The Cruising Bar actor Michel Côté dies aged 72 one year after retirement

Actor Michel Côté has died at the age of 72, his family confirmed on Monday.

The star, who was one of Quebec, Canada’s most famous actors, died just over a year after retiring due to a health battle.

The French-Canadian actor announced he was battling a bone marrow disease upon his retirement.

Michel rose to fame in the 1970s after landing appearances in French-Canadian TV shows.

His success on the big screen came with the 1989 movie The Cruising Bar, a comedy about four men who go “babe hunting” on a Saturday night.

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Michel was nominated for a Genie award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading role for his part in the comedy film.

The hit film later gained a sequel in 2008’s Cruising Bar 2, in which Michel reprised his role.

His work on the sequel earned Michel a Jutra Award nomination for best actor.

Another of Michel’s acclaimed roles was in C.R.A.Z.Y., in which he portrayed the patriarch of a large Catholic family of sons, as one of them struggled with his sexual identity.

Michel’s work in the role was rewarded with a Genie award for Best Actor in 2005.

He went on to appear in over two dozen films and around 20 TV series during his career on-screen.

When he wasn’t busy filming, Michel performed in the play Broue alongside his friends, Marc Messier, 75, and Marcel Gauthier, 73.

The show was set in a bar for men only, and saw each actor perform in multiple roles.

The play often contained improvised content, which was based on news and current affairs while it was running.

The show ran for almost four decades before it ended, and the trio performed to sold-out crowds.

Broue gained a place in the Guinness Book of World Records for the longest running stage play featuring the same actors.

Michel is survived by his wife Véronique Le Flaguais, 75, and their sons, Maxime Le Flaguais, and Charles Côté.