Shark on Set! Henri Guybet Recalls Turbulent Times Filming with Coluche

“It’s a guy, he dies…” That was the headline from the June 20, 1986 issue of the newspaper Libération, nearly 40 years ago. The news of Coluche’s death in a motorcycle accident at age 41 sent shockwaves across the nation and elicited profound grief.

From music to theater, television to film, Coluche was a ubiquitous presence. The epitome of a committed artist with a sharply candid demeanor, he left behind millions who saw in him not only a champion of their ideals but also someone who stood close to the downtrodden and marginalized.

However, his life was also marked by personal tragedies and severe excesses. Affected by his divorce and the suicide of his close friend Patrick Dewaere in 1982, Coluche fell into a depression and turned to drugs, stepping back from the public eye. His role in the 1984 film “Tchao Pantin” earned him a César Award for Best Actor, reflecting a troubled man making a comeback.

“Coluche, a Shark on Stage”

Handling Coluche could be quite challenging; he was known to be harsh. “He had no patience,” said Gérard Lanvin, who knew him well from the Café de la Gare days. “Michel was a boss, a leader, sometimes a tyrant. He was a man of authority; he made the decisions. He had a vision but insisted on imposing it on others!” recounted Marie-Anne Chazelle in September 2024, reflecting on the times when the Splendid group mingled with the comedian.

Henry Guybet, now aged 89, is one of the last surviving pioneers of popular French cinema from the 70s and 80s, having worked with notable directors like George Lautner and Jean-Paul Rappeneau. Guybet was also a founder of the Café de la Gare theater, where he once performed alongside Coluche. During his February 2025 appearance on “Vivement dimanche,” he relayed an anecdote about the comedian.

“The slap scene, every night he would hit me for real, and it hurt a lot! I thought, one day I’ll hit him back! I eventually got my revenge. Coluche was a very pleasant person in life, but on stage, he was a shark. He would steal our lines, especially the funny ones,” Guybet shared.

“So I told him, ‘don’t take my line!’ He replied, ‘but you didn’t say it!’ I said, ‘I pause before I say it!’ He would say, ‘this is a show, we need rhythm, we can’t waste time!’ It used to frustrate us, Patrick [NDR: Patrick Dewaere] and me.”

“We would wait for him in the dressing room, and there we would hit him. Not in the face, of course, to not ruin the show […]. It was his habit. Eventually, it became unbearable with him. We parted ways with Coluche. We remained good friends, but we didn’t want to perform with him anymore.”

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