"If the opinion does not concede talent, it always spoils it.
An artist's opinion must be Faith in his works, and his only way to success the labor, when nature has given him to be truly inspired."
[Honoré de BALZAC]
Eric, Henri, Marie DELCOURT
Born on March 27th 1970
Masculine concept / invariable (unvarying) / unclassifiable
Writer, French contemporary actor
Of Ariégeoise* extraction on his mother’s side, his father’s Venezuelan origins give him this twinkling Latin look.
*Ariège is a southwestern subdivision of France, situated between Toulouse, the Mediterranean see area and the Pyrenean Mountains.
“DELCOURT” is a borrowed patronymic under which, ROLAND DELCOURT, his father, newspapers journalist, war reporter in Algeria, will be recognized by HENRI WEDELSTEIN, brilliant speculator, Shoa survival, who, to protect his children from an eventual new conflict, Frenchized his name and bought the patronymic “DELCOURT” just after this “drôle de guerre*”
* the “drôle de guerre” or “the odd war” commonly used to talk about WWII
HENRI DELCOURT, founder of the Auto-Journal, ROBERT HERSANT’s right hand and screenplay writer for, among others, JEAN-PIERRE MELVILLE, will give the writing virus to ERIC.
And, if logic had been respected, his name today would be ERIC SALDIVIA.
ERIC felt for a while to use this name as pen name for his carrier but, having lately learnt this family secret, he was already signing his works under the name DELCOURT.
SALDIVIA will finally become the name of his coming screenplays’ numerous characters.
Eric was born and grew up until his 15’s in the Parisian suburb “91”, dreaming to be a brilliant tennis player, but, being an ham handed in that field, he evolved in the ghetto like neighborhood among the band of gypsies living around the corner and multiplied nonsense and relevant acts of damned stupidity of rebel pimply face teens revolted against…. Finally not much!
He narrowly turned out badly and a brutal family’s break up raised. That’s how before the end of High School he stopped his school attendance and oriented himself toward an apprenticeship that will change his life and draw his fate.
15 years old, ERIC migrates to Toulouse to his aunt and uncle where he’ll stay until his 27th birthday to work in the hotel trade.
He heads on to active life and learns with happiness what will become his passion.
But, the artistic soul that sleeps in him slightly started to show his nose. Going on his activity, he gets himself into directing short movies, with the means at his disposal, and organized shows for which he writes the sketch.
Writer, during his lost hours, this self made man wanted very much to dash off into the artistic world persuaded to have something to do there.
He leaves Toulouse and behind him all he had built for the past 10 years to turn up in Paris in 1998.
He joins a Café-Théâtre* open scene created by JEAN-LUC LEMOINE and VINCENT AZE and integrated the team becoming quickly one of its main pillars.
For 2 years then begins, every Friday nights, the TBH (Tendresse et Bonne Humeur) evenings.
* French equivalent of Comedy Clubs
The TBH turns out to be a real artistic laboratory, a writing workshop, a breeding ground for concentrated talents and an obvious apprenticeship of the stage work that quickly gives ERIC the consciousness of his sense of rhythm, of tag lines, ruptures, his comedy power and his connection with the audience.
Numbers after numbers that he writes and acts with his accomplices, he makes his writer’s talent felt and sharpens his acting.
He gets the chance to meet his comedy muse and stage binomial: the delicious, talented and gorgeous MARIE MONTOYA.
Then, with VINCENT AZE, he creates the comedy duet “DOUBLE VITRAGE BLINDE” that has its glorious day concurrently with DANY BOON, JEAN DUJARDIN, BRUNO SALOMONE, ERIC COLLADO, GERALD DAHAN, SANDRINE ALEXIS, TOMER SISLEY, etc …
Following close, he 4 hands writes, still with VINCENT AZE, his first play “Droits de succession”, a successful comedy he acts, with the TBH team, in parts written on measure (500 performances at Petit Théâtre de Paris, café de la Gare, Bobino). He transferred his cinematographic copyrights to SAMUEL HADIDA.
Next comes the play “Hors-piste”, written, directed by ERIC himself, but that will only endure 90 performances despite its success at the Comédie de Paris. On the billboard next to ERIC and other actors features MARIE MONTOYA, in one of the main characters, who will blow up to the audience’s eyes, a complete revelation.
Likewise, he will transfer his cinematographic copyrights to OUTSIDER PRODUCTION.
Today, these adaptations into screenplays are written and under development.
With CORINNE DACLA and FELICIA MASSONI he writes for a unique show he directed at the Palais de Glaces the play “At 751”. A dark comedy too far, for his audience, from the usual unwedgy atmosphere appreciated in “DROITS DE SUCCESSION” and “HORS-PISTE”.
He actively participates the all year 2000 round to the epic adventure of CHRISTOPHE GANS’s “PACTE DES LOUPS” as supporting actor and 2nd assistant director.
