Were Closed from the Inside

Coluche : C'est pour rire

Numéro un

Numéro un

Système 2

Système 2

Midi Première

La Cloche tibétaine

La Ligne de démarcation

The Big Store

The Year 01

Themroc

Midi trente

Le Grand Échiquier

Cadet Rousselle

Troubleshooters

Donkey Skin

The Man with Connections

À bout portant

Comiques de toujours (Vol. 3 & 4)