Who is Rémi Gaillard?
Rémi Gaillard is a French comedian, prankster and internet personality who is active on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok and other social platforms. He was born on 7th February 1975 in Montpellier, France. He is known as a French father on internet pranking, always pushing the boundaries of comedy. His YouTube channel was once the 100th most subscribed comedy channel on YouTube.
Early life and education of Rémi Gaillard
Rémi grew up in Montpellier, France, alongside his mother, who he liked the most in the whole world. Rémi's father, unfortunately, died before Rémi was even born. Because of that, Rémi was raised and educated by his mom. While many people assumed Rémi to grow up surrounded by clowns because of his career, he was a pretty average kid. While attending school, Rémi was just an average kid who got along with his classmates just fine but wasn't nearly energetic enough to become the class clown. His grades were always okay but didn't surpass anyone's expectations. When it comes to Rémi's school, it isn't known which school he attended. Some believe that he was homeschooled for a while, but this information is yet to be confirmed.
Rémi Gaillard before fame
Growing up, Rémi didn't show any aptitude towards becoming a comedian. He had no particular interest in comedy or pranking during his early years. Once he finished school, Rémi's attitude didn't change as he began searching for a job. During his lifetime, Rémi worked several jobs, but not one used his creativity to the fullest. For many years, Rémi worked as a shoe salesman and a municipal employee before deciding to pursue a career in comedy. There isn't a known reason for Rémi's change of mind when he suddenly became bored by his job and began searching for something more fun.
One of Rémi's favourite hobbies was always soccer, as he loved watching it and sometimes playing as well. As a man born in Montpellier, Rémi grew up to be a fan of their soccer club, which he joined one day. Even though his soccer phase didn't last long, Rémi's liking of football earned him an idea for a video which, eventually, made him famous.
Rémi Gaillard before YouTube
While modern times comedians have it easy, Rémi had to get creative to post-share his videos somewhere. He began filming comedy videos in the late 90s when YouTube was yet to be invented. Since he was already sure about his mission to amuse people, Rémi had to come up with a plan. In the early 2000s, he began creating and distributing his own short films and comedy sketches on his website, nimportequi.com (which translates to "whatever" in English). Since YouTube didn't exist yet, Rémi had an unrepeatable chance to find himself a large internet audience before anyone else entered the ground. He managed to do that and more, as Rémi's persona and videos became the pillars of internet comedy.
Rémi Gaillard on television
Since he saw that people liked his comedy sketches and jokes, Rémi decided to take his plan even further. He wanted to attract more people so he could make them laugh as well. But to achieve that, Rémi had to invade the general public. Once his website got some tracks, Rémi began receiving job offers from different businesses. He didn't answer any of the applications before accepting an invitation from MCM, which was a music TV channel. Even though the channel wasn't focused on comedy, Rémi managed to shine through. In no time, Rémi made his way up while observing and learning about show business. Before he even started his YouTube career, Rémi became one of the most-known comedians in France who often appeared on TV.
Rémi Gaillard on Coupe de France
Once he got the resources, Rémi showed that all of his previous works were just preparations. Rémi made his final appearance in 2002 when he made sure to be recognised by the general public of France and other close countries. Because of his acquaintances on television, Rémi had no trouble getting the official football dress of the Lorient team. Disguised as a Lorient football player, Rémi managed to mix in with the other players during the 2002 Coupe de France final match. As his disguise alongside his behaviour didn't raise any eyebrows, Rémi stayed on the field for several minutes. He got to sign several posters, chat with the fans and receive gratulations from other players and coaches. In the end, Rémi, alongside the real team, was approached by France's president at the time, Jacques Chirac.
Naturally, Rémi's staff filmed the whole thing on camera. Once he posted the video online, Rémi couldn't take any of it back. He gained millions of fans in one week, proving that taking risks sometimes pays off.
