Érik Canuel dead 63: Film Director of Bon Cop Bad Cop, has passed away

Film Director Érik Canuel, who was the son of actor Yvan Canuel, has died at the age of 63. CTV News Montreal reported that “Canuel succumbed to secondary plasma cell leukaemia, according to the agency Annexe.He had been battling multiple myeloma for more than seven years, but it was the leukaemia that finally took his life, the agency added.”

Érik Canuel was best known for the 2006 action comedy movie Bon Cop Bad Cop, it became the highest-grossing feature film in Canadian history and told the story of police officers David Bouchard and Martin Ward. His other movies include the 2001 film La loi du Cochon, the 2003 movie Nez Rouge and Le Survenant in 2005. 

Tributes for Érik Canuel have been pouring in for him on Facebook. Acting coach Anik Matern said: “RIP Erik Canuel. You were a great and generous director. You always ‘got’ we actors, you know how to speak to us. You will be sorely missed.”

Matthew Hays,  a Montreal-based journalist and university instructor wrote that “This is really sad news. Quebec filmmaker Erik Canuel has passed. Erik was a really lovely and generous guy. I interviewed him about the breakout success of Bon Cop Bad Cop (which he directed) and he was a good sport about my review (which wasn’t entirely glowing). He was very passionate about cinema. I’ll remember his sense of humor and his love of the screen. RIP.”

According to CBC News, “Canuel was born in Montreal in 1961 and made his first short film, Mon ami, mon frère, at the age of 21. After studying film at Concordia University, he co-founded a production company called Kino Films with Pierre Gill. Kino specialised in commercials and music videos.”