We know her as a funny, spicy, undeniable figure of popular French cinema with her three Césars and her recent Molière. However, it is a much more intimate and secret facet that Josiane Balasko reveals today on the occasion of the release of her book, The Last Sanctuary. In this powerful story which explores the preservation of wild nature in the face of technology, the actress has drawn from her own roots. If the inspiration came in part from his sister-in-law of Native American origin, the secret driving force behind his writing remains his older brother, Pierre.. A tutelary figure to whom she owes her unconditional love of literature and the great outdoors, and to whom she remains eternally grateful.
When Pierre bequeathed his library to Josiane Balasko
Between Josiane and Pierre, however, the story was not that of ordinary siblings, shaken up by a huge age difference. “Pierre was my brother, 17 years my senior, we weren’t raised together but he gave me his books when I was little”remembers the actress on France Inter, this June 1, 2026, with a touch of nostalgia. At a time when society liked to put children in tight boxes, this caring big brother shattered gender stereotypes by bequeathing his own treasures to his little sister. Thanks to this gesture, the little girl was able to escape off the beaten track: “I had the whole green library and it was also thanks to him that I was able, quite quickly, to immerse myself in a world that was more of a boys’ worldthat of the adventure novels of Jack London and James Oliver Curwood.” A true revelation for the future novelist, who devoured these wild stories where animals played the leading role.
By opening her brother’s books, Josiane Balasko escaped the predetermined destinies that were then reserved for children of her age. “For little girls at the time it was The Countess of Ségur, The Club of Five, it was the pink library”, she likes to recall. But Pierre saw bigger things for his little sister, even if some of his readings required a lot of intellectual effort from young Josiane. “There were also Jules Verne but more difficult to read, because From the Earth to the Moon was a little complicated for a 9-10 year old girl”, she admits. This spirit of adventure has never left her and shines through today in the pages of her new novel.
“He had encyclopedic knowledge” : Pierre, a tutelary figure for Josiane Balasko
Beyond the books shared, it is a boundless admiration that Josiane dedicated to this brother with extraordinary intelligence, whose trajectory was very different from his own. “Pierre was an astrophysicist. I was terrible at mathematics and he was really someone extremely gifted”confides Marilou Berry’s mother. If Pierre is unfortunately no longer there to support the success of this new book, his benevolent shadow hangs over each chapter. Philippe Berry’s ex-wife also regrets not having been able to share this creative work with him: “He couldn’t give me advice for this book, but he certainly would have given me some, he had encyclopedic knowledge.” A moving tribute which proves that, even decades later, the gifts of a big brother remain forever engraved in the heart of a little sister.
