Michaël Youn (born Michaël Benayoun; 2 December 1973), also known under the name of Fatal Bazooka, is a French actor, singer, comedian, and TV and radio personality.
Michael Youn, Audrey Fleurot and more at Le Fantome de Canterville Premiere in Paris
Life and career
After his education as an announcer and theater actor, Youn joined the Paris radio station Skyrock in 1998. There, he made sketches and further entertainment during the morning show.
The popularity and success of Michael Youn, at the most important French private broadcast station brought Youn to the attention of French TV executives. In July 2000, he was hired for the new morning show "Morning Live" shown on Métropole 6. With Vincent Desagnat and Benjamin Morgaine, Youn did the entertainment part of the show. Like their sketches and public events (e.g. foam bath in a Paris fountain, and waking random Parisians up shooting the slogan of the show at them), their parodies were particularly successful. In particular, they parodied the music scene of Jean-Michel Jarre, casting-popstars, the Grand Prix and French rappers.
The success of "Morning Live" was mainly due to Youn and his colleagues – when they left the show, it remained on the air for just one more year.
After leaving "Morning Live" in 2002, Youn, Desagnat and Morgaine have focused on their music parodies: The three sailors “Piotr”, “Olaff” and “Dvorjak” from the Eastern European “Slowakistan”, the Bratisla Boys, appeared on the Western music market with their song "Stach Stach". The act became a big success and was number one on the French charts for ten weeks. On a 2004 list of the all-time best selling CDs in France, "Stach Stach" was listed number 30. The success even spread beyond the French border and reached Switzerland, where it was 2nd on the official charts. On 7 July 2002, the project was stopped by its makers. They claimed that the Bratisla Boys had vanished on the Dead Sea without a trace.
In 2003, the film "La Beuze“, written by Youn and Desagnat, was released. Youn played the character of Alphonse, the "unknown son" of James Brown, who tries to start his own career – by creating a new (fictional) style called "Frunkp" (a mixture of Funk and Rap). The song "Le Frunkp" was published as a CD-single and Michaël Youn (under the name of Alphonse Brown) had another hit. This time, he even reached #1 in Swiss charts.
Youn had a comedy-tour, called Pluskapoil in 2003/04 (its sequel followed in 2005) and has acted in films. New music projects followed: Les Conards (The Imbeciles) with Comme des Connards, a cover version of My Sharona by The Knack, as well as a song for the movie Iznogoud (both were in the French Top 20). He had small roles in rather big films, and was part of Les 11 commandements in 2004 (A French film done in the style of MTV’s Jackass, together with Desagnat and Morgaine).
In 2005, Youn was Iznogoud in the film version of the comic „Iznogoud“ (also known as Isnogud). In 2006, he had the main role in the film comedy Incontrôlable. Those two films were not very successful, critics and viewers finding them only so-so. Both films starred Desagnat and Morgaine, but only in small roles.
In 2010, he directed his first movie "Fatal" in which he also stars.
Fatal Bazooka
Towards the end of 2006 they picked up a parody from their old Morning-Live times: the hardcore rappers Fatal Bazooka ("Lethal Bazooka"), in which they played two rappers called “Profanation Fonky“ and “La Marmotte Infernale” who wore balaclavas. Using a hardcore style of rap, they rapped Fous ta cagoule ("Put on your balaclava"). It reached #1 on the French charts.
The CD-single is "Fous ta cagoule" of 2006. The song parodies multiple French rappers, in particular slammer Grand Corps Malade and Booba. The video clip was made by Nicolas Benamou.
His first single of 2007, "Mauvaise foi nocturne"' with Pascal Obispo parodied Confessions nocturnes by Diam's and Vitaa (mentioned in "Parle à ma main" as well) also went to #1 in France.
Fatal Bazooka released a full LP titled T'as vu ? in the last week of May 2007 selling over 300,000 copies in France and scored another N1 single (Christmas 2007 number one) with "Parle à ma main" ("Talk to my hand") featuring Yelle released at the end of 2007. This time they attacked another phenomenon of French society : the "lolitas" and their antics.
The album was released through Jam Block entertainment/Warner Music France.
