Jean René Albert Berthollier, widely known as Jean Bertho, was a prominent French actor and film director born on January 23, 1928, in Pont-à-Mousson. His career took off with his engaging performances in the television series Les Jeux de 20 heures, and he gained further acclaim as the host of C'est pas sérieux, a comedy show led by Jean Amadou.
Bertho honed his craft at the Conservatoire d'art dramatique de Nancy, where he studied under the guidance of Charles Dullin, alongside notable contemporaries like Jean Rochefort and Jean-Pierre Marielle. Between 1949 and 1959, he featured in nearly thirty films, television shows, and theatrical productions.
In 1961, Bertho transitioned to journalism, contributing to the influential television news program Cinq colonnes à la une, where he reported extensively on Southeast Asia. His versatility shone through as he hosted various news programs, including Lectures pour tous and En votre âme et conscience. Notably, from 1974 to 1982, he led C'est pas sérieux, further solidifying his television presence. He later produced and hosted Télé à la Une on TF1 and Les Choses du lundi from 1984 to 1985.
In his later years, Bertho was a regular on Les Jeux de 20 heures. Following the privatization of TF1 in 1987, he directed and produced Les Choses du lundi for Antenne 2. In 1990, he shifted his focus to writing, penning a biography of Yvan Goll for the magazine Europe. Bertho passed away on January 4, 2023, at the age of 94, leaving behind a rich legacy in French entertainment.
