Quebec actor Michel Cote, known for film and theatre roles, dead at 72
Quebec actor Michel Cote, who captivated audiences with his roles in the theatre piece "Broue" and films such as "Cruising Bar" and "C.R.A.Z.Y.," has died at 72, his family said Monday.
Cote retired from public life just over a year before his death to undergo treatment for a bone marrow disease.
The actor was a favourite in Quebec, and received a lifetime achievement award in 2013 at the Jutra awards.
Quebec Premier Francois Legault paid tribute to Cote on social media, describing him as one of Quebec's great actors.
"I still laugh out loud at Broue, Cruising Bar, La petite vie, but I also remember his touching role in C.R.A.Z.Y.," Legault wrote on Twitter. He added that Cote was set to receive the National Order of Quebec in the coming weeks.
Cote's career began in 1983 with a role in Andre Forcier's film "Au clair de la lune," starring Guy L'Ecuyer.
He appeared in at least 25 films and some 20 television series. In between shoots, he appeared on stage in the evenings to perform in the theatre piece "Broue" with his friends Marc Messier and Marcel Gauthier -- which he did for 38 years until 2017.
His last film role was in "De pere en flic 2," which came out in 2017. More recently, he gave an emotional tribute to the director Jean-Marc Vallee, who died suddenly on Christmas Day in 2021 and who cast Cote in a memorable role in the 2005 film "C.R.A.Z.Y."
He was honoured in January 2022 during an emotional special on the Radio-Canada program "Les Enfants de la tele," where he appeared with his partner Veronique Le Flaguais and their son Maxime, who are both also actors.
News of the death sent a shockwave through Quebec's political and artistic communities, with many prominent personalities joining Legault in paying tribute to a man they described as a "giant" and a "genius on screen."
Denis Trudel, a Bloc Quebecois MP and actor, said he had fond memories of working with Cote on "C.R.A.Z.Y."
"Kind, funny, endearing, hard working, always a good word for everyone," he said. "A terrible loss for all Quebec."
Author Simon Boulerice published a photo of himself and Cote on Instagram, along with a farewell tribute.
"Goodbye to this great man who was so kind, with dazzling talent," he wrote. "Michel Cote was elegance incarnate. No wonder people loved him so much."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 29, 2023
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
Doctors visiting a Gaza hospital are stunned by the war's toll on Palestinian children
An international team of doctors visiting a hospital in central Gaza was prepared for the worst. But the gruesome impact Israel’s war against Hamas is having on Palestinian children still left them stunned.
Premiers not being truthful about carbon tax, Trudeau says while sparks fly in Ottawa
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Conservative premiers across the country are 'not telling the truth' when it comes to the carbon tax. Trudeau's comments came as fresh sparks were flying in Ottawa at a recalled House of Commons committee.
A Nigerian woman reviewed some tomato puree online. Now she faces jail
A Nigerian woman who wrote an online review of a can of tomato puree is facing imprisonment after its manufacturer accused her of making a “malicious allegation” that damaged its business.
Far North police 'dispatch' polar bear stalking schoolyard
Police and local hunters in an Ontario Far North First Nation community have “dispatched” a polar that was showing abnormal behaviour and treating the area as a hunting ground.
Cargo ship had engine maintenance in port before Baltimore bridge collapse, officials say
The cargo ship that lost power and crashed into a bridge in Baltimore underwent 'routine engine maintenance' in port beforehand, the U.S. Coast Guard said Wednesday.
'Ninja,' Twitch's biggest streamer, is diagnosed with skin cancer
American gamer and Twitch superstar, Tyler 'Ninja' Blevins, revealed he was diagnosed with melanoma, a form of skin cancer.
Donald Trump assails judge and his daughter after gag order in N.Y. hush-money criminal case
Donald Trump lashed out Wednesday at the New York judge who put him under a gag order that bars him from commenting publicly about witnesses, prosecutors, court staff and jurors in his upcoming hush-money criminal trial.
Here's what Trudeau says the upcoming federal budget will offer renters
The federal government will create a new 'Canadian Renters' Bill of Rights,' which would require landlords to disclose their properties' rental price history to prospective tenants.