Currently busy promoting his new feature film, Gérard Jugnot shares the spotlight with a host of stars like Philippe Lacheau and Michèle Laroque. Among this cast is also his colleague from Le Splendid, Thierry Lhermitte. The two men have known each other since the 1970s, when they were together in high school, and this strong friendship apparently allows for some rather comical liberties. Speaking on Rire et Chansons on April 2, 2026, the director told Cédric Cizaire how he almost lost his temper after receiving a mysterious letter.
"The guy is coming!" : Gérard Jugnot tricked by a false tax office visit
It all started with the receipt of an official document announcing an imminent visit from the tax authorities. “He had sent me a paper saying: ‘I will introduce myself at your place'”, recalls Gérard Jugnot. “I had not committed any fraud,” he adds. At the time, the actor feared being worried about the purchase of a “huge” videotape recorder on his company’s account. “Oh, maybe I don’t have the right to do that…” he thought before putting his house in order. Thierry Lhermitte watched him fussing and ironically offered to help move the 40-kilogram machine to hide it.
The pressure increased a notch
when the intercom finally rang. Gérard Jugnot then saw a red-haired man appear on his screen. “I open and I see a guy, a redhead, and suddenly I recognize Thierry with a wig, with a mustache,” he explains. Still thinking that the real official would show up any second, he abruptly confronted his friend. “What are you doing? No, stop! The guy is coming,” he scolded.
This habit of Thierry Lhermitte to prank his partners does not stop there, as he repeats the same joke with Christian Clavier. Faced with these repeated provocations, the two victims decide to unite for a counter-offensive. The opportunity arises on the evening when the prankster plans to attend a Julio Iglesias concert with his wife. “We crushed 70 stink bombs in his car,” proudly recounts Gérard Jugnot.
"The neighbors had to endure the concert with a guy who stank of feet. It was vengeance, you know"
concludes the actor with a laugh. This escalation in joking demonstrates the solidity of the bonds uniting the members of Le Splendid. Capable of turning a little scare into a comedic memory, they prove that humor remains the engine of their fifty-year-old friendship.
