Le Figaro: "The Brigadier prize goes to Maxime d'Aboville and Delphine Depardieu".

Maxime d'Aboville. Geoffroy VAN DER HASSELT / AFP

This Thursday morning, they've all come, almost all of them, for the 44th Brigadier awards ceremony at the Théâtre Montparnasse. Jean-François Balmer, Évelyne Buyle, Anne Deleuze, Anny Duperey, Bérengère Dautun, Marion Bierry and Jean-Paul Farré applaud their peers. Producers Pascal Guillaume and Pierre Bonnier and ex-star agent Dominique Besnehard were also present. Founded in 1960 by the Association de la Régie théâtrale (ART), this award crowns prestigious careers. Delphine Depardieu is the first to receive it from Stéphanie Fagadau for her interpretation of the Marquise de Merteuil in Les Liaisons dangereuses by Choderlos de Laclos, directed by Arnaud Denis (until April 2025, at the Comédie des Champs-Élysées).

Gérard Depardieu's niece holds up her trophy before commenting, " Twenty years ago, when I started out, I was advised to change my name, my father told me , "It's yours, keep it !" I had to get into this business for the right reasons. " Delphine Depardieu strikes three to announce Maxime d'Aboville, hailed for his performance in Jean Anouilh's Pauvre Bitos, directed by Thierry Harcourt (until January 5 at Théâtre Hébertot). " I don't know if anyone's told you, but I'm the one who asked to present you with the Brigadier's award. I don't have any friends, but you do. .." warns a laughing Michel Fau. warns a laughing Michel Fau as he shoots an arrow at the Molières ceremony, which he says he " adores " ( he's never won one). The audience is delighted. " The object is magnificent ," says the actor, who is currently triumphing with Lorsque l'enfant paraît at the Marigny.

" Something other than a Molière ," laughs Maxime d'Aboville, who has already received two. Honored, he salutes Francis Lombrail, director of the Théâtre Hébertot, who has revived the play, which had not been staged for sixty years. " He wanted to fulfill the wish of Michel Bouquet, the creator of the role ," says Maxime d'Aboville, who makes the audience laugh when he recounts that Myriam Feune de Colombi, the late director of Théâtre Montparnasse, found him " too handsome " when he wanted to perform the play again.

The audience gives Geneviève Casile, 87, a standing ovation. The honorary member of the Comédie-Française was awarded the Brigadier d'honneur 2024 prize for her lifetime career. She notably played Dona Sol in Hernani under Robert Hossein, the Countess in Le Mariage de Figaro and, more recently, Sarah Bernhardt. She recalls that the administrator of the Comédie-Française offered her a Brigadier when she left Molière's house after thirty-two years of service. " This one's a bit more handsome ," she laughs.

Read the article on www.lefigaro.fr

By Nathalie Simon

Published December 12, 2024