With her scathing humor and more than charming Gaspé accent, Eve Côté has long seduced Quebec audiences. On a tour of Quebec with his first one-woman show, wowing audiences along the way, the comedian recounts his journey… a bit dizzying!
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Eve, you’re on tour with your first one-woman show. Is this a dream come true? Complete! I’m freaking out and having fun, but I have to say my journey here hasn’t been a straight line!
You grew up in the Gaspé. When did you want to get into show business?
When I was very young, I spent my first shows telling jokes for my family at the end of the table because I loved to make people laugh. I remember every Christmas my grandmother would ask me to tell my joke by candlelight. But after a few years, everyone got pretty tired of hearing it! My first shows arrived at elementary school around Easter. We performed religious pieces that I narrated … When I was younger I wanted to be a singer first of all, I even sang at the Festival en chanson de Petite-Vallée only I forgot the lyrics so I froze , and those The desire to do so passed quickly!
Did you have the support of your parents on your way into show business?
My parents considered it an abstract career choice and insisted that I choose a more conventional profession. I did very well in school, even in math, chemistry and physics, so all doors were open to me. Without trying too hard, I topped my class and made it through college.
Study in what?
Pretty much everything I would say! (laughs) I majored in math in high school, got a bachelor’s degree in communications and human resources, and even got a year of police engineering under my belt! Honestly, I almost became a cop because of the 19-2 series! But as soon as I tried something, I quickly felt like I wasn’t really in my place. At one point I was so discouraged that I cried and called my mother and she picked me up and took me home. She must have been afraid that I would live on the street! (laughs)
Did you work through those college years?
Yes, I worked in restaurants at Brise-Bise in Gaspé, a pretty cool place where I met my first audience. For every table I served it was a little show I put on. I felt good. They found me very funny on the spot and in December 2009 I was told that I would do a show because I was a little comedian. So I edited 30 minutes. I freaked out! I dreamed of doing that. So much so that during my studies I performed Cégeps en spectacle, which I won, as well as the Festival Le Tremplin de Dégelis, where I won the Humor Prize, the Jury Prize and the Audience Prize. . That’s where I started to think it had something to do with it, I felt like I had something in me for this job.
MARIO BEAUREGARD/QMI AGENCY
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But what a journey, Eva! Were you gorgeous to your family?
Surely! They looked after me and said to themselves, “One day she’ll find herself…” But I didn’t have the confidence to try.
And what ultimately made you decide to do comedy?
In May 2012, I was accepted into the National School of Humor during my Police Engineering course. I temporarily came to live with my sister who lived in Montreal. But still unsure, I returned to Gaspé with my things for the first few weekends. I didn’t know where to turn. One day my sister seriously teased me about my humor and yelled at me, “Do you have a chance to make your dream come true and are you still thinking about becoming a police officer?” If you don’t come back to the school of humor finish, I won’t talk to you anymore. I remember it like it was yesterday. She did well to shake me like that because it grabbed me.
Why were you so hesitant?
It was a lot at once. Just the fact of living in the big city of Montreal was huge. I didn’t know anyone in this environment, I had no more reference points, except for my sister. I finally got through my first comedy session and met Marie-Lyne Joncas. I started to stumble and found my place.
Your duo Les Grandes Crues was a great adventure!
Yes, really, because we’ve done 328 shows and we still have great projects. Marie-Lyne and I are both currently living our solo projects, but Les Grandes Crues isn’t over yet.
Sébastien St-Jean / QMI agency
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If you look all the way back, what would you say to Eva who was so insecure?
I would say to her: “Calm down, big boy, and stop doubting everything. Relax a little and live fully.”
Joël Legendre directs your show. How did this collaboration with him come about?
Our duo was pretty unlikely. In fact, he replaced Marie-Josée Gauvin on the radio for a week, so we worked together. I told him about my show in preparation and he told me about a comedy show that tripped him up, Dominique Michel’s called Showtime Dominique Showtime, which I love. Joël visited me at Le Bordel and it was true. He understood my nature and pushes me even further. Working with him is pure happiness.
Do you feel like you are in the right place as your Quebec tour is almost everywhere complete?
Really! It took me a long time to get there, but I’m stumbling. There were a lot of doubts and questions, but I’m so happy where I am now. I dreamed of hosting my one woman show and I made it happen. I’m very proud of it and know that the great fun is about to begin!
A funny entertainer
This fall we can see Eve hosting the game More or less miserable in Noovo, adapted from The Misery Index. The participants, paired with a star, must assign a rating to various embarrassing, painful, but funny situations in order to create a scale of misery that most closely resembles the scale created by human behavior experts. There is a $3,000 prize up for grabs. With her quick wit, the new presenter will spice up the show!
Eve Côté is on tour with her show Côté Eve. For appointments.