AVIGNON | Daniel Auteuil, the holy monster of French cinema, caused a surprise with a new part of his career If you had known mea first album of songs released in 2021. “At some point in our lives we realize that if we don't do what we've always dreamed of, we'll never do it,” admits the 74-year-old actor, who is expected in Quebec next month for a first tour.
“I'm the age I am, so I definitely feel some urgency. But I tell myself: As long as we are healthy, we can do whatever we want,” he continues.
It was at his home, in his residence in Provence, that Daniel Auteuil received the Journal's representative for this interview a few weeks ago. Installed on its terrace, the icon of the seventh French art traces this first musical turn, after more than five decades of career both on stage and on television and film sets.
“I like to go where people don’t expect me. It is one of the sources that you can still hold on to. The luck I have today is to still be successful; I make films that still work, I'm still in people's lives. “That made me want to present something different to them, to present myself to them differently,” explains Daniel Auteuil.
And these musical ambitions are not just a passing wish. His repertoire quickly improved with the release of a second album, If You're Terrible, Don't Be Afraid of Love, which came out barely a year ago.
“Unbridled desire”
For his most loyal fans, however, these trips to the recording studio came as no surprise; You probably remember a handful of titles – “Let Life Forgive Me” or “You're Not the Baker's Wife,” for example – that came out in the 1980s.
It was at this time that he decided to pursue his path as an actor, appearing in now classic – in some cases even cult – films such as Jean de Florette, Manon des Sources, Le Placard and Le Eighth Jour.
“I don’t know how far my career would have gone if I had chosen music. Being a singer is an extremely difficult job, you have to constantly renew yourself. But releasing an album – and then two – is an irrepressible desire that I've always had. And at 74, it’s time for me to follow certain dreams,” says Daniel Auteuil.
A “Lesson in Humility”
So next month he will arrive in Quebec for the first-ever trans-American tour of his career. However, this was already underway in France and represented a “big lesson in humility” for Daniel Auteuil, who admits to being “full in the face” during his first performances.
“I can play in the theater in Paris for a year, in a hall with 1,200 seats that is full every night. But I only sing four evenings in a small room. We must take this with great humility. And that can damage the ego! “But what gives me the desire, the courage and the will to do it is to be on stage and tell stories with beautiful melodies,” he explains.
“Still, it’s still pretty cheeky to go to another country and ask people to come over and listen to our songs, isn’t it?” he adds with a laugh.
Perhaps. But the enthusiasm for these five concerts, which he gave from Quebec to Montreal via Longueuil and Sainte-Agathe, suggests that his boldness was well received by his fans.
As soon as this singing tour is over, Daniel Auteuil will return to his first passion, cinema, with Le fil, a legal thriller in which he not only directs but also plays the lead role.
We will also be able to see him in various feature films that will appear on our screens in the coming months, notably La petite vadrouille and Le Silence, respective offerings from filmmakers Bruno Podalydès and Joachim Lafosse.
However, music will never stay far away.
“I want to make a third album. “I had to take a break from writing because of the filming of The Wire, but I will continue it as soon as I have time,” he promises.
- Daniel Auteuil will perform at the Grand Théâtre de Québec on April 25, at the Théâtre Patriote de Sainte-Agathe on April 27, at the Théâtre Outremont on April 30 and May 1, and at the Théâtre de la ville de Longueuil on May 2.