Les Inconnus
Encyclopedia
Les Inconnus are a French
trio of humorists: Didier Bourdon
, Bernard Campan
and Pascal Légitimus. While their first successes were on stage, they are most famous for their satirical sketch comedy
television show La Télé des Inconnus, which premiered in 1990 and remained popular throughout the early 1990s. Following their television success, the group began to make music and movies. After the movie Les Trois Frères
in 1995, the trio encountered contract problems with their manager Paul Lederman, which caused the group to split up, though there have been several films that have featured at least two former members together.
, Pascal Légitimus, Seymour Brussel, and Smaïn) and was known as "Les Cinq" (The Five). Les Cinq starred in the 1985 movie Le Téléphone Sonne Toujours Deux Fois ("The Telephone Always Rings Twice"), but shortly afterward Smaïn left the group to pursue solo work. Down to four members, the group changed its name to "Les Quatre Quarts" (a pun in French: literally meaning "The Four Quarters," it is also the word for pound cake
). In 1986 they met a new manager, Paul Lederman, who began to lead the troupe to larger and larger venues. At about this time the group's name was changed to "Les Inconnus" (The Unknowns). After hosting a radio show on Europe 1
from 1987 to 1988, Les Inconnus lost another member, Seymour Brussel, who left to join another comedy group, Les Nuls. They eventually reached national fame with their 1989 stage comic show "Au secours, tout va mieux!" (literally "Help, things are getting better!").
In 1990, the three remaining members of the group premiered their sketch comedy
television show, "La Télé des Inconnus." The show, which ran for two years on Antenne 2 (now France 2
), was highly successful, and propelled the group to stardom throughout France. Their sketches parodied a number of French cultural icons, including musicians Richard Clayderman
, Mano Negra
, Indochine
, Didier Barbelivien
, Florent Pagny
, and Patrick Bruel
; and television shows Bioman
, Club Dorothée
, and Santa Barbara
. They also satirized French politicians, police, trade union
s, and society at large. The program won two Septs d'Or (the top French television award), and a video clip from the show, "Auteuil, Neuilly, Passy
," won two Victoires de la Musique
.
In 1995, Les Inconnus made their first film in ten years, Les Trois Frères
("The Three Brothers"). The film was highly successful, winning the César Award
for best début, but due to contract disputes with their manager Paul Lederman, the group was forced to disband after the film's release. Bourdon and Campan starred in two other movies together, Le Pari ("The Bet"), L'Extraterrestre ("The Extraterrestrial"), before Légitimus rejoined them for their final film together, Les Rois Mages
(The Magi
), in 2001. Only Bourdon and Légitimus starred in Madame Irma
in 2006.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
trio of humorists: Didier Bourdon
Didier Bourdon
Didier Bourdon is a French Algeria-born actor, screenwriter and film director.He first reached stardom in France when he created the comedic trio Les Inconnus with Bernard Campan and Pascal Légitimus, which was very popular throughout the 1990s....
, Bernard Campan
Bernard Campan
Bernard Campan is a French actor, film director and writer. He is a member of Les Inconnus trio of humorists. He won a César Award for Best Debut for Les Trois Frères, and was nominated for best actor for his role in Se souvenir des belles choses.-Selected filmography:* The Bet * Augustin, King of...
and Pascal Légitimus. While their first successes were on stage, they are most famous for their satirical sketch comedy
Sketch comedy
A sketch comedy consists of a series of short comedy scenes or vignettes, called "sketches," commonly between one and ten minutes long. Such sketches are performed by a group of comic actors or comedians, either on stage or through an audio and/or visual medium such as broadcasting...
television show La Télé des Inconnus, which premiered in 1990 and remained popular throughout the early 1990s. Following their television success, the group began to make music and movies. After the movie Les Trois Frères
Les Trois Frères
Les Trois Frères is a 1995 French film, directed by and starring Didier Bourdon and Bernard Campan.The film won the award for best first work at the César Awards in 1996.-Plot:...
in 1995, the trio encountered contract problems with their manager Paul Lederman, which caused the group to split up, though there have been several films that have featured at least two former members together.
