They have been two of the most important stars on British TV in the course of the Nineties, profitable hundreds of thousands of followers for his or her portrayal of ‘Papa and Nicole’ within the traditional Renault Clio adverts.
Max Douchin was the tremendous suave, château-owning Frenchman, and Estelle Stornik performed his lovely daughter.
Each grew to become intercourse symbols as they darted off on romantic adventures, thrilling hundreds of thousands of Brits with their Gallic fashion and class.
A lot in order that once they starred collectively for the final time, in Could 1998, many bemoaned the top of an excellent period filled with frivolity and Provençal sunshine.
On se revoit! MailOnline reunites ‘Nicole’ and ‘Papa’ after 25 years: Stars of the traditional Renault Clio adverts Max Douchin and Estelle Stornik met in central Paris. The pair charmed hundreds of thousands of British TV viewers with their on-screen adventures all through the Nineties
Encore ensemble! ‘Papa’ actor Max Douchin and ‘Nicole’ actress Estelle Stornik reminisce at a restaurant in central Paris
‘Nicole’ and ‘Papa’: Estelle Skornik and Max Douchin starring in one of many adverts from the traditional Renault Clio collection within the 90s
A plus tard, papa:! ‘Nicole’ – performed by Estelle Skornik – helped Renault promote greater than 300,000 Clios, and was reportedly extra recognisable than the Prime Minister of the time, John Main. She was usually seen slipping away from her unsuspecting ‘Papa’ to satisfy a person
Sourire Papa! Max Douchin and Estelle Stornik pose for a selfie throughout their lunchtime liaison organized by MailOnline in Paris
Now, 1 / 4 of a century on after final seeing one another at Renault’s farewell celebration in 1998, MailOnline has tracked Max and Estelle down, and organized a joyful reunion at a restaurant in Paris.
‘It’s fantastic to be again along with Max in any case this time,’ mentioned Estelle, who’s now a particularly youthful 52, and dwelling within the French capital along with her financier husband, Marc, and three youngsters.
‘It’s an enormous pleasure, I’m so comfortable to see Max once more.’
Twice-married Max, who’s 85, and primarily based in rural Burgundy together with his companion, Martine, additionally seemed again to the glory days with nothing however pleasure.
‘Our time collectively was very particular – I beloved each second working with Estelle,’ he mentioned
‘We began greater than 30 years in the past, and now we really feel as younger as we have been again then. It’s such a pleasure to share a meal, and to share our reminiscences. All of it appears like yesterday.
‘We even have large admiration for Britain and the British, so it was fairly one thing to seek out success and fame in a rustic we love.
‘I nonetheless get stopped by British vacationers in France as we speak – they ask me if I’m Nicole’s papa and desire a image and autograph.
Ooh la la: ‘Papa’ Max Douchin greets ‘Nicole’ Estelle Stornik with flowers outdoors La Rose de France restaurant in Paris
Enchanté de vous voir! Max Douchin and Estelle Stornik share their delight at seeing one another for first time in 25 years
Des fleurs, pour moi? ‘Nicole’ Estelle Stornik warmly greets her on-screen ‘Papa’ Max Douchin outdoors the Paris eatery
Remark allez-vous? ‘Nicole’ Estelle Stornik and ‘Papa’ Max Douchin get chatting outdoors the Paris restaurant
Ça fait trop longtemps! ‘Nicole’ Estelle Stornik and ‘Papa’ Max Douchin hug as they meet for first time in 1 / 4 of a century
Quelle journée! ‘Nicole’ Estelle Stornik and ‘Papa’ Max Douchin pose up for a photograph after MailOnline reunited the TV advert stars
Tu ne le croirais jamais! Max Douchin and Estelle Stornik waste no time catching up over lunch at La Rose de France in Paris
C’est très drôle! ‘Papa’ is as much as his outdated methods once more it appears. Max Douchin and Estelle Stornik share a couple of laughs in Paris
Je suis très fatigué! The reunion gave the impression to be a bit an excessive amount of for veteran actor Max Douchin… maybe a superb alternative for ‘Nicole’ to slide away as soon as once more, whereas ‘Papa’ caught 40 winks
‘And naturally, they at all times then ask, “The place’s Nicole?”’
The on-screen chemistry between Max and Estelle was on the spot once they first began filming within the South of France, and eight instalments aired from 1991 till 1998.
Polls on the time urged that Nicole was extra of a family title than John Main, Britain’s then Prime Minister, whereas 300,000 Clios have been bought over the seven years the adverts ran, additionally that includes Paris and the French Alps.
In the meantime, the title Nicole grew to become one of the crucial well-liked for new-born British women.
Remarkably, the actors solely uttered 4 phrases all through the marketing campaign – the names Nicole, Papa, and Bernard – who was Papa’s capped and uniformed chauffeur – and Maman, French for mum.
Viewers by no means acquired to see Nicole’s display screen mom, with the implication being that the roguish Papa was at all times slipping off to see mistresses.
Nicole, in the meantime, took any alternative she may to satisfy up with a hunky boyfriend, particularly when Papa was apparently having a nap.
The signature payoff line in all of the adverts was Nicole sounding shocked as she mentioned: ‘Papa?’
In flip, Papa would at all times reply slowly and equally enigmatically, “Nicole…”
Robert’s Palmer’s Johnny & Mary catchy pop tune at all times performed within the background, with out the lyrics.
Recalling the grand finale of the collection, when he tried to provide Nicole away in marriage, Max mentioned: ‘Sure, Papa was fairly a personality, however folks clearly preferred him.’
