Michèle Laroque (French pronunciation: [miʃɛl laʁɔk]; born 15 June 1960) is a French actress, comedian, humorist, producer and screenwriter.

Michèle Laroque
Michèle Laroque at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival
Born (1960-06-15) 15 June 1960 (age 63)
Occupation(s)Actress, comedian, producer, screenwriter
Height5 ft 7.5 in (1.71 m)
PartnerFrançois Baroin (2008–present)

Early life edit

Michèle Laroque was born in Nice in the department of Alpes-Maritimes. She is the daughter of Romanian dancer and violinist Doina Trandabur, who fled to France to escape Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej's regime in Communist Romania. Her father is French doctor Claude Laroque, who met Doina a year earlier during a tour. Michèle is also the niece of Pierre Laroque, the creator of Social Security in France. She studied economics and English, taking comedy classes at the same time in Antibes and then moving to America on a campus in Austin, Texas. In 1979, along with her best friend, she was victim of a car accident that resulted in two years of hospitalisation, a long convalescence and several months of reeducation. Following an extended coma and associated psychological trauma, she made the decision to become a comedian.[1]

Career edit

 
Michèle Laroque at the 2001 Cannes Film Festival

She made her television début in 1988 in the humorous programme La Classe hosted by Fabrice every evening on FR3, where she met Pierre Palmade, Muriel Robin and Jean-Marie Bigard.

In 1989, she had her first role in the film Suivez cet avion and later had small roles in Le Mari de la coiffeuse (1990) by Patrice Leconte and Une époque formidable... (1991) by Gérard Jugnot and also starring him in the main role. She was nominated for the César Awards for Best Supporting Actress in La Crise (1992) and Pédale douce (1996).

She joined Les Enfoirés and is a member for the special tours and spectacles for Les Restos du Cœur. She is also the spokesperson for the association Enfance et Partage.

In 2002, she was the voice of Captain Amelia in the French version of the animated film Treasure Planet. In 2007, she appeared in an advertisement for the game Brain Age 2: More Training in Minutes a Day! on Nintendo DS.

Personal life edit

Michèle Laroque was married to theatre director Dominique Deschamps for a brief period and later divorced.[2] She has a daughter named Oriane (born 12 July 1995), who acted alongside her mother in the film Hey Good Looking !

Since 2008 she has been in a relationship with politician François Baroin.[3] Her tax exile in the USA ended in 2010, her partner becoming at that time the Budget Minister of France.[4]

Michèle Laroque is 5' 7.5" (1.71 m) tall. She is a gay rights activist.[citation needed]

Theatre edit

Year Title Author Director Notes
1987 La Drague Alain Krief
1987–1988 C'est encore mieux l'après-midi Ray Cooney Pierre Mondy
1988–1989 La face cachée d'Orion Lanford Wilson Blandine Harmelin
1990 Coiffure pour dames Robert Harling Stéphane Hillel
1991 Ornifle ou le Courant d'air Jean Anouilh Patrice Leconte Nominated - Molière Award for Best Supporting Actress
1992 Je veux faire du cinéma Neil Simon Michel Blanc
1993 Une folie Sacha Guitry Jacques Échantillon
Silence en coulisses ! Michael Frayn Jean-Luc Moreau
1994 Cirque à deux Barry Creyton Jean-Michel Ribes
1996–1999 Ils s'aiment Pierre Palmade & Muriel Robin Muriel Robin
2001–2004 Ils se sont aimés Pierre Palmade & Muriel Robin Muriel Robin
2007 Faisons un rêve Sacha Guitry Bernard Murat
2009 My Brilliant Divorce Geraldine Aron Michèle Laroque
2012–2013 Ils se re-aiment Pierre Palmade & Michèle Laroque Alex Lutz
2017–2018 Ils/Elles s'aiment depuis 20 ans Pierre Palmade, Muriel Robin & Michèle Laroque Muriel Robin
2019 Encore un instant Fabrice Roger-Lacan Bernard Murat

