Comedian Martin Cloutier is proud to be a native of Louiseville. He told me that we must never forget the people who forged the path for us, who helped us and who loved us.

Father Gérard Cloutier had a dairy farm and raised pigs. He introduced his children to the love of work and taught them to always make an extra effort to succeed in their work. His mother, Gisèle Trahan, had to retire prematurely from teaching since she no longer had the right to teach since she had married.

You have a request Martin.

I would like to start by using the pronoun “you” when speaking to each other, because I listened to the voices of Jacques Doucet and Rodger Brulotte describing baseball games on the radio when I was very young. You are like childhood friends to me.

You were ten children.

Unfortunately the first of ten children, Petit Pierre died three days after his birth, but he is always present in my mother's heart and life.

Mom kept telling us: “If you have any doubts, look it up”.

My mother always challenged us so that we could improve our knowledge. In fact, I read all of his reviews from Readers Digest Selections from 1948 to 1990.

Did the family have time to take a vacation?

Absolutely not, because a farm is 365 days not years.

However, you are currently traveling with your mother.

Every time I drive my car to do a show, I use my hands-free phone to describe the scenery to her, because my mother at the moment has a problem with her eyesight.

You learned several construction trades.

Before I was born, my father worked in construction and on the farm. This allowed children to learn to weld, drive tractors and other facets of construction.

Waking up was at 3:30 a.m. every morning.

My brothers and I did the train on the farm, that is to say milking the cows from 3:30 a.m. Once our work was finished, we took our shower before going to school.

You were in splendid physical shape.

When I arrived at training camp for my hockey team, the Louiseville Jets, my physical strength was greater than that of my teammates.

You were lifting your first car, a used 1988 Chrysler Valiant, to park it.

If there were people around, I did not park my car well. I got out of the car and gawked as I lifted the back of the car to move it to the right place.

You lifted a car into a perpendicular position.

I was in college, so to play a trick on one of my friends, I lifted his Colt car to move it into a perpendicular position between two cars.

Back to your youth.

At school, I had teachers, Lucille Arsenault, Jacquelin Lacoursière and Daniel Béland, who inspired me to become a comedian.

You liked to play sports.

At school, during my high school, I played handball and indoor soccer. Unfortunately, for baseball, in the summer I worked on the farm.

You played baseball in the CRBM senior league.

After I turned 20, I faced the former Aigles de Trois-Rivières, the Canadian Junior Champions, including Alain Noël and Patrick Gervais who had signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates. I then played given ball in tournaments.

Guy Lafleur, Gilles Villeneuve and Björn Borg are your idols.

Guy Lafleur and Gilles Villeneuve were intense athletes who thrilled the crowd with their prowess. The other is the legendary tennis player, Björn Borg, whose sport I have never practiced.

The death of Guy Lafleur and that of Gilles Villeneuve touched you enormously.

Even today, I am still saddened by the death of Guy Lafleur. Gilles Villeneuve was like our family, that is to say a poor family that never gave up in order to overcome challenges.

Your first summer jobs.

My first job was at the golf club of Bobby Rousseau, the former Canadian player. Then I worked at the Saputo factory and at Kruger.

Have you ever had a room just for you?

I always shared my room with one of my brothers until I arrived in Saint-Hyacinthe to begin my studies at CEGEP. For the first time, I had a room just for me.

Twice, you have been refused at the National School of Humor.

I think I was too young at the time, but it allowed me to study later with Dominic Sillon, who has become my comedy partner for the past 30 years.

Gilles Latulippe and Claude Blanchard had a big influence on your career.

Claude Blanchard called us his grandchildren. He gave us good advice, because like us, he had a career as a duo.

You are garlanded by Gilles Latulippe.

With great tenderness, Gilles continually repeated to us that in a duo, there was the white clown, Dominc Sillon, the serious, intelligent and rational character, and the august, me, the stooge who finally triggers the laughter. When we did not fulfill our assigned role, Mr. Latulippe let us know.

Your son is in high school.

Zachary is at Esther Blondin college in sports studies. He loves to play basketball and soccer. He loves geography, but above all, he loves defending people's rights.

Your spouse, Nathalie Ayotte is a dynamic woman.

She is an independent, generous loving and brilliant woman. Her presence allowed me to pursue my career, because she always accepted me for who I am.