Discography
(For discography as part of Fatal Bazooka, refer to their page)
Television
Caméra café (2001)
Morning Live (2000–2002)
Off Prime (2007)
Filmography
Actor
2023
BDE as
Bob
2022
Lucky Luke (TV Series) as
Lucky Luke
2022
Maman, ne me laisse pas m'endormir (TV Movie) as
Paul
2022
Ils s'aiment... enfin presque! (TV Movie) as
Jacques-André
2021
A French Case (TV Series) as
Jean-Michel Bezzina
- La Femme la Plus Haïe de France (2021) - Jean-Michel Bezzina
- Le Gouffre aux Chimères (2021) - Jean-Michel Bezzina
- Les Filles de la Poste (2021) - Jean-Michel Bezzina
- La Meute (2021) - Jean-Michel Bezzina
- Ma vengeance est faite (2021) - Jean-Michel Bezzina
2021
Fugueuse (TV Series) as
Stéphane
- Épisode 6 (2021) - Stéphane
- Épisode 5 (2021) - Stéphane
- Épisode 4 (2021) - Stéphane
- Épisode 3 (2021) - Stéphane
- Épisode 2 (2021) - Stéphane
- Épisode 1 (2021) - Stéphane
2021
Enfance Volée (TV Movie) as
Romain
2020
Connectés as
François
2020
Divorce Club as
Titi
2020
Lucky as
Tony
2019
Rendez-vous chez les Malawas as
Kevin
2017
The Red Band Society (TV Series) as
Gilbert
- Épisode 7 (2019) - Gilbert
- Épisode 6 (2018) - Gilbert
- Épisode 5 (2018) - Gilbert
- Épisode 3 (2018) - Gilbert
- Épisode 2 (2017) - Gilbert
- Épisode 1 (2017) - Gilbert
2019
No Filter as
Fabrice
2018
Watch Me Burn (TV Movie) as
Patrick Demarescau
2018
Deux gouttes d'eau (TV Movie) as
Sam Barbieri
2018
Christ(Off) as
Chris
2018
Brillantissime as
Ben
2017
Carbon as
Laurent Melki
2017
Addict (TV Series)
- Le Bon Coin (2017)
2017
Scènes de ménages (TV Series) as
Le prêtre
- Ça va être leur fête (2017) - Le prêtre
2017
Sahara as
Poisson des Sables (voice)
2016
Le Woop Mission Grand Rex (TV Movie) as
Michaël Youn
2016
Dearest Brother (TV Movie) as
Mathias Leroy
2016
The Canterville Ghost as
Gwilherm
2015
Less Is More (TV Mini Series) as
Axe Black
- La coiffure (2015) - Axe Black
2014
Family Business (TV Movie) as
Max Perez
2013
Le débarquement (TV Series)
- Episode #1.2 (2013)
2013
Vive la France as
Ferouz
2012
The Crossing as
Martin Arendt
2012
The Chef as
Jacky Bonnot
2011
De l'huile sur le feu as
Policier 2
2010
Fatal as
Robert Lafondue, alias Fatal Bazooka
2010
Coursier as
Samuel Skjqurilngskwicz, dit Sam
2009
Lucky Luke as
Billy The Kid
2008
Juste pour rire (TV Series) as
Christelle Bazooka
- Juste pour rire avec Florence Foresti & Friends (2008) - Christelle Bazooka
2008
Tu peux garder un secret? as
Le livreur de pizza
2007
Le pire du Morning Live 2
2007
Off Prime (TV Series) as
Self / En personne
- Coincée par les paparazzi (2007) - Self / En personne
2007
Héros as
Pierre Forêt / Pi
2006
Incontrôlable as
Georges Pal
2005
Iznogoud- Caliph Instead of the Caliph as
Iznogoud
2005
Pluskapoil (Video) as
Various Characters
2005
L'un reste, l'autre part as
Michaël Youn
2004
Les 11 Commandements inédits as
Mike
2004
Le carton as
Le réparateur de l'ascenseur
2004
Around the World in 80 Days as
Art Gallery Manager
2004
Les 11 commandements as
Mike
2003
Les clefs de bagnole as
Un comédien qui refuse de tourner avec Laurent
2003
Chouchou as
Le transformiste brésilien
2003
La beuze as
Alphonse Brown
2001
Caméra café (TV Series) as
Marc Bocage / Guillaume / Romain Pascal
- Le putois (2002) - Marc Bocage
- Question de principe (2002) - Guillaume
- Entretien d'embauche (2001) - Romain Pascal
2001
Philosophale (as Mickael Youn)
2000
La malédiction de la mamie (Short)
2000
Morning live (TV Series) as
Host (second season)
Writer
2023
BDE (idea) / (writer)
2020
Divorce Club (scenario, adaptation and dialogue)
2019
Rendez-vous chez les Malawas (dialogue) / (original idea) / (screenplay)
2013
Vive la France (screenplay)
2010
Fatal (scenario)
2007
Héros (adaptation and dialogue)
2005
Pluskapoil (Video)
2004
Les 11 Commandements inédits
2004
Les 11 commandements (as Les Conards)
2002
Le pire du Morning Live (Video) (writer)
Director
2023
BDE
2020
Divorce Club
2013
Vive la France
2010
Fatal
Soundtrack
-
La chanson de l'année (TV Series) (performer - 1 episode, 2007) (writer - 1 episode, 2007)
- Episode #1.4 (2007) - (performer: "Mauvaise foi nocturne" - as Fatal Bazooka) / (writer: "Mauvaise foi nocturne")
2005
Iznogoud- Caliph Instead of the Caliph (performer: "Quand je serai calife", "Sérénade", "Oh, Pretty Woman", "Iznogood, c'est good", "Iznogoud") / (writer: "Être Calife, quel Kif", "Iznogood, c'est good", "Iznogoud")
2005
Pluskapoil (Video) (writer: "Stach Stach", "La Truite est morte", "Clap tes mains")
2004
Les 11 commandements (performer: "Comme des connards")