Philippe Gaulier, clown guru and mentor to theatre and comedy greats, dies aged 82
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Philippe Gaulier, the influential French clown teacher and founder of École Philippe Gaulier, died at age 82 due to complications from a lung infection. Gaulier, who taught the art of clowning for decades, mentored numerous successful actors and comedians, including Sacha Baron Cohen, Helena Bonham Carter, and Emma Thompson. He founded his school in 1980 near Paris after studying under Jacques Lecoq, admitting students without auditions and encouraging them to embrace their inner "idiot." Gaulier was known for his brutally honest teaching style, which pushed students to break through their inhibitions. His school produced many performers who achieved success at comedy festivals. Gaulier also performed in a comic style known as bouffon.
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AI-ExtractedSacha Baron Cohen described Gaulier as “the funniest man I’ve ever met”.
Gaulier founded his school, now based in Étampes outside Paris, in 1980, after studying under Jacques Lecoq.
Gaulier taught the art of clowning for decades and his students included Sacha Baron Cohen, Helena Bonham Carter, Emma Thompson, Rachel Weisz and Geoffrey Rush.
Philippe Gaulier, the influential founder of France’s École Philippe Gaulier, has died aged 82.
He had a stroke in 2023 and, since then, had “received warm words of encouragement from all over the world”.
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