Jamel Debbouze: Behind the Scenes with France’s Beloved Comedian

At the origin of this documentary, Mélissa’s approach was very simple. It was for the one who shares the life of the comedian to show the "internal kitchen" during the preparation of a show in order, she says, to restore the truth.

According to Mélissa Theuriau, mother of Jamel’s two children (Léon, 10 and Lila, 8), it took a year to write this show. "A year of exchanges that show an artist very different from the one the media know," she says.

The comedian never ceases to bring good cheer to his admirers through shows embellished with funny stories that only he knows the secret to.

Unfortunately, his wife blows the whistle on his "true nature": "A man full of doubts and fragility, and who almost never gets angry, except on himself," observes Mélissa. And, she adds that "Jamel is someone who is stressed and a little anxious."

Contrary to what one might think, Jamel does a very precise job to please his fans, Mélissa says.

However, when asked what explains his absence alongside the comedian during his shows, Mélissa replies: "It’s such a complicated period, the writing of his show, that I’m not there more. Knowing me in the audience always puts a little extra pressure on him."

She will therefore be content with the "preview" of each show. "He still tests a lot of sketches at home. So imagine if I don’t laugh," concludes the one who has shared his life for about ten years.