Filmography edit

Year Title Role Director Notes
1988 Vivement lundi Didier Albert TV series (1 episode)
1989 Suivez cet avion The stewardess Patrice Ambard
The Hitchhiker Florence John Laing TV series (1 episode)
1989–1990 Tribunal Me Adler Dominique Masson, Claire Blangille, ... TV series (12 episodes)
1990 The Hairdresser's Husband Adopted Child's Mother Patrice Leconte
Imogène François Leterrier TV series (1 episode)
La télé des inconnus The host Gérard Pullicino TV series (1 episode)
1991 Une époque formidable... The headhunter Gérard Jugnot
Bébé express Agathe François Dupont-Midi TV movie
C'est quoi ce petit boulot? Madame Robine Gian Luigi Polidoro & Michel Berny TV mini-series
1992 La Crise Martine Coline Serreau Nominated - César Award for Best Supporting Actress
Max et Jérémie Suzanne Claire Devers
Coiffure pour dames Isabelle Michel Treguer TV movie
Les cravates léopards Madame Bergaux Latour Jean-Luc Trotignon TV movie
1993 Tango Hélène Baraduc Patrice Leconte
Chacun pour toi Fernande Jean-Michel Ribes
Louis, the Child King Duchesse de Longueville Roger Planchon
Paranoïa Frédéric Forestier & Stéphane Gateau Short
Navarro Catherine Vallet Nicolas Ribowski TV series (1 episode)
1994 Personne ne m'aime Marie-Christine Marion Vernoux
Aux petits bonheurs Sabine Michel Deville
B comme Bolo Doctor Salomé Jean-Michel Ribes TV movie
1995 Nelly and Mr. Arnaud Isabelle Claude Sautet
Le fabuleux destin de Madame Petlet Marcie Camille de Casabianca
Oui The judge Pascal Perennes Short
Le mouton noir Cécile Francis De Gueltz TV movie
Le nid tombé de l'oiseau Eva Prudhomme Alain Schwartzstein TV movie
Une femme dans mon cœur Alice Bataille Gérard Marx TV movie
Quatre pour un loyer Georges Barrier TV series (1 episode)
Le retour d'Arsène Lupin Adrienne Nicolas Ribowski TV series (1 episode)
1996 Fallait pas ! ... Constance Gérard Jugnot
Pédale douce Marie Hagutte Gabriel Aghion Nominated - César Award for Best Supporting Actress
Passage à l'acte Florence Francis Girod
Du cul, du cul, du cul ! Voice Patrick Menais
Les aveux de l'innocent The judge Jean-Pierre Améris
The Best Job in the World Hélène Monier Gérard Lauzier
Elvis Aziz Hélène Rivard Frédéric Compain TV movie
1997 Ma vie en rose Hanna Fabre Alain Berliner
1998 The Wall The TV announcer Alain Berliner
Serial Lover Claire Doste James Huth
Week-end ! Hélène Arnaud Sélignac TV movie
Maternité Arnaud Sélignac TV series (1 episode)
1999 Doggy Bag Jeanne Frédéric Comtet
2000 Épouse-moi Oriane Roche Harriet Marin
Une femme neuve Marie Didier Albert TV movie
2001 The Closet Mademoiselle Bertrand Francis Veber
J'ai faim !!! Arlette Florence Quentin
L'oiseau rare Alexandra Didier Albert TV movie
2003 La chose publique Michèle Mathieu Amalric TV movie
Mon voisin du dessus Claire Letellier Laurence Katrian TV movie
2004 Pédale dure Marie Hagutte Gabriel Aghion
Malabar Princess Valentine Gilles Legrand
2005 L'anniversaire Élisabeth Diane Kurys
2006 L'entente cordiale The bank manager Vincent De Brus
Hey Good Looking! Isa Lisa Azuelos
La Maison du Bonheur Anne Boulin Dany Boon
Petits Secrets et gros mensonges Isabelle Delambre Laurence Katrian TV movie
2007 The Neighbor Christine Eddie O'Flaherty
The Merry Widow Anne-Marie Gratigny Isabelle Mergault
En marge des jours Julie Emmanuel Finkiel TV movie
2009 Dans tes bras Solange Hubert Gillet
Oscar and the Lady in Pink Rose Éric-Emmanuel Schmitt
2010 Le grand restaurant A client Gérard Pullicino TV movie
2011 Monsieur Papa Marie Vallois Kad Merad
2012 Moi à ton âge ! Caroline Gardel Bruno Garcia TV movie
La méthode Claire Claire Robin Vincent Monnet TV movie
2014 Un fils Mathilde Alain Berliner TV movie
Festival de La Rochelle - Best Actress
En pères et contre tout Claire Robin Vincent Monnet TV movie
2015 Hard Madeleine Fournier Laurent Dussaux & Mélissa Drigeard TV series (7 episodes)
2015–2019 Peplum Arria Philippe Lefebvre & Maurice Barthélemy TV series (6 episodes)
2016 Camping 3 Anne So Fabien Onteniente
The Canterville Ghost Élisabeth Otis Yann Samuell
Diabolique Hélène de Lassay Gabriel Aghion TV movie
2017 Alibi.com Françoise Philippe Lacheau
Chouquette Diane Patrick Godeau
Embrasse-moi! Babouchka Océan & Cyprien Vial
2018 Brillantissime Angela Michèle Laroque
2019 Premier de la classe Madame Martin Stéphane Ben Lahcene
Joyeuse retraite! Fabrice Bracq Post-Production
2020 Chacun chez soi Catherine Michèle Laroque Post-Production
2022 Ténor Madame Loyseau Claude Zidi Jr.

Box-office edit

 
Michèle Laroque at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival

Movies starring Michèle Laroque with more than a million of entries in France.

Films Director Year France (entries)
1 The Closet Francis Veber 2001 5,317,858
2 Pédale douce Gabriel Aghion 1996 4,162,380
3 La Crise Coline Serreau 1992 2,354,309
4 The Best Job in the World Gérard Lauzier 1996 2,269,925
5 The Merry Widow Isabelle Mergault 2007 2,210,676
6 Une époque formidable... Gérard Jugnot 1991 1,672,754
7 Nelly and Mr. Arnaud Claude Sautet 1995 1,521,041
8 Malabar Princess Gilles Legrand 2004 1,470,701
9 La Maison du Bonheur Dany Boon 2006 1,146,962
10 Hey Good Looking ! Lisa Azuelos 2006 1,066,999

References edit

  1. ^ N., E. E.; Lafitte, Jacques; Taylor, Stephen (1954). "Who's Who in France: Paris". Books Abroad. 28 (4): 452. doi:10.2307/40093595. ISSN 0006-7431. JSTOR 40093595.
  2. ^ Delphine Germain (January 2008). "Je suis enfin en accord avec moi-même" (in French). Gala. Archived from the original on 2012-04-30.
  3. ^ Ludovic Vigogne (March 13, 2009). "Villepin, un soir à Paris" (in French). L'Express.
  4. ^ "Michèle Laroque met fin à son exil fiscal". Le Monde (in French). May 4, 2010.

External links edit