Gérard Depardieu "explains" airplane pee incident on US TV

So Gérard Depardieu, that great slob of a Frenchman with his disgusting manners, has had his day on US television.

Gérard Depardieu (screenshot "Anderson" talk show)

You might remember the incident aboard a Paris-Dublin 'plane last month when one of France's best-known actors reportedly peed in front of other passengers because a member of the cabin crew refused to allow him to use the loo just as the 'plane was ready to taxi for take off.

That was followed up by a laughing fit live on air from TV presenter and journalist Anderson Cooper as he joked about the incident.

Well, the two men came face-to-face, albeit via satellite, on a recent edition of Cooper's syndicated talk show "Anderson" and it was a chance for Depardieu to give his version of what had happened and for Cooper to quiz him as to why he had peed on the 'plane.

As you can hear from the accompanying video (it's all in English - just for a change - although heavily accented and guttural on the part of Depardieu) Cooper, who insists on calling the actor "Depardoo" praised him for his "fine sense of humour" and milked a ridiculous incident for all it was worth.

And much to the delight of an audience tittering away in a manner worthy of the canned laughter that accompanies so many cheesy sitcoms, Depardieu showed absolutely no remorse for his vulgar gesture and passed it off as...well see for yourselves.

It's hilarious - not.

And how great it is to see arguably one of France's finest actors make such a complete buffoon of himself - again.

Oh well.

Gérard Depardieu pees aboard a 'plane - in public

What class!

The headline could have been more vulgar, in keeping with the reported behaviour of one of France's best-known actors Gérard Depardieu, aboard a Paris to Dublin 'plane on Tuesday evening.

Gérard Depardieu (screenshot BFM TV report)

But why stoop to the level of the 62-year-old?

Depardieu apparently took a leak in front of fellow passengers after the cabin crew refused to allow him to use the loo just as the 'plane was ready to taxi for take off on Tuesday evening.

"'I need to piss. I need to piss,' is what Monsieur Depardieu said," according to one of the passengers aboard the flight operated by CityJet, a subsidiary of Air France-KLM.

"A member of the cabin crew informed Monsieur Depardieu that the 'plane was ready for take off, everyone had to remain seated and the toilets were locked but could be used in about 15 minutes," he told Europe 1 radio.

"The actor said he couldn't wait, so what did he do? He peed right there in front of everyone."

A spokeswoman for CityJet confirmed that an incident had taken place requiring the 'plane to return to the gate to be cleaned and causing a two-hour delay in take-off.

But the airline refused to release the name of the person involved saying simply that he had been escorted off the 'plane.

As the French celebrity news website Purepeople.com points out Depardieu is not unknown for saying exactly what he thinks or doing what he wants and has a reputation for what could politely be termed as, "his lack of social graces".

In April 2010 at the premiere of "Mammuth" in Paris he insulted a journalist who asked him why he had dedicated the film to his late son Guillaume, calling her, "A bitch."

And in August last year he was at it again, this time taking aim at French actress Juliette Binoche and questioning why she had been so successful in spite of being, "A nothing."