Didier Bourdon Reveals His Biggest Career Regret: ‘They Are Afraid’

Despite being one of the most recognized comedic actors in France, Didier Bourdon laments the scarcity of dramatic roles offered to him. The actor shared his feelings in an interview with Ciné Télé Revue, which was highlighted by Télé-Loisirs during the airing of his latest comedy on TMC this Thursday, July 31.

In “38°5 Quai des Orfèvres,” a satirical comedy parodying “The Silence of the Lambs” starring Anthony Hopkins and Jodie Foster, a serial killer known as “the Lone Worm” leaves cryptic verses at crime scenes, sparking fear and confusion. Caroline Anglade plays Clarisse Sterling, an eager young detective, who is assigned the case under the watch of legendary Commissioner Keller, portrayed by Didier Bourdon. Armed with 200 grams of cream puffs and a strategically placed pineapple, Clarisse must navigate through the inept criminal brigade and solve complex puzzles to uncover the murderer.

When asked about his career aspirations, Didier Bourdon remarked, “I would love to tackle roles like those of Anthony Hopkins! At the Conservatory, I performed in Ibsen and Shakespeare… Television has provided opportunities, like ‘La mort dans l’âme,’ for example.”

He continued: “In film, there’s hesitation to cast me in dramatic roles. It’s a financial concern. For me to star in a noir film, the director would need to be very well-known, as my presence alone might unsettle the audience. Claude Berri managed it with Coluche, with Daniel Auteuil, but he was exceptionally bold! That’s sorely missing nowadays.”

In cinema, they’re afraid to cast me in dramatic roles.

Bourdon also criticizes a certain conformity in French cinema: “We have a polished cinema, often casting the same familiar faces. It’s the downside of French cultural exceptionalism. A filmmaker like Philippe Lacheau doing ‘Alibi.com’ is rare: it’s original, edgy, and well-crafted cinema.”

Soon to appear in upcoming comedies “C’était mieux demain” (October 8), “Le jour J” (October 15), and “Chasse gardée 2” (December 10), Didier Bourdon thus bemoans a certain rigidity in casting, especially in dramatic roles, where producers seldom take risks with unconventional casting choices.

Yet, the highest-rated film of his career is a drama: “La Promesse de l’aube,” an adaptation of Romain Gary’s novel, where he played Alex Gubernatis.