Some 24 million folks watched the shifting marriage ceremony when – in a parody of a scene from The Graduate – Nicole ditched comic Vic Reeves on the alter and drove off into the sunshine with Middlesbrough humorous man Bob Mortimer.
There have been farewell events organised by Renault and promoting company Publicis on the finish of all of it, however Max and Estelle haven’t seen a lot of one another since these halcyon days.
This made their assembly on the Île de la Cité, the picturesque island on the very centre of Paris, all of the extra pleasurable.
They shared a protracted lunch at La Rose de France restaurant, after Max first greeted his on-screen daughter with a bunch of flowers, and many hugs.
‘Sure, it’s similar to the outdated days – like nothing has modified,’ mentioned Nicole, who these days primarily makes use of taxis and public transport round Paris, due to the quantity of visitors.
Requested how they each remained so younger trying, Nicole mentioned: ‘Be comfortable and love folks. No alcohol, no cigarettes.’
Max stays model loyal, driving a Renault Megane to get across the Burgundy countryside.
‘The rationale I don’t have a Clio anymore is as a result of I had an accident in Normandy,’ he revealed.
‘A automobile got here in to me from the entrance. It was the opposite driver’s fault, and the Clio was written off.’
Max was born and introduced up in rural Normandy and remembers the wartime D-Day invasion in 1944, when he was seven years outdated.
Bons amis! ‘Nicole’ Estelle Stornik and ‘Papa’ Max Douchin loved a leisurely lunch throughout their reunion in Paris
Sourire pour la picture, Papa! ‘Nicole’ beams with pleasure as she poses up subsequent to her on-screen father Max Douchin in Paris
Bonne santé! ‘Nicole’ Estelle Stornik and ‘Papa’ Max Douchin throughout lunch on the La Rose de France in central Paris. The pair starred in eight adverts collectively throughout its well-liked run in the course of the Nineties
Tu m’as manqué! ‘Nicole’ Estelle Stornik lives in Paris along with her financier husband, Marc, and three youngsters. She revealed her secret to staying younger is ”being comfortable and loving folks. No alcohol, no cigarettes’.
Superbe! 52-year-old Estelle Stornik was one of the crucial recognisable folks in Britain throughout her peak of fame within the 90s
Boyhood reminiscences additionally embody surviving artillery hearth, and listening to about German commander Erwin Rommel being shot up by a British Spitfire near his dwelling village.
‘I moved to Paris after I was 15, after which went on to the Sorbonne college, the place I studied Maths and Physics,’ he mentioned.
‘I’ve at all times had a ardour for appearing. I began drama at college on the age of 11. Then on the Sorbonne, I joined the Théâtre Vintage the place I used to be skilled professionally.
‘Papa’ is ‘papped’: Max Douchin and Estelle Skornik in a 1997 Father’s Day promo shot for Renault Clio
‘Pape’ and ‘Nicole’: Max Douchin and Estelle Stornik – the father-daughter double-act who helped Renault promote 300,000 Clios
Actress Estelle Skornik, who has additionally appeared in productions of The Days That Made Historical past and Les Lyonnais
Estelle Skornik with Ioan Gruffudd in 1999. She performed love curiosity Mariette within the naval collection Hornblower, which had eight feature-length episodes over 5 years, from 1998.
Seasoned French actor Max Douchin starred in French-Italian TV collection Les Héritiers De Patmos
Renault Clio TV advert star ‘Papa’ Max Douchin, 85, together with his companion Martine Dupuis, 74. The pair dwell in rural Burgundy
Max Douchin at present starring in his One Man Present in Vézelay, within the Bourgogne area, japanese France, the place his now lives.
‘At college, I additionally performed rugby for the Paris College Membership, together with in opposition to Oxford College, after which carried on enjoying the sport for 33 years.’
Max grew to become a classical actor, after which moved on display screen, showing in 15 movies and 60 TV programmes.
‘Once I acquired a name from my company telling me concerning the Clio marketing campaign, they didn’t assume a lot of it.
‘I wanted to have the physique of a gentleman farmer, and to be elegant and spontaneous, however they didn’t assume the advert would work. All of us have been very stunned and comfortable when issues turned out so effectively.’
Like Max, Estelle’s life was additionally touched by the horror of conflict. Her paternal household have been Polish Jews who fled to France in the course of the Holocaust.
Au revoir: ‘Papa’ and ‘Nicole’ half methods after their lunch assembly organised by MailOnline at a Paris restaurant
À bientôt! ‘Nicole’ Estelle Skornik and ‘Papa’ Max Douchin pose up for a farewell picture after their lunch assembly
Estelle’s father, Jacques, was smuggled to a secure home in Lyon when he was 15 by her grandfather, Lazare, who escaped from Auschwitz focus camp thrice earlier than being shot useless by the Nazis.
Estelle insisted on conserving Skornik – her Polish surname – as a tribute to the extraordinary bravery of her grandfather.
‘It has made me glad to be alive and made me much more bold, so I give all the pieces to my work,’ she mentioned.
After the Clio adverts, Estelle went on to star in TV hits together with Hornblower, alongside Ioan Gruffudd.
Estelle can also be a extremely profitable classical and film actress, who has portrayed a spread of lead characters, together with Marie Antoinette, the final correct Queen of France.
The Clio supermini is into its fifth era, in the meantime, with stars who’ve promoted the automobile since Max and Estelle together with Arsenal and France soccer legend Thierry Henry, who popularised the catchphrase Va-va-voom!
Would Nicole and Papa wish to make a comeback on behalf of the Renault Clio?
‘After all!’ mentioned Estelle and Max in unison, ‘We’d like to!’