Mocked for an opening ceremony for the 2023 World Cup deemed tacky by many observers, actor Jean Dujardin regretted Thursday that his second degree was not “understood”. Last Friday, the opening ceremony was supposed to “celebrate the French art of living”, with an action taking place in the 1950s and as the central character the actor Jean Dujardin, white knitted sweater on his back, cap on his head. head and mimicking the baker putting his bread in his bakery.

The spectacle was mocked by many, like the left-wing daily Libération which headlined “Allez la Rance”, evoking “the sepia postcard of a France that smells of mothballs”. Jean Dujardin, known worldwide for “The Artist,” responded on Instagram on Thursday.

“The second degree that I always liked to use was not understood and I regret it. We should certainly have remembered that our country is widely criticized for its polemical and ‘grumpy’ spirit. Too bad we couldn’t escape it when there was such good will,” wrote the man who also plays a parody of a French spy in the OSS 117 film series.

“This ceremony should never have pitted us against each other but rather brought us together. I am an artist, I will not be the standard bearer of any party. I’ll leave you to settle your affairs between yourselves. I wanted it to be a ceremony of open-mindedness, sharing and joy. I keep this beautiful emotion warm. Come on Blues,” he concludes.