Not far from the rock, this actor who performs alongside Corinne Touzet has taken off his gendarme uniform.
On the occasion of the 46th Monte Carlo Festival, he agreed to find himself on the other side of the mirror. In jeans and sneakers, he simply showed up at our office! For 8 minutes and 30 seconds, Nice-première conducted the investigation!
An interview without fear with an actor who doesn’t put on a show!
Nice-Première: Recently, the series “Une femme d’honneur” was filmed in Grasse. Did the filming go well?
Franck Capillery: It went very well. We finished on June 28. This is the tenth year of this adventure.
N-P: No fatigue?
F.C.: No, there are still two episodes planned for 2007, and I think after that we’ll throw in the towel. It’s been great. Ten years of happiness!
N-P: Besides the role of Isabelle Florent’s loyal teammate in “Une femme d’honneur,” where else can we see you?
F.C.: I just filmed in “Un central nuit” with Michel Creton, in “Avocats et associée” … I also do quite a bit of dubbing. I dubbed Jet Lee, well, I lend him my voice because physically doubling him wouldn’t work too well (smile). In September, I was in the theater with Muriel Montossey.
N-P: In which play?
F.C.: It’s called “La surprise”. It’s a play by Christian Nohel that was created 25 years ago by Henri Gibert and Marie Christine Laroche. We perform in different cities. We started the tour in October 2005. Both small and large! And people are happy to see us, we have a great time.
N-P: As a gendarme, is it a profession you would have liked to pursue?
F.C.: No, not at all.
N-P: Why?
F.C.: I don’t like reprimanding. Being a gendarme isn’t the same as being a policeman. A gendarme is part of the army. You have a superior officer, you’re not free to do whatever you like. However, it’s an extraordinary job. I’ve met gendarmes with hearts as big as this. Because people see the gendarmerie on the side of the road handing out tickets, but it’s also mountain rescue, marine rescue, the river police, the GIGN, the Republican Guard … No, I wanted to be an actor, and I play the role of a gendarme, before that I was the thief. I went from thief to gendarme, not bad (laughs)! Next step? I don’t know.
N-P: Just for interpreting this role, how did you work on it?
F.C.: I think the character is very close to me.
N-P: Do you go to meet gendarmes?
F.C.: No, we never did that. Oh, yes, we do it when we have something very specific to do. In one of the episodes, I have to rescue a drowned person and perform first aid. I asked the firefighters to show me the correct techniques. I find it useful, and they were happy. For once, we show the real actions. You don’t perform a cardiac massage on someone who’s just been pulled from the water, you ventilate them first. Moreover, the actor wasn’t drowned, as you can imagine, the firefighter told me, “Make sure you don’t perform cardiac massage, or you might push him into tachycardia.” We simply performed ventilation according to the rules of the art.
N-P: How does the public react to you?
F.C.: People are very kind. They often talk to me about my couple in the TV movie. But when watching “Une femme d’honneur,” yes, there is a crime at the start, but we know very well that everything will end well. We are still the only brigade in France that has a 100% success rate in all its investigations (Smiling). I mean, Sarkozy is really, very happy with us (Smiling). But what draws people are the little side stories that prove they are human beings: arguments, laughter…
N-P: Have you ever been mistaken for a real gendarme?
F.C.: When we were in Auxerre, I was dressed as a gendarme and going to the canteen, but in the meantime, some people asked me for directions. I apologized to them, saying I’m not from the region. They were surprised: “Yes, you’re a gendarme, and you can’t even give us directions!” I got scolded!! (Laughs) Another day, in Strasbourg, but that was cute. We were filming in the countryside, I still had the uniform, and there were no toilets. So I went to the village café, ordered a coffee, and went to the bathroom. When I came back, I asked how much I owed, and they told me: “For the gendarmerie, it’s free!”
N-P: What would you like us to talk about?
F.C.: I had a mentor who left some time ago, and with whom I performed in the theater for two and a half years. His name was Claude Piéplu. Every time I had an offer, I called him for advice. It’s to give him a little nod. He’s the one who taught me everything, who gave me my start. We performed in 82, 83, 84 in Paris, making 600 shows together. I was 22 – 23 years old back then. I love, loved, and will always love this man.
N-P: Is your job complicated?
F.C.: No. Being a plasterer is complicated. Cashiers in a hypermarket working 8-hour days and coming home with a head like that! That’s complicated! For us, it’s all happiness. Here, there’s sunshine. Okay, you have to work, but it’s not complicated!
N-P: Having filmed for several weeks in Grasse, what do you think of our region?
F.C.: You’re not going to be happy. My son came up with this definition, and I think it’s quite nice: “The French Riviera, people have open arms but don’t easily close them.” That’s what I think. But otherwise, it’s a beautiful place. The sun is always shining. It’s easy to be happy when there’s sunshine! (Smile).
N-P: To conclude, if I say “Premier or Première,” what comes to mind?
F.C.: My first child (smile) and “première”? A famous newspaper.
