Michel Blanc, the French actor known for the comic touch he brought to even some of his saddest film characters, passed away on Friday. He was 72. His family announced the news through AFP.

Describing Blanc as "a monument of French cinema," French President Emmanuel Macron said, "He made us cry with laughter and moved us to tears."

The actor's best-known role is Jean-Claude Dusse in Les Bronzes (French Fried Vacation), a comedy film released in 1978 about holidaymakers attempting to get away from their daily problems and seeking romance at an Ivory Coast resort. Jean-Claude Dusse is an unmarried man who is bad at playing harmonica and is awkward.

Saying that he feels "very emotional and very sad" about the news, Prime Minister Michel Barnier described Blanc as "a fabulous actor who made us laugh."

Blanc also did serious film characters, theatre, screenplay writing and direction. He is among the elite few to bag an award each for screenplay and acting at the Cannes Film Festival.