History
The comedy troupe that would become Les Inconnus was formed in 1984. At its founding, the group had five members (Didier Bourdon, Bernard CampanBernard Campan
Bernard Campan is a French actor, film director and writer. He is a member of Les Inconnus trio of humorists. He won a César Award for Best Debut for Les Trois Frères, and was nominated for best actor for his role in Se souvenir des belles choses.-Selected filmography:* The Bet * Augustin, King of...
, Pascal Légitimus, Seymour Brussel, and Smaïn) and was known as "Les Cinq" (The Five). Les Cinq starred in the 1985 movie Le Téléphone Sonne Toujours Deux Fois ("The Telephone Always Rings Twice"), but shortly afterward Smaïn left the group to pursue solo work. Down to four members, the group changed its name to "Les Quatre Quarts" (a pun in French: literally meaning "The Four Quarters," it is also the word for pound cake
Pound cake
Pound cake refers to a type of cake traditionally made with a pound of each of four ingredients: flour, butter, eggs, and sugar. The traditional recipe makes a cake much larger than most families can consume, and so the quantity is often changed to suit the size of the cake that is desired...
). In 1986 they met a new manager, Paul Lederman, who began to lead the troupe to larger and larger venues. At about this time the group's name was changed to "Les Inconnus" (The Unknowns). After hosting a radio show on Europe 1
Europe 1
Europe 1, formerly known as Europe n° 1, is a privately owned radio network created in 1955. It is one of the leading French radio broadcasters and heard throughout France...
from 1987 to 1988, Les Inconnus lost another member, Seymour Brussel, who left to join another comedy group, Les Nuls. They eventually reached national fame with their 1989 stage comic show "Au secours, tout va mieux!" (literally "Help, things are getting better!").
In 1990, the three remaining members of the group premiered their sketch comedy
Sketch comedy
A sketch comedy consists of a series of short comedy scenes or vignettes, called "sketches," commonly between one and ten minutes long. Such sketches are performed by a group of comic actors or comedians, either on stage or through an audio and/or visual medium such as broadcasting...
television show, "La Télé des Inconnus." The show, which ran for two years on Antenne 2 (now France 2
France 2
France 2 is a French public national television channel. It is part of the state-owned France Télévisions group, along with France 3, France 4, France 5 and France Ô...
), was highly successful, and propelled the group to stardom throughout France. Their sketches parodied a number of French cultural icons, including musicians Richard Clayderman
Richard Clayderman
Richard Clayderman is a French pianist who has released numerous albums including the compositions of Paul de Senneville and Olivier Toussaint, instrumental renditions of popular music, rearrangements of movie soundtracks, ethnic music, and easy-listening arrangements of most popular works of...
, Mano Negra
Mano Negra
Mano Negra was a music band in France, during 1987–1995, fronted by Manu Chao.The band, founded in 1987 by Chao, his brother Antoine, and his cousin Santiago Casariego in Paris, France, was very influential in Europe during the early 1990s. Although it reached mainstream success in countries...
, Indochine
Indochine (band)
Indochine is a French new wave/rock band, formed in 1981. The band was very successful in France in the 1980s, as well as other parts of continental Europe and Latin America, with songs like L'Aventurier and Canary Bay...
, Didier Barbelivien
Didier Barbelivien
Didier Barbelivien is a French author, lyricist, songwriter and singer. Beginning in the 1970s, he wrote a number of successful songs for artists such as: Dalida, Johnny Hallyday, Michel Sardou, Daniel Guichard, Claude François, Gilbert Montagné, Sylvie Vartan, Patti Layne, Gilbert Bécaud, Enrico...
, Florent Pagny
Florent Pagny
Florent Pagny is a French musician. He has also acted in many French films. He records work in French, Italian, Spanish and English, and his greatest hits include "N'importe quoi", "Savoir aimer", "Ma Liberté de penser" and "Caruso" .As of 2008, he has sold 4,268,980 copies of singles,...
, and Patrick Bruel
Patrick Bruel
Patrick Bruel is a French singer, actor, and professional poker player of Algerian Jewish descent.-Biography:...
; and television shows Bioman
Choudenshi Bioman
is Toei Company's eighth installment in the Super Sentai series. It was aired on TV Asahi from February 4, 1984 to January 26, 1985, with a total of 51 episodes, as well as a movie. Its international English title as listed by Toei is simply Bioman.-Plot:...
