Jessé Rémond Lacroix brings 'Message personnel' to Montreal's Just for Laughs festival

Jessé Rémond Lacroix, a 33-year-old French humorist, is bringing his solo show "Message personnel" to Montreal's Just for Laughs festival. The performance is his first major North American outing after 255 sold-out shows across France, Belgium, and Switzerland since 2022.

"I've always been someone funny," Jessé said from Paris in a recent interview, "but it took me time to understand I could make a job of it." Growing up, he used humor as a defense mechanism against bullying, a coping tool that eventually became his calling. His journey to the stage was unconventional: he appeared in a Laurent Ruquier-directed theatrical piece from 2016 to 2018 alongside Francis Huster before COVID-19 pushed him to write his own material.

"I was tired of depending on casting directors," he explained. "I decided to give myself my own work."

"Message personnel" tackles his homosexuality, rural origins, family history, and the school harassment he endured—all delivered with sharp, hilarious honesty. The show has been evolving since its debut. Early performances were constrained; he was armored, censoring himself. "It took me about a year and a half to understand that people in the audience can love you for who you are," he said. Over time, he shed the protective shell and allowed his authentic self to shine—a shift that made him funnier and more resonant.

Beyond stand-up, Jessé maintains a prolific creative schedule: he records sketches for social media, delivers weekly radio commentary on France Inter, and published his first novel, "Les bateaux sur la terrasse," in January, exploring his family's hidden histories. But nothing compares to the electricity of live performance. "The rapport is instant with the audience. We're there together for an hour and a half, sharing a moment," he said. "That can't be replaced."