Philip Lacho became known through television. He started his career as a host on Fun TV before joining Canal + ‘Le Grand Journal’ with La Bande à Fifi in 2005. He then successfully switched to cinema and comedy. And we know it (“childcare” or “Alibi” .com). The actor and director will return to the small screen on Friday, April 23rd. He chairs the new Amazon Prime meeting, “LOL: qui rit out out!” A game unheard of in France, adapted from an Australian formula, where ten actors and comedians are locked up for six hours with only one rule to be respected: Don’t laugh! The winner wins 50,000 euros for the association of their choice.

Mazen TV. How did you get into this project?
Philip Lacho. – Endemol came to me by chance. Julian Aubourg, whom I knew when I was working at Fun TV, sent me a message on Facebook to tell me about “LOL: qui rit is coming out!” She sent me the link of the original Australian version. I didn’t know the concept, but Kian Khujandi was a fan. I found it simple and effective: if you laugh, you are lost.

Read also – Philip Lacho challenges ten comedian artists to a show on Amazon Prime Video

Who chose the participants?
Endemol and Amazon Prime gave me the nominees. I admit I was pretty spoiled for the cast. It is very successful because it combines all kinds of humor and universes, from Gérard Jugno to Kayan Khujandi via Alexandra Lamy. I had never filmed in the cinema with the latter and was very proud to find it in this program. Now that we know each other, we’ll probably be playing in a movie together.

Many of them know each other well, so was this a feature of cracking?
Not all of them knew each other, some had never crossed paths before and were meeting for the first time. It is true that it can help those who know each other because when we do not know each other, we may give up on it. But the feeling ran very quickly among everyone and they didn’t take long to make the gates.

We discover that it is a real torment not to laugh …
I was very lucky to be able to laugh, but it is true that it is a very difficult exercise, especially when the hours pass and the fatigue begins. Most of the participants are comedians and get to a place where others are not allowed to laugh. So they get the impression that they are restricting the flop and that they are not funny. Not easy for someone who works with a good sense of humor …

Did you not regret not being nominated?
I was offered to apply and I admit that I preferred it because I know I wouldn’t have been good. I am sure I would have been one of the first to be eliminated. After that, I like to lead a dance. I often play werewolf with my friends and my favorite role is playmaker.

On paper, do you have an idea who might be the weakest or the strongest?
I had my little idea of ​​who would go first and who would win but I totally screwed up! I was surprised, this is the interesting thing.

Also read – Philip Lacho in “Z-Zone”: “I was afraid to be too scared”

What is the device for monitoring the behavior of candidates?
I was very impressed with the deployed device since there are 50 cameras spread all over the place. With all these screens around me, I felt like I was in the control room of a spacecraft. This made it possible not to miss anything and see those laughing or laughing at the other. To discover laughter or smiles, I was not alone. There was a large team behind me with one person per artist watching his eyes on the camera and informing me if there was a laugh or a smile. When I watched the episodes, there were moments that I discovered.

How did the shooting go?
We were locked up for about twelve hours. Everything was filmed on the same day, it was really intense. The candidates did not have the possibility to return to the boxes, but rather ate in the group. We really played the game to the extreme. When someone got shot, I came to join them and everyone took the opportunity to laugh, it was their real pausing moments.

What were the comedians’ instructions?
They all arrived with a bag in which they carried the things they wanted. They also had a duty to prepare the Joker: for three minutes, they’d climb onto the stage and the others would watch them. They can make a show, a song, a drawing … in short, something to try to break with others. Some warmed up more than others like Kian Khujandi who took the matter seriously. Connect with files for each of the participants. He impressed me.

Will there be a second season?
It has not yet been planned, and we are waiting to see if the public responds. But if he succeeds, then it is a conceivable thing. I’ll be ready to leave because I had a blast.

This offer is on Amazon Prime, are you a fan of platforms?
Like everyone else, especially with what has happened lately … I knew Amazon Prime so well, I’m a fan of the amazing “The Boys”. Overall, I have been a fan of the series since I discovered “24 heures chrono”.

Would you like to write one and visualize it?
why not? It might be interesting because it’s a writing mechanic other than the movie. Then, to play in a series, you have to be at a good level and after that it takes a lot of time. I’m lucky to be able to make movies and use it because it’s what I’ve always dreamed of. But I didn’t plan to remake the TV either, I take that as an arc.

what are you watching on TV?
I admit that I am a big consumer. On the terrestrial channels, my favorite is Koh Lanta. Friday night is my favorite night. Like the series, there are different feelings: passion, betrayal … it’s cool! We send messages to each other with friends, we exchange them. Love this show. I also really like “Married at First Sight” on the M6.

When will your next movie be released?
I was very lucky that we were able to shoot “superheroes in spite of themselves” in one go between the two lockups, without any viral issue. It’s a little miracle! The film has been completed, and it should normally be released on October 20. It tells the story of a somewhat looser actor playing the superhero. He will have an accident and lose his memory. When he wakes up, he really takes himself for his superhero character even though he doesn’t have the powers to do so. Will do good … but bad!

Has the arrival of Covid-19 changed anything in your outlook on life?
I consider myself lucky that those around me have not been affected. This virus puts a lot of things in perspective. We cling to simpler things, if it can at least serve that … me, confinement allowed me to create. With our fellow authors, we have worked on a lot of projects.

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