Roy Dupuis makes no secret of it: He comes from a violent family. The role of speaker Christophe L’Allier, who helps violent men escape, is an opportunity for him to do useful work. The actor, who celebrated his 60th birthday this year, shares with us his views on aging, his years in psychoanalysis, his projects and much more.
• Also read: Roy Dupuis, Isabel Richer and Geneviève Schmidt will take part in Martin Matte en direct
• Also read: Roy Dupuis and Christine Beaulieu plan a romantic trip to Japan
Roy, this second season won’t be easy for your character, will it?
In fact, nothing is easy for Christophe in this second part. His past resurfaces and he has health problems. In fact, there may well be a cause-and-effect relationship, as he is clearly affected by what he has discovered about his past and in relation to his mother. It worries him and makes his relationship with his brother even more difficult.
What significance does this character, which you have carried since the series “Tout la vie”, have for you?
Christophe is an element of a series that I think does useful work. It is a topic that is very close to my heart because it has shaped me: I myself come from a family in which there was violence. My father was violent, so I know what domestic violence is and the impact it can have on a person’s life. I have always been very interested in human behavior and follow various neurobiologists with interest. I rely primarily on science to understand where these behaviors come from. I know that there is still a lot of work to be done between scientists who know more and more about human behavior and institutions such as the justice system and social welfare. There is a huge gap that needs to be filled. Personally, I am convinced that we do not become violent for nothing. There are now ways to understand this behavior and it is taking too long to reach institutions.
Photo: Paul Ducharme / TVA Publications
Her character of Christophe is sometimes criticized by certain people. What do you think?
Personally, I believe that violent people deserve to be understood and helped. First of all, you have to understand that such gestures come from somewhere. There is a wound that was inflicted and that still remains with these individuals.
Do you still carry the wounds of your childhood?
You have to take matters into your own hands and do everything you can to solve it. You still have to be clear enough to be able to do it. If you don’t have the opportunity to meet people who encourage you to get help, you will carry these wounds throughout your life. These traumas must be treated by specialists and professionals. I don’t think you can do it alone, at least in general. I got help to get through this.
Paul Ducharme
Roy, how do you prepare to play such a character?
To be honest, I myself have seven years of psychoanalysis under my belt precisely to help me with all of this. Some people say that after seven years you can almost be a psychoanalyst, so I went for it. I know the mechanism, I know how it works. I draw a lot of inspiration from the professionals I have consulted in terms of method and way of expressing things. I chose the one that impressed me the most and took inspiration from him and his method. According to his approach, one should never pass judgment on others. You should never make the other person feel like you have an opinion about what they say or do. You should never put answers in people’s heads. This is how I try to play my character.
What do you remember from your seven years of psychoanalysis?
It has allowed me to get to know myself better and, most importantly, it has helped alleviate my suffering and accept who I am. Accepting who you are will help you be a better person in life.
Paul Ducharme
How are you in the middle of autumn?
Seriously, I didn’t see summer go by! I started filming in the spring and filmed most of the summer. I had time to sail a little, but not enough. With the summer we had, it was pretty unsafe to go to sea. I should be shooting a film soon. Then it’s time for vacation and, with a bit of luck, sailing.
You celebrated your 60th birthday. What does that do to you?
I turned 60 in April and I don’t really feel the burden of age. I’m still quite fit. What is certain, however, is that when I get up in the morning, it takes a little longer for my body to comply. I don’t care that I’m getting older. I’m happy, I feel good, I have a girlfriend that I love, and my life is going well. I also try to do a little exercise, which I didn’t do when I was younger. I’m much more disciplined now.
Paul Ducharme
You already have more than 35 years of professional experience!
Yes, it’s crazy! And that makes me smile because I never told myself that I would be an actor one day. This happened with the role of Claude in Being at Home with Claude, which was released in 1992. From then on, it seemed like my career was mapped out. However, I remember a small moment in high school when I saw Ariane Mnouchkine’s film Molière. I had dropped out of my physics studies to enroll in theater. I was “on a high” and inspired after watching this movie. Then I met a girl, contacted the National Theater School and it worked. I got to know a profession, the world of theater and literature, and that was new to me. When I was a child, my home was primarily a musical world as my mother taught piano. I was in a band and could have been a musician. It’s a big but nice surprise to be where I am today. I am one of the lucky ones who has been positively surprised by life. I like to be surprised; That’s why I love travel and science.
Roy, what will the next few months look like for you?
I’m heading to Budapest, Hungary to shoot Canadian director Guy Maddin’s next film. I will play the Prime Minister of Canada and it will be a big challenge. I like his world. That’s what I call a real filmmaker in my eyes. Then there will be the sequel to A Beating Heart, which ends next spring.
With a beating heartTuesday, 8 p.m., on Radio-Canada.
• Also read: Maripier Morin admits that he doesn’t yet feel comfortable with his job