Maude Guérin and her lover of the last 13 years, the poet Christian Vézina, are experiencing a beautiful renewal. After selling their duplex in Montreal and renting a chalet for a few months, the couple bought a house in the Laurentians and are working on furnishings. Lovers have the luxury of starting from scratch, or almost. The one who plays Marie-Luce Goulet 5th place trusts in this new life.
Sebastien Sauvage
• Also read: After 14 years of dating, Maude Guérin and her lover finally move in together
Maude, you are currently filming the final scenes of the 5th series. How do you see the end of this project?
It’s funny to me… I still have to shoot a block this month and in December. The approaching end begins to resonate within me and I feel a little dizzy… It’s the first time I’ve said it, put it into words. It’s dizzying to leave such a gang. For me the world is important, it’s the people I love. It is certain that I will stay in touch with my sisters Julie Beauchemin, Ève Duranceau, Martin Francke and Catherine Renaud.
Is this a friendship that will last beyond the project?
I am convinced that we will continue to see each other. This is great because the further I progress in this profession, the more I realize that relationships with women are very important to me. This may sound strange, but I like women. I love women in my profession. I like what they do, what they give out. In general I find them strong and full of creativity. They are very inspiring. We are five sisters, with completely different backgrounds, and that’s the beauty: we come from different planets, but we bring a lot to each other. I am the oldest in the 5th row. We are different ages, but we go out together, we go to the theater, we plan trips, we go out to dinner together. We even planned to bake Christmas cookies together. I learn a lot from these women.
People showed you a lot of love for your character in 5th rank. Is this an actress’s privilege?
Yes, thanks to rank 5 I even had a twin. The public is loyal. I did a theater tour of Quebec, it’s incredible to see how people follow the 5th row! In my opinion it will be a loss for them too. Women identify very much with my character. Marie-Luce looks a lot like me. She is a strong woman who carries her family and children on her shoulders and tries to help those close to her as much as she can. She is a beacon. This is how I feel in life: I tend to take everything on my shoulders. It’s not always the best, but hey…
How do you deal with grief?
In this profession, we are used to experiencing grief. I had to accept that very early on in my career. Since I am also a theater actress, I am used to moving from one gang to another, from one theater to another, from one director to another. On TV it’s harder when it’s been several years. You have to be realistic: at the end of the 5th rank I will become a freelancer again. I received financial support for five years. It’s important for the actors. There aren’t that many five-year projects. Luckily for me, I have just started a new series, “Société independent”, in which I play Antoine Pilon’s mother. It’s a different character, a different universe.
Sebastien Sauvage
• Also read: Discover the first images from the new Distinct Society series
Are you planning to take a break after filming?
Yes. I have turned down some theater projects because I want to take time for myself. I want to stop and ask myself what I want next. I don’t want to say yes to everything for fear of not functioning. I want to select a little. I want the roles I play in the future not to be too similar. Even though we don’t always have the opportunity to choose, I will try to allow myself that privilege. What do I want for the rest of my life? Also, my boyfriend and I just bought a new house in the country. I rented a cabin for six months, then we found our house. We are in the move-in phase. We have a lot to do because we are still stuck in our boxes. Since we have sold all of our furniture, we are looking for furniture. Christian and I lived in a maisonette, each in our own apartment. So we’re starting from scratch, like a young couple.
Is this a great way to give yourself a fresh start?
Yes, it is a frivolity that we have indulged in and it is very pleasant to experience it. We didn’t want to be in our old clothes anymore. We kept the things that were dear to us, but otherwise we are in the new. We shop together.
The last time we met, you officially wanted to live with your lover. Was this step easy to accomplish?
Yes, because we still saw each other often since we shared a duplex. We lived there together and not each in our own apartment. It’s obvious that there were some small adjustments on a daily basis. Very small things because we have to be considerate of each other’s habits out of respect and love, but it’s all really beautiful. We are isolated in the countryside. We are surrounded by trees. I adore! I no longer have a base in Montreal. We’re trying to experience that and see if it’s possible. I would like to spend time in the country.
Photo: Julien Faugere
So does this mean your son has officially flown?
Yes, my son has left the nest. He’s still researching what he’s going to do. He would like to study organic farming again, and his girlfriend is starting to study welding again. They’ve jumped from job to job, but now they want to go back to school.
How old is Edmond now?
He just turned 21, he’s still young. It’s a different generation. Ours followed a single path. Even at the age of 14, I knew that I wanted to be an actress and I put all my energy into it. But the world is changing. Everything changes. Everything has to be reinvented and it is our young people who have to do it. Maybe they do three different jobs over the course of their lives? It’s up to them to see what they want in the world. You have to believe in them, trust them. Even when it comes to love and friendship, they see things differently. You have to listen to this.
Do these young people around you give you confidence for the future?
Yes, they are beautiful! I recently spoke to Edmond about this: This generation doesn’t want to work as much as we do, they want to have time to live. We are currently heading towards a wall on an economic, ecological, etc. level. There are major upheavals ahead. So you want to have time to live and think, and I think that’s wonderful…
5th placeMonday at 8 p.m., on Radio-Canada.
The film Happy Days is currently displayed.
series Separate company will be offered on Club illico in 2024.