After leaving to present Badouri Rechargé in France in the fall of 2016, Rachid Badouri kept a relatively low profile in Quebec. Back in Montreal for a few weeks, the comedian is set to begin rehearsals for his third show next Thursday in Laval. A production without gimmicks or artificial flair, reflecting the fresh start undertaken by Rachid Badouri, who has made major changes in his life.

At 42 years old, Rachid Badouri decided to let go of everything and embrace simplicity. A carefully considered decision that became necessary after a major midlife crisis and the challenges life threw his way: within just a few months, Rachid was struck by a serious bacterial infection, watched his production company for his shows (Juste pour rire) collapse, and parted ways with his longtime agent and friend, Steve Rasier, who was at the center of a scandal.

“The midlife crisis hit very, very hard. I thought it could be fixed by buying a convertible, wearing flashy caps, and telling myself that everything was going to be okay. Life speaks to you and announces a storm. If you are able to read between the lines, it can benefit you for the second half of your life. But if you try to act tough and refuse to accept it, you will take the road toward becoming a has-been and depression,” says Rachid Badouri.

In October 2017, while he still had 30 performances of Badouri Rechargé scheduled in Europe, the comedian had no choice but to cancel everything. “I was exhausted and my legs hurt. I had red spots on my feet. After running tests, we realized it was cellulitis, a serious bacterial infection from the same family as flesh-eating bacteria.”

Forced to rest, Rachid helplessly witnessed the downfall of the Juste pour rire empire, followed by the media scandal involving his agent of 13 years, Steve Rasier, pastor and right-hand man to the leader of the controversial Montreal church Parole qui libère, who was accused of taking significant sums of money from former followers for personal purposes.

“It was one of the most painful experiences of my life. In our minds, we were going to finish our lives together! He left me out of love. He couldn’t take me where he was going. He wanted to defend his truth. He is the most honest person I know, despite everything that has been said. I certainly don’t deny the testimonies of the people affected, but because of a media report, I had to choose between my agent and my friend,” explains Rachid Badouri, who continued his career without the person he considered both a brother and a support system in his professional life.

“When the dust settled, I realized that this was also what I needed. Steve was my 911. But it wasn’t helping me.”

PHOTO PROVIDED BY ALLIANCE
Rachid Badouri and Guy A. Lepage in L’appât

The comedian also left Juste pour rire following the sale of the group. Approached by new agents and producers, the comedian eventually joined KO Scène, the company founded by Louis Morissette, which his former producer, Véronique Trépanier, also chose to join.

Searching for the “real” Rachid

Determined to take the stage and present the “real Rachid” in his new show, Rachid Badouri had already been asking himself existential questions for quite some time and decided to consult a life coach after his second show.

“Success came so quickly. One day, a life coach showed me a picture of myself during a session and said: ‘This guy has become too big for who you are. He is going to hurt you. You won’t be able to keep up with him,'” he recalls. Determined to work on himself during his midlife crisis, the comedian also consulted a psychologist in France.

“He told me: ‘Stop talking to me about the new Rachid. It is biologically impossible. You are the real Rachid, the one who was hidden behind several façades.’ Hearing that was a revelation in itself.”

“With age and experience, you realize that being a comedian is what comes closest to being human,” he continues. “You can share everything you experience while making people laugh. Theatre actors are prisoners of their scripts. I had a silver platter to talk about what I was living through, but for years I showed a façade that was a little easier. I don’t regret it; I gave people a good time, but now I am somewhere else in my life.”

“I was unbearable”

Always smiling on stage, the comedian showed a completely different side of his personality when the spotlights went out. This earned him a reputation as a diva in the comedy world.

“I allowed myself to do unacceptable things. I once yelled at my press representative and she put me in my place by telling me she wasn’t paid enough to deal with that,” recalls Rachid. “In 2010, I was acting in a film, my show was running, I had everything I could dream of, but I was unbearable.”

He recalls an incident where his lavalier microphone failed during a live recording of his show Peut contenir des Rachid. “I took off the microphone, threw it on stage, and stormed off to my dressing room, criticizing the technicians’ work. Everyone tried to calm me down. The problem was that my second microphone was still on… Everyone had heard me.”

“It taught me a good lesson, and I quickly realized that I would go from comedian of the year to a terrible comedian if I continued that way.”

During a Juste pour rire programming launch alongside Lise Dion, the comedian found her rather cold toward him. “I went to ask her if she had something against me. She replied: ‘Against you, no. Against your attitude, yes! I’ve crossed paths with you on sets 10 times and you always have special requests, you’re unhappy about this or that. I feel like you don’t like your job. Do you know how many people would love to do what you do?’ She could see right through me. She woke me up!” says Rachid Badouri.

Rachid wants to make movies (again)

While the coming months will be crucial for Rachid Badouri’s comedy career, he also plans to continue developing his acting career with the support of Louis Morissette. “It’s one of my challenges,” explains the KO producer. “I recently saw him audition, and the humility he now carries makes him a different actor, and he is good. I’m currently producing a series with Ricardo Trogi. I told him I would like him to meet Rachid. He wasn’t sure. He saw him, and he got the role. But it doesn’t fit with the touring and rehearsal schedule.”

Delighted by this new adventure alongside Louis Morissette, Rachid Badouri has not said his last word as an actor. “I will never give up. Sometimes the wait is long and disappointing, but I am lucky to be working on stage during that time,” he emphasizes.

Source:

Stéphanie Vallet / La Presse
https://www.lapresse.ca/arts/humour/201906/10/01-5229522-place-au-vrai-rachid-badouri.php