“A little extra thing”: in his first film, comedian Artus takes a gentle and funny view of disability

“A little extra thing”: in his first film, comedian Artus takes a gentle and funny view of disability

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In his casting, Artus chose young actors with disabilities. Among them is Thibaut Conan, spotted in his customized basketball team.

France Télévisions – Culture editorial

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A scene from a movie "Something extra" d'Artus with himself, Alice Belaïdi, Clovis Cornillac and, on the left in the photo, one of the non-professional actors of the team, Thibaut Conan. (DAVID KOSKAS)

At only 25 years old, Thibaut Conan dreams big. Suffering from Sotos syndrome, a disease of excessive growth, the young man took his first steps in the cinema. He burst onto the screen in the first feature film of the comedian Artus, Something extra, in theaters from May 1.

A comedy in which two burglars, a son and his father, played by Artus and Clovis Cornillac, evade the police by infiltrating a summer camp reserved for the disabled in the Drôme. And the trouble begins…

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Thibaut Conan, 25 years old, who suffers from the disease of excessive growth, made his first steps in the cinema in the first film of Artus: “Un p’tit truc en plus”.
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(FRANCE 3 MIDI-PYRENEES / S. Pointaire / E. Coorevits / L. Ennochi / A. Nebout)

In this film, Artus has a new perspective on disability. It conveys an invitation to inclusion and a message of acceptance in all its forms. Giving opportunities to young talents with disabilities allowed Artus to address the issue of diversity with tenderness and humor.

More than the occasion, Thibaut Conan talks about “consecration”. His journey, marked by years of rehabilitation and challenges associated with his condition, created in him an unwavering determination: to make his difference a strength. 2.10 m tall, he found an outlet for his illness in basketball.

“I thought it was a joke”

His application to participate in the film was prompted by his coach, Éric Michel, who secretly sent photos of his entire customized basketball team. He then announced the good news to Thibaut, the only one retained by the production.

“At first I thought it was a joke, but from the first day of filming, I, who am not an actor, felt in my place, at ease”he confides to us with a grateful smile. He evolved within the care group for seven weeks. People like him who had “something extra”.

Originally from Blagnac, near Toulouse, Thibaut has now returned to his position as a mechanical controller at a work-related aid facility, but this foray into cinematography has reawakened a long-buried passion.

“That’s why I wanted to do comedy and theater.”, he admits. He is currently devoting three nights a week to perfecting his acting skills while he waits to be seen on the big screen.

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