Who is Thomas Jolly? Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony director receives backlash over Last Supper parody using drag queens

Thomas Jolly, a French actor and an artistic director, has been getting backlash for staging a Last Supper parody using drag queens during the Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony on July 26, 2024. The ceremony featured performances by notable artists like Celine Dion and Lady Gaga, and saw sports icons such as Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams participating in the Olympics torch relay.

Jolly designed a portrayal for Leonardo DaVinci’s Last Supper, which featured a wide line-up, including several drag queens. The artists gathered around the table to recreate the famous painting, as reported by Metro. However, the act drew criticism from several people, including Tesla CEO Elon Musk.

The controversy erupted on X, where many netizens felt that Thomas Jolly's act was disrespectful to Christianity. One user wrote:

"Thomas Jolly is the man who mocked JESUS (The Last Supper)… The Gay Jewish 42 year old used the largest platform in the world to mock Christianity."

"So it is the end of Olympics, I am not gonna watch anymore," one tweet read.

"Sorry for the kids that had to watch this! Sleep well 🫣," another user wrote.

Many users pointed out that while Jolly wanted everybody "to feel represented" through the opening ceremony act, they couldn't relate to it at all. One wrote:

"I’m a Christian. I don’t feel represented! I feel offended!"

"Christians certainly are not represented," another user commented.

"Strange how he was hoping to make "everyone to feel represented." I've never felt less "represented" by anything in my life. They make a mockery of all that is good, true, and beautiful," a tweet added.

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Exploring Thomas Jolly's career and life

42-year-old Thomas Jolly and Thierry Reboul were the main names behind the opening ceremony act of the 2024 Olympics in Paris. While Thierry organized the Olympics Flame's Route, outfits, and medals, Jolly was the artistic director. His recreation of the Last Supper, however, received significant criticism online.

Born in 1982 in Rouen, Jolly has been directing the national drama center Le Quai d'Angers since January 2020. He resigned in November 2022 to take on the role of the artistic director for the Olympics opening ceremony. His acting career began way back in 1993 when he joined a children's theater company at the age of 11.

Starting in 1999, Thomas Jolly performed at multiple regional festivals with his university theater troupe while pursuing a degree in theater studies from the University of Caen. After completing his studies, he founded his own theater company, La Piccola Familia, in 2006.

French newspaper Le Monde reported that Jolly has come a long way from where he started. In 2022, he told the outlet:

"My parents [printer father, nurse mother] didn't go to the opera. We didn't go to the theater, just to the cinema once or twice a year. In a family where nobody went to shows, it's as if I had inherited, without realizing it, a frustrated desire to finally bring it to fruition."

Thomas Jolly is a well-known name in the theater and artistic industry in France.

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President of Paris 2024 shared his views about choosing Thomas Jolly

While the much-awaited 2024 Olympics opening ceremony in Paris drew widespread attention, many were displeased with the recreation of the Last Supper by artistic director Thomas Jolly. However, Tony Estanguet, President of Paris 2024, defended the decision to choose Jolly to design the act, stating:

"Entrusting the artistic direction of the ceremonies to Thomas Jolly is a bold choice but is consistent with our vision."

The act not only angered netizens but drew criticism from some celebrities. Billionaire Elon Musk tweeted about it and mentioned that act to be "disrespectful to Christians." Additionally, professional boxer Ryan Garcia also expressed his disapproval on Instagram, saying:

"The Olympics needs to be boycotted now. You can’t disrespect religion in front of millions. This ain’t right no one watch."

The controversial act was a part of heavy-metal band Gojira’s performance, where they sang the French revolutionary song Ça Ira.