After that he develops some screenplay projects on request of SAMUEL HADIDA for METROPOLITAN FILM EXPORT that offers him an office on the Champs Elysées.
He directs through his first Production company, ISATIS Production, founded with BERNARD SAADA, his only and unique short movie: “DERNIERE FLAMME”.
He meets with JEAN-LUC MOREAU, brilliant Vaudevilles’ director, to whom he brings an artictic collaboration to the writing and direction of “LA SALLE DE BAIN” by ASTRID VEILLON and “UN BEAU SALAUD” featuring BERNARD TAPIE.
He’ll performed in the episode “LE MULET” of one of the famous French TV series, next to his buddy BERNARD alias Commissaire VALENCE.
Next, he’ll do a fabulous performance in the part of IBANEZ on channel M6’s “DUVAL & MORETTI”.
Two movies appearances: “IMMORTELLE” by ENKI BILAL and “MILLE MILLIEMES, FANTAISIES IMMOBILIERES” by REMI WATERHOUSE.
He’s asked to adapt and direct the British comedy by SAM BRODERICK and RON CLARCK “NORMAN IS NOT HERE” that is now the Achilles’ heel of the Comédie de Paris.
He plays parts in two successful comedies “SURPRISES ET CONSEQUENCES” and “1,2,3 SARDINE”.
He writes and performs in “LA SOEUR DU GREC”, directed by JEAN-LUC MOREAU, during more than 700 performances at La Comédie Bastille, Théâtre Fontaine, ending up at the Splendid going on tour around France and Benlux, as well as a live performance filmed for French TV channels: TV5 Monde and France 4.
He’s nominated as best actor and best comedy at the 2006 “Raimu de la comédie” for “LA SOEUR DU GREC”.
In May 2007, during the Cannes festival, he starts the shooting of his first movie he wrote and in which he convinced the production and TV channels to let him perform the leading part.
“NUIT CANNOISE” will so be directed by CHRISTIAN VANDELET, which is his first directing, and will also feature BERNARD FARCY and ALISON PARADIS in leading roles.
After only 8 days of shooting, the movie is bluntly stopped by a lack of means and a dispute between the different co-producers.
Today, “NUIT CANNOISE” is stopped and postponed due to this legal issue, in the expectation of the current trial with the production company of which Eric tries to get the copyrights aiming a back on shooting next spring through his own production company.
You can enjoy 14 of the already shot minutes, edited and standardized, by visiting the page VIDEOS of this website.
Together with SIMON LELOUCH, they adapt the original screenplay written by ERIC “KMO” starting shooting next year. Concurrently, DELCOURT writes, with MARIE who will perform the lead character, his second first movie he would direct next Spring: “ LE MONDE MERVEILLEUX DE BLANDINE PUJOL”.
In 2008, he sets up the production company “TATTOO FILMS” with 3 associates, which from now on will be his window and will co-produce his entire work and new talents.
TATTOO FILMS is already co-producing many shows in Paris.
Thanks to DOMINIQUE DESCHAMPS, “HORS-PISTE” is given a new chance in a new look at Théâtre Fontaine. He co-directs with DOMINIQUE DESCHAMPS and performs his original part in the new version entirely re-looked with a new but still brilliant cast including MARIE MONTOYA.
The success will lead “HORS-PISTE” to the top of the Box-office through the Théâtre de la Renaissance, accessing the Splendid to loop the loop where it started at the Théâtre Fontaine.
In June 2008, “HORS-PISTE” wins the “Affiche d’or” for its 300th performance, awarding the length of its success and the amount of spectators.
In 2008, DELCOURT is nominated again for the Prix du public and as best actor at the Raimu de la comédie for “HORS-PISTE”.
Soon on stage again in two new projects: one “LE DELAI” more ambitious, less comedy, darker, two characters, he wrote and will be directed by ALEXANDRA FECHNER and also performed by NICOLAS HERMANN; the other, a light and romantic comedy written and performed with LILOU FOGLI “LE CESAR DE ROSALIE” should open at the Splendid.
“At 751” should be given a new try in a new version and cats in 2010.
The continuation of “HORS-PISTE” titled “HORS-PISTE AUX MALDIVES” is previous to open in September 2010 at the Théâtre Fontaine.
He bubbles over with film projects, TV series in development in diverse productions, and writes during his rare lost hours, whenever he gets the chance, his first roman called: “ET PENDANT CE TEMPS-LA A ROLLAND GARROS”.
Concurrently, like a parenthesis to his busy artistic life and not trying to pursue a new carrier, he self-produce a demo album which he writes and sing the words that WOODBRIDGE has magnificently arranged.
He’s expecting a coming out soon after studio work with makeweight musicians.
The album title sounds like him: INCLASSABLE*
*unclassifiable
Two tracks on the new album to uncover:
Du lilas pour Lilou
Fin du système