Jacques Desrosiers
Québécois singer and actor, famed as clown Patof.
Jacques Desrosiers (July 8, 1938 – June 11, 1996) was a Québécois Canadian singer and actor, best known for his role as the clown Patof in the Canadian television series Patofville. Born in Montreal, Quebec, he was the seventh child from a family of 15. His father, Pierre Desrosiers, was a burlesque actor, and his mother, Lucienne Fleury, was a pianist. Two of his brothers, André Fontaine and Édouard Desrosiers, were also singers. Desrosiers took drama lessons with Sita Riddez but never completed them. His big break came when he was approached by Nicolas Doclin, a worker from CBC/Radio-Canada, while performing with an amateur theatre troupe, which helped him set foot in television. He also joined Paul Buissonneau's Théâtre de la Roulotte in supporting roles.
Quick Facts
- Born
- 8 July 1938
- Birthplace
- Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Died
- 11 June 1996
- Occupation
- Actor, singer
- Years active
- 1956–1995
- Known for
- Patof
Facts from the source article.
Did You Know?
- He earned a Golden record (100,000 sales) in 1972 for the single 'Patof Blou'.
- A street in Blainville, Quebec, was named in his honor in 1997.
- He wrote an autobiography titled Millionnaire, published in 1981.
Television
Jacques was involved in many projects including the musical Zéro de conduite (1963–64), where he met Dominique Michel, Denise Filiatrault, and Donald Lautrec. He was also in another musical alongside Clémence Desrochers, Le vol du flamant rose in 1964. In 1972, he was asked to play the role of a clown for The Captain's Circus. While initially refusing, he finally made a single appearance that helped increase Patof's popularity and made him a main star in Télé-Métropole shows.
Cinema & theatre
Jacques Desrosiers appeared in several Canadian films, such as C'est pas la faute à Jacques Cartier (1967), Après ski (1970), Le Party (1990) directed by Pierre Falardeau, and La Florida (1993) directed by George Mihalka. Additionally, he performed in comedy theatre productions under the management of Gilles Latulippe.
Personal life
Jacques was a homosexual but never disclosed the fact during his life due to his role in children entertainment and societal taboo at the time. Jacques Desrosiers died on June 11, 1996, at the age of 57, due to bone and lung cancer following a brief illness.
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