194. The grizzled, straggly-haired man is no more
Philippe Gaulier, founder of France’s École Philippe Gaulier, has died at 82. Over the years, he taught clowning to students who have become internationally renowned. His cult following is the main reason “Gaulier-trained” has become a buzzword in comics publicity.
I was excited to meet him when I heard about him around 15 years ago, especially since his school is just outside Paris. Although the meeting never took place, I still remember a statement he made that makes me laugh and reflect.
And it is - “I don’t teach something fashionable. I teach theater. You take it and, afterward, do whatever you want with it. I didn’t expect to become a legend. It would make my mother happy, but she’s dead. So, I don’t care. I did my job, not too bad, but I don’t want to be a legend.”
It reminds me of our great Raghupati Sahay, best known by his pen name, Firaq.
It is said that once the Allahabad Municipal Corporation decided to install his statue in the city, it contacted Firaq, who was quite old by then, to obtain measurements and other technical details.
Firaq was furious and dismissed the idea, claiming it was just an attempt to attract pigeons, which would sit on the statue's head and defecate. This is typical of a genius, who doesn't care whether their name will be remembered in history.
Born in Nazi-occupied Paris in 1943, Gaulier initially trained as a dramatic actor. However, he later remarked that even during tragic roles, audiences would laugh. This observation prompted him to study with master mime Lecoq, whose approach focused on mask work, improvisation, and clowning.
In 1980, he founded his school, which welcomed aspiring performers without auditions, and he encouraged each student to “find your idiot."
Known for his blunt statements and a mix of abuse, humor, and warmth, Philippe Gaulier was a formative influence on generations of comedians and actors, including Helena Bonham Carter and Emma Thompson.
Teaching was his passion and life's purpose. He was widely recognized as a specialist in the comic style called bouffon – a more satirical form of clowning that emphasizes the grotesque.
He was known for giving merciless tongue-lashings during classes, but as comedian Phil Burgers said, “I had moments of extreme suffering there. It’s really, really hard. But once you can handle the insults, something inside you cracks, and you can begin. He can penetrate through your bullshit to get to the best thing in you. He doesn’t settle for any mediocrity.”
His school offers courses in Greek tragedy, Shakespeare, Chekhov, melodrama, and masked play. His training shaped generations of clowns, comedians, and actors. Since his stroke two years ago, the school has been managed by his former students and his wife, Michiko Miyazaki Gaulier, who handles the daily operations of École Philippe Gaulier.
I cannot resist quoting him again, a mantra for budding actors: “We’re doing the best job in the world. If you’re not the happiest person in the world to be on stage, then don’t go on stage. It’s about being at ease with the audience. It’s about the joy of pretending….If you are an actor, you shouldn’t be comfortable. If you want to be comfortable, you should be a pharmacist.”
I regret not meeting him. After all, geniuses are not born every other year.