Benjamin Lavernhe Recalls First Meeting With Jean-Pierre Bacri 9 Years Later!

In 2017, Eric Toledano and Olivier Nakache gifted us with a deliciously sharp comedy: “Le Sens de la fête” (The Sense of the Party)! Led by the biting and irresistible Jean-Pierre Bacri, the movie attracted over 3 million viewers upon its release.

To set the scene, “Le Sens de la fête” introduces us to Max, portrayed by Jean-Pierre Bacri. Max has been a caterer for thirty years. He has organized hundreds of parties and is somewhat weary of it all. Today, he is managing a lavish wedding in a 17th-century castle, another one, for Pierre and Héléna.

As usual, Max has coordinated everything: he has hired his team of waiters, cooks, and dishwashers, recommended a photographer, booked the band, arranged the floral decorations—in short, all the elements are in place for a successful celebration…

However, a series of mishaps threatens to disrupt the meticulously planned schedule where every moment of joy and emotion could turn into disaster or chaos. From the preparations to dawn, we experience the behind-the-scenes of this evening through the eyes of those working, relying on their shared knack: the sense of the party.

An Unforgettable Encounter

The comedy features an exceptional cast alongside Bacri: Jean-Paul Rouve, Alban Ivanov, Eye Haidara, Gilles Lellouche, Vincent Macaigne, Suzanne Clément, and Benjamin Lavernhe, who plays Pierre, the groom. For his vibrant performance, Lavernhe earned a nomination for the César for Most Promising Actor, before becoming the master of ceremonies at the grand event in 2026!

In a recent interview with Première, the actor reminisced about his first encounter with Jean-Pierre Bacri, which was quite amusing. “He’s a deeply sensitive, curious man. That’s what touched me. He didn’t know who I was and yet he reached out to me,” shared Benjamin Lavernhe.

He’s a deeply sensitive, curious man.

“At that time, I was reenacting scenes from his movies right in front of him. I redid his breakup scene from Le Goût des autres, and it killed me in that movie. He’s also the sad clown, and it moves me. When I met Jean-Pierre, he reached out his hand, and I saw that he resembled his characters in his grumpy demeanor,” continued the 41-year-old artist.

A Touching Bacri

“But right away, I also saw the friendship. And then he confided in me. We didn’t know each other, and we started talking about love, heartbreak, he talked about a heartbreak he had just last month”, recalled Benjamin Lavernhe.

We didn’t know each other and we started talking about love, heartbreak, he talked about a heartbreak he had just last month.

“And then one of the phenomenal lines he had invented! I come out of my unbearable speech in The Sense of the Party and I ask him: So, did you like it? Wasn’t it too long? And he replies: Yeah, no, it was not too bad, Beaumarchais, I don’t know… And then I see a friend and I go: Oh Catherine! And I leave. Then, he says: I could hit him”, concluded the actor.

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