Four César-winning actors and actresses, a winner of the Paris Comedy Festival Grand Prix, the creator of two comedy series with 100 million cumulative views on Canal+… The cast of the third season of LOL: who laughs, comes out! is that of all superlatives. After two first seasons, Amazon Prime Video now manages to attract the crème de la crème of the hottest comedy and humor for its program, the most viewed on the platform in France.
Halfway between the loft story and an infinite part of “I hold you, you hold me by the goatee”, the reality show of French humor is based on a simple concept: to refrain from laughing for six hours while trying to provoke the hilarity of his opponents .
“When I was offered the concept, I found it as simple as it was effective, in addition I was offered to inaugurate it with my friends for the first season… I said to myself why not try”, rewinds Philippe Lacheau for 20 minutes, the host of the program since its debut. If he expected a program that looked like a great delirium between friends, he was far from considering being there two seasons later. “I didn’t expect this success then that we would do a second and a third season. It’s incredible ! »
Meet public expectations
Especially since he recognizes that this new vintage sees “Palmes d’or, Césars and the league 1 of humor” compete. “I know Jonathan Cohen was the name that came up the most on social media. The fact that he is there with lots of other people requested by the public, it’s great, ”he rejoices.
The one who replies to Marc in The flame And The torch was convinced after watching the previous seasons of the program. “When they called us and the team started to form, we said to ourselves: ‘Wow, with this team, we really want to do it.’ “Arriving in the lion’s den of laughter, he says that the program projected him into the 1990s. “You know there are cameras everywhere but you don’t know where […]for five minutes, you feel weird,” he says.
For Gad Elmaleh, it was the public he met in the street that most encouraged him to try the experiment. It evokes a part of curiosity and another of excitement to think that he could contain his laughter the longest. “I said to myself: “Of course, me in there, you can imagine I will shine. But for once, pride played tricks on me. “says the comedian.
“I knew I would be in the front row”
Alongside the profiles with obvious humorous potential, other actors and actresses were tempted. Virginie Efira, rewarded by a César between the filming of LOL and its diffusion, evokes “a form of unconsciousness” in its participation. “We are actors, we play characters, we never have this kind of opportunity. It gave us a kind of playground, ”adds Leïla Bekhti.
She still says that she was attracted by the competition and above all the desire to win against big names in humor. For Pierre Niney, it was the concept that took over since it was the type of game he could play with his friends. “In addition we play for associations, in addition it is with people that I find very funny… So I told myself that it could be very fun and it was beyond my expectations. »
Virginie Efira was also motivated by learning the identity of her competitors, a guarantee of having a good time even without being very effective in getting them a laugh. “I knew the people who would be there, that I find them funny and that I would be in the front row. I thought, “I’m going to have Gad, Jonathan Cohen, for me.” “, she confides. However, she quickly caught on.
“Total letting go”
“At one point I found myself with a trumpet and a banana in my hands, and then putting the banana in the trumpet…I thought to myself, ‘It’s time to get out of here.’ adds Virginie Efira. The awkwardness of some and some in trying to provoke laughter is the spring of hilarious sequences for the public. “I remember that at one point I had an object to make people laugh so I was trying to make it work but people never laughed”, the actress still remembers, her voice full of despair while assuring that she “is not sinister” in life.
Each year, some participants apprehend more than others, reveals Philippe Lacheau. This is the case of Audrey Fleurot who took a long time to be convinced before season 2 to finally be a successful competitor, rising to the top of her season. “I find it even more remarkable, to see people like Virginie or Adèle [Exarchopoulos] let go, try things and be funny… I’m also thinking of Leïla who puts on big wigs… It’s a total letting go! It’s even more respectable and more kiffant. »
However, the production assures participants that their image will be preserved from their greatest moments of loneliness. “I always advise candidates to go all out, to let go, anyway the editing is always very benevolent in the end”, adds Philippe Lacheau.
No profile is excluded
Is never having been noticed for his humor a handicap in LOL ? “If you’re playing Loup-Garou, it’s not because there are two players in the game that they’re going to be better than a salesman. For me, the danger came from everywhere and we represented our own danger”, answers François Damiens, seen as the greatest threat by all the participants. Examples of contestants self-eliminating while laughing at their own joke, Philippe Lacheau has plenty, and Season 3 is no exception. According to him, a good candidate for LOL is someone who has great improvisation skills, humor, without being too good to the public.
His label as host of the program earned him in any case many requests, still reveals the host. “It happens that I am asked to participate. It’s not me who have the final decisions, I pass the names and some have already participated. »
How could the show set the bar even higher for a possible season 4? Hard to say but Philippe Lacheau does not rule out further broadening the profile of the candidates. Singers, youtubers… “There is no barrier”, he insists while acknowledging that “on the Internet, people have good ideas. »