Mathieu Madénian, under the influence: "I grew up with this patriarchy which taught us that a man should not cry"

Published on May 11, 2025 at 8:30 a.m.

Mathieu Madénian THOMAS O'BRIEN /EFFECT LE NOUVEL OBS

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Interview: The comedian and actor recounts on stage and on social media how fatherhood has transformed him. This Perpignan native of Armenian descent deciphers the influences he grew up with and those he would like to pass on, from his love of Aznavour to his taste for the horizon.

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Five years ago, Mathieu Madénian took to the stage with "Un spectacle familial," a one-man show in which he discussed his family and the differences (and misunderstandings) between generations. Since then, he has become a father. The focus has therefore shifted for his new show, "A pleure de rire," in which he questions his fatherhood and explores the upheavals associated with parenthood.

What better opportunity to ask this former lawyer and ex-columnist at "Charlie Hebdo" about his influences? We obviously meet Charles Aznavour (Armenian origins oblige), but also Clint Eastwood and Gustave Caillebotte. And of course, we talk about his native South to which he returns as often as possible to "see the horizon again" . Next opportunity to go there? The Comedy Festival that he created in Collioure and which will take place...

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