Currently busy promoting his new feature film, Gérard Jugnot shares the screen with a host of stars like Philippe Lacheau and Michèle Laroque. Among this cast is also his Splendid colleague, 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 amusing 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 caught off guard by a fake tax visit
It all started with the receipt of an official paper announcing an imminent visit from the tax authorities. “He had sent me a note saying: ‘I will present myself at your place’,” recalls Gérard Jugnot. “I hadn’t committed any fraud,” he adds. At that time, the actor feared being questioned about the purchase of a “huge” VCR on his company’s account. “Oh, maybe I don’t have the right to do that, so…”, he thought before tidying up his house. Thierry Lhermitte watched him bustling around and ironically suggested helping him move the 40-kilo machine to hide it.
The pressure reached a new level when the intercom finally rang. Gérard Jugnot then saw a red-haired man appear on his screen. “I open it and I see a guy, a redhead, and suddenly I recognize Thierry with a wig, with a mustache,” he explains. Still thinking the real official would appear at any moment, he bluntly confronted his friend. “What are you doing? No, stop! The guy is coming,” he scolded.
Thierry Lhermitte’s habit of pranking his partners doesn’t end there, as he repeats the same prank with Christian Clavier. Faced with these repeated provocations, the two victims decide to unite for a counteroffensive. The opportunity arises on the evening when the joker 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 at the top. It was revenge, you know,” concludes the actor with a laugh. This escalation in jokes demonstrates the strength of the bonds uniting the members of the Splendid. Able to turn a small scare into a comical memory, they prove that humor remains the driving force of their fifty-year-old friendship.
