AT At the age of 25, Jean-Claude Drouot had known everything. The role of his life and glory. For three years, he was the darling of children and teenagers. Thierry la Fronde marked a whole generation of viewers. In 2011, at 73, Drouot was Thierry Ardisson’s guest on the show Everyone talked about itavailable on the INA ArdiTube channel.
Jean-Claude Drouot dreamed of theatre, of great texts. Born in Belgium – “I am deep and definitive Belgian. I never wanted to apply for my naturalization. My temperament is Flemish” – from a wealthy family descended from General Drouot “the wise man of the Grande Armée”, Drouot was not initially predestined for a career as an actor. “I wanted to be a children’s judge,” he recalls. I saw Women’s school with Jean Vilard and Georges Wilson. I took lessons in 1959.” Then in 1963, the revelation.
“I was in rehearsal ofOrestes, of Euripides, and the director of Thierry la Fronde Robert Guez had seen 500, 600 actors to find his character. I’m going there too. After five minutes, he said to me, “You are a fallen archangel. If you like it, I’ll give you some tests tomorrow. Come.” I went there. O surprise, I see seven young Apollos, all blond with blue or green eyes. I was the ugly duckling. I went in with gusto and enthusiasm and it completely messed up the idea they had of their character. Drouot becomes Thierry la Fronde, this French Robin Hood who must free King Jean le Bon. Audiences soar. He becomes a star, a reference.
A fan named de Gaulle
“It’s a series that General de Gaulle loved. Someone told me an anecdote. He was in the general’s car and was blocked by a peasant demonstration. From a certain time, the general turns to his aide-de-camp and says: “we are going to bring Thierry la Fronde to free us.” Nicolas Sarkozy grew up with this hero. Everyone only has eyes for this ancient yet modern hero. “I experienced what Claude François experienced. At the beginning, it’s Santa Claus, we’re full of peepers, ”explains the one who only won, despite the colossal success of the soap opera, the ” salary of a young actor “. And in 1966, Drouot stopped everything. “After this avalanche of fame and media interest, I wanted to learn my trade. The journalists thought that I was crazy and that one has no right to spit in the cauldron. »
It is in the theater that Drouot’s career is written. Some films with Agnès Varda, William Klein, Claude Chabrol. And a return to the front of the stage with another soap opera: cursed kings, updated by Josée Dayan. “I have no nostalgia. I know very well that no project will ever be able to compete with the destiny of this programme. It invites me to simply give the best of myself day after day. “A kind of rebellious in show business. We don’t redo each other.
An excerpt to discover here: