Rémi Gaillard
A French mischief-maker who turned elaborate, surreal public pranks into a global internet art form and advocacy platform.
Born 1975 (age 51)·French prankster·Birthday: February 7·Generation X
Biography
Rémi Gaillard is a pioneer of the early, wild-west internet video scene, a man who built a career on audacity and a straight face. Starting in the early 2000s, long before YouTube was a career path, his homemade videos of elaborate, often sports-themed public stunts—like pretending to be a podium finisher at a real marathon—spread like wildfire. His signature tagline, 'C'est en faisant n'importe quoi qu'on devient n'importe qui' (It's by doing whatever that you become whoever), became a mantra for a certain kind of creative chaos. What began as pure, absurdist comedy evolved. Gaillard began weaving in subtle social commentary and, more prominently, became a vocal animal rights activist, using his massive platform to promote adoption and condemn animal cruelty. His work blurs the line between prankster, performance artist, and activist.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Rémi was born in 1975, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Rémi Was Born
The biggest hits of 1975
#1 Movie
Jaws
Best Picture
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
#1 TV Show
All in the Family
Rémi's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1975Born
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1980Started school
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1988Became a teenager
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1991Could drive
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
1993Could vote
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
1996Turned 21
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
2005Turned 30
Hurricane Katrina devastates New Orleans; YouTube launches
Gas: $2.30/galHome: $167,500Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"We Belong Together" — Mariah CareyBest Picture: Crash
2015Turned 40
Paris climate agreement; same-sex marriage legalized in the US
Gas: $2.43/galHome: $171,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Uptown Funk" — Mark Ronson ft. Bruno MarsBest Picture: Spotlight
2025Turned 50
AI agents go mainstream
Gas: $3.10/galHome: $385,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"APT." — Rose & Bruno Mars
2026Age 51 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Built one of the earliest and most subscribed comedy channels on YouTube, amassing over 7 million subscribers through viral prank videos.
- Pioneered a specific genre of high-concept, public space pranks that often involved impersonating athletes or officials.
- Successfully transitioned his platform to advocate for animal rights, raising significant awareness and funds for animal shelters.
- His catchphrase 'It's by doing whatever that you become whoever' entered popular internet lexicon.
Did You Know?
Many of his early pranks were filmed in and around his hometown of Montpellier, France.
He has been fined and faced legal action for some of his more disruptive public stunts.
Gaillard is a dedicated vegan and frequently features rescue animals in his videos.
One of his most famous pranks involved wearing a full kangaroo costume and hopping around a professional tennis court during a match.
“It's by doing whatever that you become whoever.”
