After experiencing the reunion with his birth mother and half-sister, Patrice Godin understands what goes through the minds of those who want to take this step. With the series On the trail of its origins, the presenter will accompany men and women on this journey. In the meantime, the actor meets us at Club illico for the new series Surprising Detective: The Girl with the Stone Eyes, in which he plays an arrogant and overbearing character.
• Also read: Patrice Godin's daughter wants to pursue this profession and receives support from her father
Patrice, we find you in the role of Sébastien Gingras in the super series Detective Surprising. Can you tell us something about your character?
Sébastien Gingras is an investigator from Montreal who already has a good reputation. He is a good investigator, but very arrogant and presumptuous. He arrives on the islands and has an answer to everything, as if the others didn't know anything. There have been two murders there in 20 years. Therefore, the police do not have much expertise in this area. In a macabre scene, a young girl is found dead on the beach. It contributes to crime. We sense a tension between my character and that of Patrick Hivon, who plays the investigator Surprenant. We'll understand why… It's a really good series, filmed in the Magdalen Islands. It felt good to be somewhere else.
It's a pleasure to work in such an environment!
Yes, I shot there for a month. I went to the islands when I was little, but I've never been back since. So I rediscovered the place. It is a privilege to be able to work there. It's rare that we have the opportunity to take photos outside. We had unusual temperatures: anything but good weather… (laughs) We didn't have temperatures of -20°C, but we didn't experience 20 degrees either! At the weekend we were together, we went out to eat. The team spirit was great! We also filmed with locals. It was a great experience.
• Also read: Everything you need to know about Surprising Detective: The Girl with the Stone Eyes
You are also hosting a new series in which you accompany adopted people in their search for their origins.
Yes. The series is called “Tracing Your Origins.” These are people who were adopted, i.e. have a family, but are looking for their origins. Where are you from? Who are her biological parents? I was there. That's why I got a call. I know the questions, I know how we feel, I understand the desire to know where we come from, to know our history. I think it will be a very touching series.
Are there times when things don't go as planned?
Unfortunately yes. Every story is different. You never know how things will turn out. There are beautiful stories and others that are less beautiful. Some give fewer answers than others.
Dominic Gouin
• Also read: Patrice Godin will host a show inspired by his adoption
In this context, do you consider yourself lucky to have found your mother?
Yes, I found my mother and my half-sister. We talk about it in the series. It's not my story, but through the tape we tell it a little. We're going to meet my parents. I don't like to say that they are my adoptive parents: they are my father and my mother. We will also get to know my biological family, which is my mother and my sister.
Your story is beautiful. Because it seems that reunions sometimes bring great disappointments.
Secure. There is always the fear of rejection, that the birth parents do not want to see their child again, especially the mother, because she is often the one who is tracked down. It happens. We experienced it with the series. Its hard. It was something that scared me, but when I took the steps I was prepared for this possibility. I was even older. However, if that had happened, I would definitely have been disappointed.
Were there no expectations on your part?
Yes, but you have to let go of it a little bit because you can get hurt. Whether we like it or not, we end up with a feeling of abandonment. It doesn't happen to everyone, but it is quite common in adopted children.
• Also read: A year later, Patrice Godin draws a positive conclusion from his reunion with his birth mother
We imagine that mothers who give their child up for adoption do not do so with joy in their hearts… Effectively. This is not my story, but several children of my generation were given up for adoption because the mother was forced by her family to give him up for adoption even though she would have liked to keep him.
Luckily, our society has evolved so much!
At this level, yes. In my mother's case, she didn't feel ready to take care of me. She didn't know how to achieve this. She found herself in a difficult situation. Because of me, she gave me to parents who couldn't have children.
Some of the adoptees have a positive attitude towards the situation because they were chosen by their parents.
This is true. Yes, we were chosen by our parents, but we live with wounds. However, we all have injuries.
Have you kept in touch with your mother and half-sister?
Yes, we write to each other. I returned to Victoria, British Columbia with my girlfriend for the shoot. She came with me the first time. My sister came home. We are in contact, but the distance is a bit problematic. We would like to be closer to enjoy it as time passes…
Dominic Gouin
• Also read: Patrice Godin finally finds his biological sister and shares a great photo with her
Do you have other plans?
Yes, my next novel, After the Storms, comes out on January 15th. This is my sixth book. I finished the first version while I was in the islands. Writing is a part of me. It's stronger than me. Although it is a work of fiction, it is quite an intimate novel. It is the story of a writer in his fifties who is in crisis. Some people will think it's me… and that's not true! I was inspired by elements of my life, but that's it. Last year I went through a time where I questioned myself a lot. This is what my character experiences. He carries deep-seated wounds from the past. He learns of his mother's sudden death and will therefore return to his childhood and his wounds. In this flashback he is accompanied by a woman he met in Maine. She bears her wounds too, but let's just say she did a better job of healing them than he did.
Are you still continuing your training?
In mid-December I had surgery on my Achilles tendon. I was unemployed for a month
celebrations. I plan to return to racing gradually, but as far as training is concerned, I will be able to resume it quickly. I've been doing ju-jitsu three to four times a week since June. If you want to progress in this sport, you have to invest because it is a complex martial art. On the other hand, I'm careful because I can get injured more easily. I'm a little older now…
series Surprising Detective: The Girl with the Stone Eyes is available on Club illico.
On the trail of its origins airs Thursdays at 7:30 p.m. on Canal Vie starting March 21st.
The book After the storms is available from Éditions Libre Expression from January 15th.