Michaël Youn
Youn in 2018
Born
Michaël Benayoun

1973 (age 5051)
Occupations
  • Actor
  • singer
  • comedian
  • television personality

Michaël Benayoun (French pronunciation: [mikaɛl benajun]; born 1973), known professionally as Michaël Youn, is a French actor, singer, comedian and television personality.

Life and career

Youn was born Michaël Benayoun in Suresnes, France, to a family of Hungarian, Italian, Moroccan-Jewish, and Algerian-Jewish descent.[1]

After his education as an announcer and theater actor, Youn joined the Paris radio station Skyrock in 1998.[2] There, he made sketches and further entertainment during the morning show.

The popularity and success of Michael Youn, at the most important French private broadcast station brought Youn to the attention of French TV executives. In July 2000, he was hired for the new morning show "Morning Live" shown on Métropole 6. With Vincent Desagnat and Benjamin Morgaine, Youn did the entertainment part of the show. Like their sketches and public events (e.g. foam bath in a Paris fountain, and waking random Parisians up shooting the slogan of the show at them), their parodies were particularly successful. In particular, they parodied the music scene of Jean-Michel Jarre, casting-popstars, the Grand Prix and French rappers.

The success of "Morning Live" was mainly due to Youn and his colleagues – when they left the show, it remained on the air for just one more year.

After leaving "Morning Live" in 2002, Youn, Desagnat and Morgaine have focused on their music parodies: The three sailors "Piotr", "Olaff" and "Dvorjak" from the Eastern European "Slowakistan", the Bratisla Boys, appeared on the Western music market with their song "Stach Stach". The act became a big success[2] and was number one on the French charts for ten weeks. On a 2004 list of the all-time best selling CDs in France, "Stach Stach" was listed number 30. The success even spread beyond the French border and reached Switzerland, where it was 2nd on the official charts. On 7 July 2002, the project was stopped by its makers. They claimed that the Bratisla Boys had vanished on the Dead Sea without a trace.

In 2003, the film "La Beuze", written by Youn and Desagnat, was released. Youn played the character of Alphonse, the "unknown son" of James Brown, who tries to start his own career – by creating a new (fictional) style called "Frunkp" (a mixture of funk and rap). The song "Le Frunkp" was published as a CD-single and Michaël Youn (under the name of Alphonse Brown) had another hit. This time, he even reached #1 in Swiss charts.

Youn had a comedy-tour, called Pluskapoil in 2003/04 (its sequel followed in 2005) and has acted in films. New music projects followed: Les Conards (The Imbeciles) with Comme des Connards, a cover version of My Sharona by The Knack, as well as a song for the movie Iznogoud (both were in the French Top 20). He had small roles in rather big films, and was part of Les 11 commandements in 2004 (A French film done in the style of MTV's Jackass, together with Desagnat and Morgaine).

In 2005, Youn was Iznogoud in the film version of the comic "Iznogoud" (also known as Isnogud). In 2006, he had the main role in the film comedy Incontrôlable. Those two films were not very successful, critics and viewers finding them only so-so. Both films starred Desagnat and Morgaine, but only in small roles.

In 2010, he directed his first movie "Fatal" in which he also stars.

Fatal Bazooka

Towards the end of 2006 they picked up a parody from their old Morning-Live times: the hardcore rappers Fatal Bazooka ("Lethal Bazooka"), in which they played two rappers called "Profanation Fonky" and "La Marmotte Infernale" who wore balaclavas. Using a hardcore style of rap, they rapped Fous ta cagoule ("Put on your balaclava"). It reached #1 on the French charts.

The CD-single is "Fous ta cagoule" of 2006. The song parodies multiple French rappers, in particular slammer Grand Corps Malade and Booba.[2] The video clip was made by Nicolas Benamou.

His first single of 2007, "Mauvaise foi nocturne"' with Pascal Obispo parodied Confessions nocturnes by Diam's and Vitaa (mentioned in "Parle à ma main" as well) also went to #1 in France.

Fatal Bazooka released a full LP titled T'as vu ? in the last week of May 2007 selling over 300,000 copies in France and scored another N1 single (Christmas 2007 number one) with "Parle à ma main" ("Talk to my hand") featuring Yelle released at the end of 2007. This time they attacked another phenomenon of French society : the "lolitas" and their antics.