, Club Dorothée
Dorothée
Dorothée , the stage name of Frédérique Hoschedé, is a French singer and TV presenter.- Biography :1. Her childhood :...
, and Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara (TV series)
Santa Barbara is an American television soap opera, first broadcast in the United States on NBC on July 30, 1984, and last aired on January 15, 1993. The show revolved around the eventful lives of the wealthy Capwell family of Santa Barbara, California...
. They also satirized French politicians, police, trade union
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
s, and society at large. The program won two Septs d'Or (the top French television award), and a video clip from the show, "Auteuil, Neuilly, Passy
Auteuil, Neuilly, Passy
"Auteuil, Neuilly, Passy " is a song recorded by the satiric group Les Inconnus in 1991. Released as a single from their album Bouleversifiant, it had a great success in France, reaching number one on the national singles chart.-Lyrics and music:...
," won two Victoires de la Musique
Victoires de la Musique
Victoires de la musique , is an annual French award ceremony that recognizes the best musical artists of the year.- Male artist of the year :*1985 : Michel Jonasz*1986 : Jean-Jacques Goldman*1987 : Johnny Hallyday...
.
In 1995, Les Inconnus made their first film in ten years, Les Trois Frères
Les Trois Frères
Les Trois Frères is a 1995 French film, directed by and starring Didier Bourdon and Bernard Campan.The film won the award for best first work at the César Awards in 1996.-Plot:...
("The Three Brothers"). The film was highly successful, winning the César Award
César Award
The César Award is the national film award of France, first given out in 1975. The nominations are selected by the members of the Académie des arts et techniques du cinéma....
for best début, but due to contract disputes with their manager Paul Lederman, the group was forced to disband after the film's release. Bourdon and Campan starred in two other movies together, Le Pari ("The Bet"), L'Extraterrestre ("The Extraterrestrial"), before Légitimus rejoined them for their final film together, Les Rois Mages
Les Rois mages
Les Rois mages was a French comedy film released in 2001, made by Bernard Campan and Didier Bourdon. They also star in the film, playing the roles of Balthazar and Melchior respectively...
(The Magi
Magi
Magi is a term, used since at least the 4th century BC, to denote a follower of Zoroaster, or rather, a follower of what the Hellenistic world associated Zoroaster with, which...
), in 2001. Only Bourdon and Légitimus starred in Madame Irma
Madame Irma
Madame Irma is a 2006 comedy French film directed by Didier Bourdon and Yves Fajnberge and starring Didier Bourdon and Pascal Légitimus.-Plot introduction:...
in 2006.
Filmography
- 1985: Le Téléphone Sonne Toujours Deux Fois (included Seymour Brussel and Smaïn)
- 1995: Les Trois FrèresLes Trois FrèresLes Trois Frères is a 1995 French film, directed by and starring Didier Bourdon and Bernard Campan.The film won the award for best first work at the César Awards in 1996.-Plot:...
- 1997: Le PariThe Bet (film)The Bet is a 1997 film directed, about smoking cessation, written, and starred by Didier Bourdon and Bernard Campan of the french comic trio Les Inconnus .- Plot :...
(excluded Pascal Légitimus) - 2000: L'Extraterrestre (excluded Pascal Légitimus)
- 2001: Les Rois magesLes Rois magesLes Rois mages was a French comedy film released in 2001, made by Bernard Campan and Didier Bourdon. They also star in the film, playing the roles of Balthazar and Melchior respectively...
- 2006: Madame IrmaMadame IrmaMadame Irma is a 2006 comedy French film directed by Didier Bourdon and Yves Fajnberge and starring Didier Bourdon and Pascal Légitimus.-Plot introduction:...
(excluded Bernard Campan)
Discography
- "Auteuil, Neuilly, Passy (rap BCBG)Auteuil, Neuilly, Passy"Auteuil, Neuilly, Passy " is a song recorded by the satiric group Les Inconnus in 1991. Released as a single from their album Bouleversifiant, it had a great success in France, reaching number one on the national singles chart.-Lyrics and music:...
" - "Biouman"
- "C'est ton destin"
- "Rap tout (vampire)"
- "Un chagrin d'amour"
- "Et vice et versa"
- "C'est toi que je t'aime"