Food for Fools (TF1): Which actors were first recruited for the roles of Jacques Villeret and Thierry Lhermitte?

an ideal staff

Initially, Francis Veber wanted to entrust the major role of the incumbent “cunt” François Pignon to his favorite actor Pierre Richard. But Jacques Villeret was preferred over him, on the advice of producer Alain Poiré, who had played the game six hundred times at the Théâtre des Variétés. During the tests, in Paris in June 1996, the actor, who was then depressed and undergoing alcoholic detoxification treatment, surprised the director with his power of concentration. “Incredible. Villeret is a genius of Raimu’s caliber”Talking about something excites Francis Veber. “Extraordinary meeting between an actor and a text”. The director, a good comedy strategist, knows that it will be necessary to play the contradiction in his partner and place a certainty rock in front of the shy Villeret that will embody the publisher Pierre Brochant. Feeling for a moment, Claude Brasseur is thought to be very old. He is replaced by the cynical and arrogant snob, the perfect Thierry Lhermitte. Finally, to bring a glamorous twist to the cast, Veber presents Alexandra Vandernoot as the character of Pierre’s wife, Christine Brochant. She appreciates her natural grace and has already turned it around. Jaguarhis previous film was released in 1996. Closing the script, the actor accepts the challenge that falls on Veber, his accomplice: “Be careful, we’re always somebody’s scum…”

“My hardest shot”

When they land, with a smile on their lips on set, the actors think they’re having fun. Mistake: Francis Veber, in his own words, “He does not tolerate any false notes in the millimeter score of a successful comedy”, don’t miss anything. In a frenzied desire, he repeats the cult scene ten times, from the phone call to Juste Leblanc, played by Francis Huster. “I remember this shoot as the hardest of my career.Thierry Lhermitte admitted in 1998 when the movie was released. We were at the helm, a tool in Francis’ hands.” The late Jacques Villeret confirmed this in 2001: “It was 98% work and 2% fun.”

A movie away from the theater

When Alain Poiré bought the rights to the game, writer Francis Veber did not believe in the success of a film adaptation: “The story of a man clogged with a backache and stuck on the couch in front of a jerk makes no introduction.” Very clever, Poiré then gives him three good ideas to stand out from the game: cut back on the duration (the play will run over two hours, the movie will be 75 minutes long), duplicate the exterior shots in Paris (Garden of Bagatelle, rue des Bourdonnais, Bercy Ministry of Finance) and bring out flamboyant supporting roles such as the hilarious tax inspector Lucien Cheval in one of Daniel Prévost’s best performances.

stupid dinner It can be viewed on Sunday, June 26 at 21.10. TF1.

Jean-Baptiste Drouet