Born on October 28, 1944, Michel Colucci, aka Coluche, was a popular and controversial French comedian who was also a noted film actor and activist. As a solo act, Colucci honed his trademark comic persona as Coluche, made his screen debut, and earned a reputation as a skilled actor in both comic and dramatic roles. In 1985, Colucci founded Les Restos du Coeur, an ambitious charitable program to feed the poor in France; the group served over eight million meals to the needy in its first year, but the comic would not live to see its long-term success. An enthusiastic motorcycle racer in his spare time, Colucci died in 1986 when his bike crashed into a truck.