Rémi Gaillard on YouTube
Rémi Gaillard became one of the early pioneers of YouTube, gaining a massive following on the platform with his bold and often controversial pranks. He began uploading his videos to YouTube in 2007 and quickly gained millions of subscribers and views. Some of his most popular videos included him dressed as a giant chicken and disrupting a French national football team practice or his infamous Mario Kart prank, where he drove around dressed as Mario with a toy kart, throwing bananas at other drivers on the road. Rémi's most popular video is Kangaroo, with over 92 million views. Rémi might have been the only person on YouTube whose first video became the most popular and stayed so for over 10 years. The video was uploaded on January 31, 2007, and features Rémi dressed as a kangaroo jumping around a busy street and interacting with passersby.
Rémi Gaillard – video format
As in many other things, Rémi became the French pioneer of hidden camera video format. In his videos, he usually has several cameras hidden in public, so they would scan unsuspecting walk-byers. Rémi knows the exact locations of the cameras and does his pranks in their best view. Since people on the street are key characters in Rémi's sketches, they are also the most unpredictable elements. When Rémi is lucky, they end up laughing at his stupid behaviour or even playing along with his ideas. But on an unlucky day, Rémi can often risk people shouting and yelling at him, often making the shot useless for posting.
Controversy of Rémi Gaillard
Since Rémi's pranks often involve unsuspecting members of the public, he has faced criticism for some of his more provocative stunts. But due to the nature of his employment, unsuspecting members of the society weren't Rémi's biggest problem. Once he became famous, Rémi began receiving a lot of hate as well. What made it even worse was the accusation he received in early 2000. Michael Youn, the director of Morning Live on Channel 6, repeatedly accused Rémi of plagiarism.
In 2015, Rémi got himself into another inconvenience, this time because of a theme of his video. In the middle of the year, Rémi posted a video titled Dog on his YouTube channel. Most people expected Rémi to start acting like a dog, meaning that he would run where he shouldn't or, worse, urinate where he definitely shouldn't. However, Rémi's idea was a lot different. In the video, Rémi disguised himself as a dog and began harassing one of the vacationers by pretending to be in a doggy-style position on her. Once the video was published, Rémi was accused of inciting rape and harassment. Even though it might seem like a lame excuse, Rémi calmed the controversy by claiming that he was conveying another important message, defending the animal cause.
Rémi Gaillard – Books
Since every new comedian appreciates the possibility of getting inspired by someone more experienced, Rémi decided to write his ideas down as well. During his career, Rémi wrote and published several books, some of which were the basics of comedy, and some were his own memoirs and experiences. One of the most popular books by Rémi is "N'importe qui" (Whatever). This book, published in 2011, features a collection of Rémi's funniest and most outrageous pranks, as well as behind-the-scenes stories and commentary on his career as a comedian. Another one of his books bears the name "Rémi Gaillard: Greatest Hits". This book, published in 2018, is a retrospective of Rémi's best and most popular pranks, as well as a behind-the-scenes look at his creative process and inspirations.
How much does Rémi Gaillard earn? Net worth
As of 2023, his net worth is estimated to be over 2 million US dollars. In addition to his YouTube income, Rémi has also released several books and has appeared in French television shows and films. He has also used his platform to raise awareness for various social and political causes, such as animal rights and environmentalism.
Interesting facts about Rémi Gaillard
- As of 2023, he is 48 years old.
- His zodiac sign is Aquarius.
- His height is 5'9" or 176 cm.
- He was raised by his mother after his father died.
- He was an average student.
- Since his education isn't known, there is a possibility that he was homeschooled.
- He worked as a shoe salesman and a municipal employee.
- He got famous by disguising himself as one of the football players in the Coupe de France of 2002,
- Before YouTube, he posted videos on nimportequi.com.
- He wrote several books and appeared on television shows many times.
- He has over 7,27 million subscribers on YouTube, with an additional 2 million followers on TikTok.
- His most popular video is Kangaroo, with over 92 million views.
- As of 2023, his net worth is estimated to be over 2 million US dollars.
