She arrived at the studio elegantly and smiling. It was a real pleasure to have this young woman in our colorful chair for an interview. Rosalie isn’t afraid to tell the true story. She generously told us about her roles on the small and big screen, her career as a presenter, her mother, her celibacy, her therapies and much more…
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Rosalie, how are you?
I’m doing well. The funny thing is, I’ve never answered that in my life. It’s no secret: I’ve been in therapy for 10 years and I think it’s starting to bear fruit. I’m calm.
Why 10 years of therapy?
I don’t find it easy to be happy and I always wonder if I should do more or less. It seems that I have learned to be content and strive a little less to be satisfied at all costs. I don’t know if it comes with age, but I feel more relaxed and less heavy.
What does your happiness consist of?
It consists of freedom. I think I’m a bit of a wanderer at heart. I had to live barefoot and bought a bus that was converted into a small house. My “Bubus” is a fantasy that I imagined with a friend while we were driving on the 40 coming back from a festival. We told ourselves that finding accommodation when traveling was expensive and that we would need a bus to sleep on. I looked in the classifieds and there was one for sale. It was a crush. It is forest green and has been completely renovated by a carpenter. It’s a little house on wheels.
Photo: Julien Faugere
What are you doing with this “bubus”?
We set off on an adventure without really knowing where we’re going. It also brings us closer to the stars because there is a beautiful terrace on the roof. She is a rare gem and I am so happy that this is my life now. I’m also happy because now I’m learning to let myself transcend what happens to me. I used to try to take it, control it and do something with it, whereas now I no longer ask myself why it happens to me and most importantly I no longer ask myself if I deserve it. I enjoy what happens to me and I react in a beautiful way without asking myself too many questions. This is pretty new for me.
“LITTLE WOMAN”
Where does this desire for freedom at any cost come from?
I really wanted to become a “little lady” way too early! I started my career as a teenager, and when my friends suggested that I do something young, like go on the water slides, I replied that I couldn’t because I had to write lyrics or study. When I was 19, I dressed like a “little lady” with a turtleneck and glasses to show my intelligence.
Why did you include this image?
I think the “little lady” really wanted to succeed. She had a very monolithic idea of success, so she put all her eggs in one basket. I was 20 years old, living in an apartment with my boyfriend of the last seven years and two cats, having a career and leading a woman’s life. There I experience a bit of my teenage crisis. I am single and want to enjoy life.
How do you cope with living alone after living together as a couple for several years?
I was in a relationship with Miro from the ages of 16 to 24. We still have a great bond. But I like the idea of being completely free and focusing on something that I don’t control. I find it nourishing because for the first time in my life I’m giving myself the chance to be surprised. I realized that happiness is much easier if you let it happen than if you desperately seek it and try to create it. I did this for too long until I found happiness that wasn’t mine. I also have that imposter syndrome that is never far away. I often tell myself that if it doesn’t involve effort and suffering, it’s hard for me to appreciate it.
Photo: Julien Faugere
Is it an advantage to have a mother who does this job and is called Mélanie Maynard, or is it the opposite?
It certainly plays a role. My mother takes up a lot of space. Today I realize that I grew up in my mother’s light, while for a long time I thought I grew up in her shadow. So I tried to be more discreet. This is also something you learn in therapy: knowing that you are not an extension of your parents. I recently realized that I am a separate person who belongs to each other and that means that she and I now have a really beautiful bond.
Are you very close to your mother?
Yes. My mother was my best friend for a long time of my life, and that pissed me off. Sometimes I asked her to be my mother and not my friend, to stop trusting me and be a mother. My mother has always been a very permissive mother. Sometimes I wish she would be more bossy and take the reins instead of trusting me. But it allowed me to take on responsibility very early on, and in the end I’m proud of that. Today we are in complete freedom, she talks to me about what she is experiencing and to me too. I think we’re at a point where we’re two adults. It is no longer mother and child. We are two women who are similar and experience beautiful moments together. I love my mother so much. I think she will love me even more if I make her a grandmother, but she has to be patient because she has to wait a long time.
What kind of childhood did you have?
A happy childhood. I remember my mother always defending me against my stepfather, who found me a little dissolute. He said I was a tornado who didn’t like authority. My mother told her that she would rather have a daughter who had too much character than a daughter who was trampled on. I had a childhood where everyone praised everything I was. But when I got to high school, I hit a bit of a hurdle and started belittling myself. I was a bit of a tomboy.
Are you being self-deprecating again?
Let’s assume it’s still a work in progress, but yeah. I need to learn to value myself and stop judging myself. For example, I have been living with my eating disorder for 13 years and am currently mourning the possibility of one day being able to fully heal from it. It’s still there and I’m talking about it more and more. Living with an eating disorder and self-image disorder is common! Besides, I do an image job… But it’s part of my life and I have to live with it as best I can. Thank you God for Zoloft, which changed my life! This medication was a liberation for me. Yes, I still cry every day, but because of something good, not because I’m depressed. I allow myself to exist in all my intensity, and that’s good for my self-esteem.
Photo: Julien Faugere
THIRSTY FOR LIFE
Do you want children?
I don’t know it. I would like to do a 30 day trial, but that’s not possible! I’m not the one who really wants to have children. The very idea scares me. However, when I was younger I wanted it. But when I’m old enough to have them, I see my friends who have them and I find it traumatic. It’s a lifelong contract and right now I want to be free. I’ve been in a relationship for a long time and at the moment I feel like I don’t want to commit to myself. I like taking care of the people around me, but I don’t know if I want to spend a lifetime caring for a little creature like that.
Do you have an ideal couple?
I apparently haven’t met the man with a capital H or the woman with a capital F, nor am I convinced that I’m monogamous. It’s hard for me to explain why we can have several friends in life but can only have one lover at a time. Why pressure a single partner to meet all of our needs? I think that’s a lot to ask of someone. I believe in love, but not in bonds.
What’s on your mind at the moment?
I had the chance to star in the series One Way: Survive. It was a beautiful role. There is also the show Deux hommes en or and Rosalie, who is back. It’s my fourth year in the animation industry, so I’m a little better off. I’m currently filming the series Tout le monde s’dresse, a new magazine about social movements through the lens of clothing.
Tell me something about the film Villeneuve, about the life of Gilles Villeneuve. What is it like playing his wife Joann?
It’s exciting but also scary because people are waiting for it. Above all, I can’t let myself be distracted by the fact that Joann will probably see the film herself. This is the type of role I had on my list, but later in my career, not at the beginning. So I lose it a little bit. But I’m grateful. I am working very hard to prepare for this role and can’t wait to shoot.
One way: survivalWednesday 8 p.m., in Noovo.
Two men in gold and Rosalie, Friday, 8 p.m., on Télé-Québec.
Everyone gets dressed will be broadcast on Télé-Québec in January 2024.
The release of the film Villeneuve is planned for 2025.