Underneath the appearance of a rebellious girl, Marie-Lyne Joncas hides a more sensitive nature than it seems. At 36, the comedian and presenter admits she is going through a period of change. Fresh from her adventure in the Moroccan desert as part of the Trophée Roses of the Sables competition, she is trying to shed her shell at work and better protect herself in her personal life.
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Marie-Lyne, we’ll see you on the show this fall The game master. Is this one of the particularly interesting projects you were able to take part in? Yes. I’m so glad I did this! Last year, Eve Côté, my great love, took part in the first season and even won the honor. She kept telling me how cool this project was and that if I had the chance to take part in it, I should take it. So I wrote to Louis Morissette (who co-hosts and produces the show) to let him know I wanted to do Season 2 and they chose me. There I arrived in “I want to win!” mode. I wanted my name below Eve’s on the trophy. I thought it was cool that two women and Les Grandes Crues won the first two seasons. I worked very hard. You will see the result. This is one of my favorite projects in my career.
It’s a chance to experience such great things professionally…
Yes, that’s true, but working in this profession entails many things. To be there requires something other than talent. Commitment and investment are also required early in your career. You also have to put a lot of things aside to concentrate on your job. That’s what I did. In 2024 it will be 10 years since I left the National School of Humor.
It’s still been a busy 10 years!
Effectively. After the Grandes Crues tour last December I started sleeping. Except during the pandemic, we never had Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays for six years. Summers were festivals and gala events. When we finished the tour, I put the humor aside while Eve decided to do a solo show. Will Les Grandes Crues ever return to the stage? I haven’t the slightest idea. Maybe after they both had a child?
Do you have any further projects planned?
Yes. Next spring I will be seen again on the show Les génies de la vite on Z, in 2024 I will present the new show Le grand construction Rona in Noovo and I will also work on Tout le monde en parole. At first I was very stressed because I’m not the type of person who likes to express my opinion. I don’t have a network and we know what social networks are… I accept that people like me and others don’t like me. I also agree to be worried. But at TLMEP the audience is large. It’s overflowing with what you have to say: we also comment on your clothes, your bursts of laughter. I prefer to be the one who asks questions rather than the one who confronts. I really enjoy doing this, even if it’s a slippery slope. MC Gilles, for example, doesn’t mind being picked up…
Photo: Karine Levesque
• Also read: Ève Côté talks about her atypical journey before turning to humor
However, we imagine you’re a girl who can take it…
Yes, in my career I know what I want and where I am going. But in my personal life I am a very blue flower. I don’t have a big ego. I can be tricked, tricked and manipulated in my personal life. I am very generous, I have a big heart. I want to love and be loved. It has often worked against me in life. I’m in a period of change where I’m allowing myself to be more vulnerable at work and tougher in my personal life. It comes with confidence.
As you get older, can you reconcile these two women within you a little bit?
Yes, I no longer take off my cover at work and put one on in private.
Do you have a private life with your schedule?
Yes, I have good friends, a good family. It’s not easy to meet someone. I don’t want to date anyone… I’m moving forward in life and we’ll see. It will happen when it happens. I don’t want to rush. I am 36 years old and I really trust that love will come and be built.
Were you more careerist and job-oriented when you started?
Yes, but it’s changing slowly. Now I can accept or reject offers or devote myself to my projects. I’m currently in an esoteric phase. I try many things: Reiki, Shiatsu massage, polarity, energy cleansing. I even had my star map made. I take time for myself. I go to my chalet, enjoy my friends, I read, I climb mountains. I’m more likely to be active than watch TV shows in bed.
Are you still participating in the Cyclo-Myeloma Challenge?
Yes, and I will never give up until we find a cure. Multiple myeloma cancer is an incurable disease. We collect money for research. My father-in-law was diagnosed eight years ago and received a transplant seven years ago. There was another eruption in January, but through investigation we were able to tell that the volcano was about to erupt. He underwent chemotherapy and received a transplant. Since then everything has been fine. The progress over the last eight years has been spectacular! It is a difficult cancer to detect because it does not hurt.
Your father-in-law was lucky in misfortune…
Yes, because he is a great athlete. His hip hurts from jogging. He’s back in shape! Forty days after the transplant, he was cycling 25 km a day. He’s a superhero!
Is he grateful for everything you do for him?
Naturally! It was an event that brought us closer together. My father-in-law is not the only one fighting, we are all fighting together. He wrote a book called “Party Running” to raise funds for the challenge. These are chronicles he wrote inspired by his races. My father-in-law is a former journalist and radio presenter. We love each other! He has been with my mother for 30 years. There weren’t really any other men in my life. It is so good! He is there for my mother. He really considered me his daughter from day one…
The game masterThursday 8 p.m., in Noovo.
Everyone is talking about itSunday 8 p.m., on Radio-Canada.
Speed geniuses will air on Z next spring.
The big Rona construction site will be presented at Noovo in 2024.
Information about the Cyclo-Myeloma Challenge.
The book Go for a walkby Guy Ménard is available in bookstores.