This is the story of a lad from the suburbs who dreamt of becoming Disney or Goscinny. A genius prankster, a master of the absurd and schoolboy humour, but above all a demanding, hyper-creative craftsman who has left a profound mark on television and cinema for over 40 years, and whose name remains associated with cult films: ‘La Cité de la peur’, ‘Didier’, ‘Gazon maudit’ and ‘Asterix and Obelix: Mission Cleopatra’.
Ever since his appearance as a ship’s captain in *Objectif Nul* – emblematic of a ‘Canal spirit’ now light-years away – the host of *Burger Quiz* never ceases to surprise and to let his creativity run free across every stage of the entertainment world. With his youthful appearance, this jack-of-all-trades entertainer hates only one thing: talking about himself.
How can we unravel the mysteries and secrets of Chabat, a ‘Nul’ who is so discreet yet so popular? On the trail of this ‘Julius Caesar’ of comedy—who finally won a César Award as an actor in 2025 for his supporting role in *L’Amour ouf*— the testimonies and confidences gathered by René Chiche instead weave together the rich and unexpected story of a multifaceted ‘anti-star’ who has become one of the French people’s favourite personalities.
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René Chiche, a journalist, was Head of Programme Production for La Cinquième-France 5 and Editor of newspapers for the Entreprendre group. Founder of the free magazine ‘Ciné Hebdo’, he contributes to the website Idboox.com, where he covers cinema, and to Sud Radio as a columnist. A member of the Club Média Ciné, he is the author of several books, including three biographies: *Kev Adams, les secrets d’une Lol Star* (Éditions du Moment, 2015), *Cyril Hanouna, the Jester Who Became King* (L’Archipel, 2017) and *Nagui, a Child of the Telly* (Mareuil Éditions, 2021).
