In the series first lineCatherine Proulx-Lemay plays a former professional athlete who is the mother of a star ice hockey player. The actress talks to us about this new role and her 25-year career, but also about her two sons, as well as her new spouse Jean-François and her dog Slim, who will go on vacation with her to the Magdalen Islands.
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Catherine, what can you tell us about your character?
She is a former professional scuba diver who is projecting her dream and previous career into her daughter’s life in a very healthy way. She is not a mother who wants too much for her daughter but is a supportive, devoted and encouraging mother. Sometimes she’s a hen, but it’s never unhealthy.
have you ever been a hockey mom in life?
I was with my two sons for years and was also a soccer mom. But now, at 15 and 19, they don’t do it anymore and I miss that. I loved accompanying them, especially in football. It was a good time but that is behind us now that they have given up the sport. I’m not a hockey fan myself; I came across my friends who were fans. But I never had much interest in this sport. So it depends on the composition
How will your summer be?
It’s looking very good… I’m currently acting in “Silence, on tourne!”, a summer play that we’re doing at the Gilles Vigneault Theater in Saint-Jérôme. It is a play in the tradition of this form of theatre, with a bit of slapstick humour. It’s a first of its kind for me and I’m really enjoying it. The piece is actually a film adaptation of a scene from a film, and the people in the room are the extras. We break the fourth wall and have a lot of contact with the public. I play Jojo, the stage manager, and the team will have incredible adventures. Filming is also scheduled for autumn, since the play Pédalo will be filmed. Otherwise, we, my boyfriend and I, are going on a first romantic trip to the Magdalen Islands. My dog will also be with us, but not my boys who don’t want to come anymore. You have your life.
Will any of them follow in Mom and Dad’s footsteps?
No, not at all, they’re not a school sweetheart, and let’s just say they haven’t figured out what they want to do in the future. But they don’t seem to want to take on the acting job. I have a hard time believing that they are already young adults. Of course I miss having little kids. I’m very maternal in life so I’m a little nostalgic for when they were kids. But luckily I have Slim, my dog, the other love of my life.
Here you are at 47. Aging, how do you live it?
I live it well, for me these are stages. It’s not difficult for me in my private life, but I feel it much more in my job. I feel very well the crisis that artists my age are getting into. The roles I had before are now 35 year old girls who have them. At the same time, I’m a little too young to play women over 50, so I’m really in between periods…it’s part of the job. But I find it difficult, even if it doesn’t worry me too much. Mainly because I was in a slow phase after District 31 and I was really asking myself questions. It’s better there, I do different things like dubbing, audio books and I have a project to adapt a novel that I loved. I will also appear next January in the play “Le ciel est une belle junk” at the Théâtre de Quat’Sous. So right now, I don’t really miss not doing big roles on TV that much, but I wish that would happen again. I am calm.
We really discovered you in the role of the lively Michèle unit 9 Tell me about this character…
It was an incredible character to defend and a shoot that allowed me to meet great actresses like Celine Bonnier, Guylaine Tremblay and Suzanne Clément. It was very formative for my confidence and it’s a role that actually got me known to a wider audience after doing Une grenade avec ça?, a youth program for ten years. It allowed me to calmly find my place.
And the rhythm of district 31 immediately after?
I loved it! I have no problem shooting on a daily basis, on the contrary I love this dynamic and would really like to work on a project like this again. It’s sure to be badass for the actors, but Sébastien Delorme, who joined Indefensible from District 31, proves it’s possible.
You have a 25-year career; What does that mean for you?
We recently celebrated this with the other members of my conservatory cohort. There were Patrice Robitaille, Julie Perreault, Maxime Denommée, Frédéric Blanchette. It’s been a great year full of talent and we all have great careers. I’m not the one who had a career plan, but I consider myself lucky for everything I’ve been able to do and achieve. I’m also glad to still be here. I always dream of defending a big role in the theater, a dramatic role. I would also like to do more cinema. But I’m lucky, I’ve played many different roles and I’ve been able to expand my palette. From now on I also want to implement projects instead of waiting for the phone to ring. I’ve reached an age where I can afford to dream.
Do you have professional projects with your spouse Jean-François, who is a musician?
No, especially since he’s put his career on hold for quite a long time since the pandemic to work in construction. We may have small renovation projects. It’s really changing for me because before that my spouses were actors and it feels good to have a better half doing something different. Since this will be our first summer together, we will take full advantage of it.
Photo: Dominic Gouin / TVA Pub
series first line is currently offered on Tou.tv Extra. The room silence is turned! will be performed at the Gilles Vigneault Theater in Saint-Jérôme until August 12th. Visit theatergillesvigneault.com for more information.
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