Les Charlots - After Les Charlots

After Les Charlots

• Gérard Rinaldi achieved great success with French sitcom Marc et Sophie, from 1987 to 1991. He continued to appear in films and television and dubbed many cartoons in cinema and television, most notably the French version of The Simpsons. He was the French voice of Krusty the Clown, Chief Wiggum and Mr. Burns.

At the time of his death, Rinaldi was working on "Un P'tit Air de Crooner", a solo album with covers of popular French songs. The album was released posthumously on July 23, 2012.

Rinaldi, one of France's most popular comedian and singer, died of cancer on March 2, 2012. He was 69.

A few days later, holding back his tears Jean Sarrus paid homage to his friend and had this to say about him : "Gérard was the soul of Les Charlots. He excelled in everything he did : he had this wonderful singing voice, but he saw himself mostly as a writer, that's what he liked to do above everything else : writing songs. I admired his great sense of humor and his ability to laugh about everything, all the time. His philosophy was that you can laugh about everything, but not with everyone. As he was dying, he even made me laugh about his illness. I saw him on his hospital bed a few days before he died, and he just tried to make me laugh in spite of the morphine kicking in. I'm going to miss him a lot."

Luis Rego also reacted to his friend's passing, saying that he was very sad and had a lot of admiration for Gérard Rinaldi : "he was so gifted that he would have had a great career even without Les Charlots".

Ten days after Rinaldi's passing, the French theatre and music world was reunited at Le Théâtre de la Michodière in Paris for a special homage. Ex-members of Les Charlots Jean Sarrus, Jean-Guy Fechner and Richard Bonnot (Rinaldi's replacement in the group from 1986 to 1992) were present to pay their respects. Actors Gérard Jugnot, Marie-Anne Chazel, Marie-Pierre Casey, Marthe Villalonga, Julie Arnold and singer Philippe Lavil also attended.

• Jean Sarrus briefly became a TV host (most notably as the host of a show about country music), wrote and directed Les Charlots' last film in 1992 and published "100% Charlots", a biography of the group in 2007. He appeared in Josiane Balasko's Un Grand Cri d'Amour in 1998 and in a few television films. He reunited with Rinaldi from 2008 to 2011.

• Gérard Filipelli retired from public life but is still a musician and a philanthropist. He's working with underprivileged kids, teaching them music and acting. He often jams with his friend Luis Rego on the weekends. In 2011, at 68, he created and headlined a new rock'n roll group called King Biz.

• Luis Rego is a popular character actor, appearing in huge hit Les Bronzés in 1978 and with comedian Pierre Desproges in Le Tribunal des Flagrants Délires on television. In 1987, he directed his first and only film, Poule et Frites. After his departure from the group in 1971, he rejoined Les Charlots for two more films in 1983 (Le Retour des Bidasses en Folie) and 1992 (Le Retour des Charlots), in supporting parts.

• Jean-Guy Fechner never acted or sang again but worked as a publicist for his late brother Christian Fechner, one of France's most prominent producer. He worked on the releases of many important films such as Les Bronzés 3 in 2006, supervising trailers and posters. He appeared (in cameos only) in films produced by his brother or by his son, Sébastien Fechner who is also a producer / screenwriter. Fechner owns an impressive drums collection.