Huge in France
Netflix
Not to be particularly self-congratulatory, but I have watched Gad Elmaleh’s trajectory from French comedian, to movie star, to stateside émigré, to weary self-starter, and finally Netflix star, for years. Gad’s story has fueled online articles, This American Life pieces, Canadian stand-up specials, American stand-up specials, and now his own Netflix show, and honestly the journey is much more interesting than the show suggests. What is life like for France’s biggest comedian when he comes stateside and literally no one knows who he is? The man who sold out Paris’ Olympia Theater for seven weeks straight, and was partnered with a member of Monaco’s royalty for four years doesn’t often yearn for fame. Still, Elmaleh has always stated that if he can’t make it in American comedy he hasn’t truly made it. This Netflix show focuses on a caricature of Gad: French, rich, entitled, arrogant, and fostering some serious doubts about what he has done with his life. Though this is not the show his stand-up has informed, it has done well using him as a straight man to his supporting cast’s antics.
In this fictionalized version of events, Gad is still immensely famous in France, but he now has an abandoned family in Los Angeles. His former partner and son have tried to move on from his neglect by delving into Instagram influencer branding and modeling. Gad travels to LA to be closer to his son (Jordan Ver Hoev), now a teenager obsessed with the idea of getting pec implants so he can walk for New York fashion week. His step-father (Matthew Del Negro) is supportive, mostly because he himself has missed out on his dream of being a successful actor and his mother (Erinn Hayes) is trying to be supportive whilst also engaging in influencer culture. The show skewers LA and its entertainment industries to the nth degree, as well as America in general. Gad is unsure how he fits into this framework since Americans don’t care about anything overseas, to the point that he starts talking about himself in the third person and showing skeptics a trailer for his French stand-up, just to prove that he is actually famous.
While I believe that correctly explaining Gad’s true story would have engendered more viewers, the true greatness in the show is how this narcissist caricature relates to the inspired cast of characters. Gad comes off terribly, but so does everyone at some point. Showrunners and directors, Andrew Mogel and Jarrad Paul, seem to genuinely understand Hollywood culture and they skewer it to within an inch of its life. Del Negro was especially good as a stay at home dad who is both trying to hide his own financial instability and his desire to work as an actor, his panic worsened by Gad’s arrival. Del Negro makes the role his own, his performance being poignant, pathetic, and hilarious all at once. The show continually latches onto darkness instead of light, embarrassment instead of vindication, and I absolutely love that instinct.
As a whole I love where this show goes, weaving between the extremes of LA culture, social media exposure, and our relationships with that fame, whether we engage in it or add to it. Some scenes are beyond ridiculous, including a modeling shoot for Sunglass Hut that hinges on hair product. It’s honestly a weird little gem that I hope continues into a second season, because these characters are too good not be put into more ridiculous situations.