The album was released through Jam Block entertainment/Warner Music France.

Discography

(For discography as part of Fatal Bazooka, refer to their page)

Albums

Year Single Credited to Peak positions
FRA
2002 Anthologigi Bratisla Boys 14

Singles

Year Single Credited to Peak positions Album
FRA
BEL
(Wa)
SWI
2002 "Stach Stach" Bratisla Boys 1 3 2
2002 "Le frunkp" Alphonse Brown 1 1 1
2003 "Comme des Conards" Les Conards 3 3 11
2005 "Iznogoud" Michael Youn 12 3 11  

Filmography

Year Title Role Notes
2000 La malédiction de la mamie Michaël Short
2001 Philosophale Angel
2003 La Beuze Alphonse Brown
Chouchou Brazilian Transvestite
The Car Keys Himself
2004 Le Carton Lift Repairman
Around the World in 80 Days Art Gallery Director
Les 11 commandements Mike Also writer
2005 L'un reste,l'autre part Himself
Iznogoud Iznogoud
2006 Incontrôlable Georges Pal
2007 Héros Pierre "Pi" Fôret Also writer
Tu peux garder un secret ? Pizza Deliveryman
2008 Madagascar: Escape to Africa King Julian French dub
2009 Lucky Luke Billy the Kid
2010 Coursier Samuel "Sam" Skjqurilngskwicz
Fatal Fatal Bazooka Also writer and director
2011 De l'huile sur le feu Policeman
2012 The Chef Jacky Bonnot
La Traversée Martin
Madagascar 3:Europe's Most Wanted King Julian French dub
2013 Vive la France Feruz Also writer and director
2014 The Penguins of Madagascar King Julian French dub
2016 The Canterville Ghost Gwilherm
2017 Carbon Laurent Melki
Sahara Sandfish Voice
2018 Christ(off) Brother Christophe
Brillantissime Ben
2019 Chamboultout Fabrice
Rendez-vous chez les Malawas Kévin Queffelec Also writer
2020 Lucky Tony
Divorce Club Titi
Connectés François
2023 BDE Bob Also writer and director

Television

Year Title Role Notes
2000-2002 Morning Live Host/Various roles
2001-2002 Caméra café Romain Pascal/Guillaume/Marc Bocage 3 episodes
2007 Moot-Moot Harchibald de Montgolfier (voice) Episode: "Proot Moot"
Off Prime Himself Episode: "Coincée par les paparazzis"
2014 L'esprit de famille Max Perez TV movie
Taxi Brooklyn Taxi Client Uncredited
2016 Mon frère bien-aimé Mathias Leroy TV movie
2018 Les bracelets rouges Gilbert 6 episodes
Deux gouttes d'eau Sam TV movie
2017 Scènes de ménages Sylvain Episode: "Ca va être leur fête"
American Horror Story Milo Episode: "Chapter 9", French dub
2018 Le jour où j'ai brûlé mon coeur Patrick Demarescau TV movie

Prix média ENFANCE majuscule 2019 [archive] Catégorie Fiction

2021 Une affaire française Jean-Michel Bezina 6 episodes
Fugueuses Stephane
M'abandonne pas Romain TV movie
2022 Ils s'aiment....enfin presque Jacques-André

Music videos

Year Title Artist Role
2002 "Stach Stach" Bratisla Boys Dvorjak
"It's Kyz My Life" Gad Elmaleh
"Le frunkp" Alphonse Brown
2004 "Comme des connards" Les Conards Mike
2005 "Iznogoud" Michaël Youn Iznogoud
2006 "Fous ta cagoule" Fatal Bazooka
2007 "Mauvaise foi nocturne"
"J'aime trop ton boule"
"Trankillement"
"Le chanteur idéal" Pascal Obispo Producer
"Parle à ma main" Christelle Bazooka
2008 "C'est une pute" Fatal Bazooka
2010 "Ce matin va être une pure soirée"
2011 "Chuis Bo" PZK Father
2014 "Ce soir sans mon sexe" Fatal Bazooka

References

  1. "Michaël Youn: «La France est un pays que l'on aime détester»". Tribune de Genève.
  2. 1 2 3 Gutierrez, Evan. "Fatal Bazooka: Biography". Allmusic. Retrieved 8 January 2011.
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