Before turning to acting, Michel Charette long planned for a career as a comedian. A dream with which he reconnected more than thirty years after having put it away by presenting Charette on stage: 64% authentic, the rest…, his first solo show.
It’s the historian Éric Bédard’s fault – manner of speaking – if Michel Charette did not become a comedian. “When I was in high school, Eric and I had a comedy duo,” says the comedian. The Éric Bédard with the stentorian voice? Éric Bédard, professor at TELUQ University? Éric Bédard, author of numerous books, including The History of Quebec for Dummies? This Éric Bédard there, yes.
“He was amazing! A real clown! », exclaims his former college classmate Jean-Eudes, already a disciple at the time of the humor of Claude Meunier and the man who would become his mentor, Louis Saia. “To tell you: it was I who was his straight man, he was the one who punched and imitated the teachers. I sincerely thought I would have a career with him. ” But ?
But Éric Bédard was caught up in the story, leaving his partner to his own devices. It was more than three decades ago, during which Michel Charette inscribed himself in the hearts and memories of tens of thousands of Quebecers thanks to his characters as a touching sufferer and occasional rapper (Jean-Lou “Le Hot-Dog » Duval in Radio Enfer), the son of a brasserie owner (Léopold in Les Boys) and a detective sergeant (Bruno Gagné in District 31).
It is also thanks to this role, although very serious, that Michel Charette returned to humor in 2021, through the front door of co-hosting with his friend Gildor Roy a ComediHa gala!, then another solo in 2022.
More than happy experiences following which ComediHa! offered to support him in the creation of a first comedy show, Charette on stage: 64% authentic, the rest…, the running of which will begin in August 2024. “Man, I’m 53! », Exclaims Michel again, as if his days were numbered, while he seems to be bursting into flames.
Even if he wants his audience to wonder what is real and what is exaggeration in his show, hence this title in the form of a nod to the ubiquity of the word “authentic”, Michel Charette promises that we will have gotten to know him well before the curtain falls. He will not hesitate to explore certain more delicate, even painful subjects, including his relationship with his weight.
“I decided to talk about it, because it’s an extraordinary comedic lever, but also because we never completely get over it,” he confides. There are days when, in my head, I am still very fat. »
The actor recently watched The Weight of Appearances, by Phil Roy. “And I cried so much watching his documentary. It’s as if he was telling the story of my life. Phil is one of those who told me that Jean-Lou gave them hope, by showing them that a big guy could exist on screen. »
Present on TV since 1993, Michel Charette has long been relegated to the role of second fiddle. “I like to say that before, I was always on the third or fourth line,” illustrates the man who clearly likes images borrowed from hockey. “District 31 allowed me to play on the first line and the numerical advantage, Le Bonheur Too,” he says about the scathing comedy by François Avard, the third season of which will be broadcast on TVA in January.
The proof: Noovo announced on Monday that it would re-release in 2024 a dramatic comedy by Michel Charette entitled Marco Lachance, in which it is not Claude Legault, but rather its creator, who will play the title role.
No one now has to defend Michel Charette, as has often happened during his career. It was Fabienne Larouche who had to convince Luc Dionne to hire her in District 31, the screenwriter wishing not to turn to members of the cast of the previous Radio-Canada daily, 30 Vies.
It was director Louis Saia who put his participation in the comedy Les Boys on the line so that Charette would be accepted to play Stan’s son in the first film of the franchise, which will celebrate its 25th anniversary on December 12. Producer Richard Goudreau for his part had a presentiment… José Gaudet. “Louis had sent Radio Enfer cassettes to Richard. Diane, his wife, found me funny, and he decided to trust Louis. »
It was obvious: there was no question of Michel Charette imagining his solo solo show without the contribution of his long-time boyfriend, François Chénier. “François is my brother, my confidant, my psychologist,” he explains about the man with whom he has created five plays over the last fifteen years for the Théâtre des Hirondelles in Saint-Mathieu-de- Beloeil. And who is staging his comedy show.
Their relationship, which dated a little before Radio Enfer, could nevertheless have been derailed by a war of egos, if they had both had major ones. This is because originally, it was the character of Carl “Le Kat” Charest who was supposed to get the majority of the laughs.
“But Robin [Aubert] and I started doing our crazy things and our characters scored highly in the audience tests,” recalls Michel. François could have reacted badly, but he decided to become the best straight man in the world. He made the game, he put it on the palette for us and we just had to score. »
With the voice of Pierre Houde: and now Charette sets off on her escape!
