If the dedicated viewers of “Under the Sun” know Christine Lemler as the wily and enigmatic Valentine whose unstoppable need is to destroy the happiness of others, nothing could be further from the real Christine Lemler. She welcomed us most amicably with a smile on her lips.
A chat, shall we say, with a friend!
Nice-Premiรจre: So, how is Valentine doing in “Under the Sun” of Monte-Carlo?
Christine Lemler: Good. Very good. (Laughs)
N-P: This series has been a hit for 10 years and it seems like it’s not ready to stop.
C.L.: Yes, I think so.
N-P: “Under the Sun” continues…
C.L.: Yes, ad vitam aeternam. That means we’ll be 80 years old and still in it. (Laughs) I know I won’t be there in the fall, very, very little. They want to take a different direction in the series. Maybe in March, they will return to what they were doing before. So, I am under the spotlight.
N-P: An anecdote to share with us?
C.L.: We have a lot of laughs, especially when I’m shooting with Stรฉphane Slima who plays the role of Alain because we’re very close. A memory I won’t forget: there was a slapping scene. It was when I had a wig, my head turned, the wig stayed. We had 2-3 minutes of laughter.
N-P: Any other adventures waiting for you besides the world’s most sought-after series?
C.L.: Yes. Two TV movies that will be broadcast in September: “Sลurthรฉrรจse.com” with Martin Lamotte and Domnique Lavanant and also “Mademoiselle Joubert” with Laurence Boccolini.
N-P: What role will you play?
C.L.: I play the wife of a doctor in “Sลur Thรฉrรจse.com” and in “Mademoiselle Joubert”, I play a woman who is experiencing post-natal depression. So these are roles where there’s a lot of crying. (Smiles)
N-P: Hostess at Radio Soleil in the TV movie, doesn’t it tempt you to do radio?
C.L.: Yes, why not. I had presented a show on cable on Sรฉrie Club. That was 6 or 7 years ago. It was fun. We talked about the news of series around the world, in France. It was a nice experience.
N-P: And if you had a show to present, which one would it be?
C.L.: It would be yours. (Laughs)
N-P: Cool! How did you become an actress?
C.L.: It’s something that has been close to my heart for a very, very long time, since I was a little girl. I went to the conservatory in Rouen. That was a step. My teacher encouraged me and I went to Paris. I had the opportunity. A friend was trying out for a TV movie and he agreed for me to accompany him. I was watching. Then while waiting, the director wanted to see me too and in the end, he said: “Well, I’m taking you both.” It was cool. It started like a fairy tale.
N-P: The cinema doesn’t tempt you?
C.L.: I’ve filmed twice in cinema: “My Wife is Leaving Me” and “Promotion Canapรฉ”.
N-P: Oh really?
C.L.: It’s old. I played the collaborator of Sardou in it. He is adorable. Michel had asked me if I felt like doing the clip for “Marie-Jeanne”. I was super pleased. I remember at the time, I had gone to see his concert. He said: “Marie-Jeanne is in the hall.” He gave me a little wink. It was cute.
N-P: Would you like to do cinema again?
C.L.: Yes, I would really like to.
N-P: Cinema or TV?
C.L.: Everything. When you are an actor, whether you work in cinema or television, you approach the character in the same way. You work on the role in the same way.
N-P: What role would you like to play?
C.L.: A superstar (Laughs). I would like to do comedy or a romantic film like “Gone with the Wind”. Ultimately, it’s a role I would really like to play. (Smiles)
My dream, my wish: is to do this job all my life.
N-P: Don’t you also have singing talents?
C.L.: (Laughs) Yes, in “Classe Mannequin”, I made an album that did well. It was nice.
N-P: Another future perspective?
C.L.: I like singing. I have had offers. But if it’s to sing that, I prefer being an actress. I haven’t had anything that blew me away yet.
N-P: Who could write for you?
C.L.: Pascal Obispo. Pascal if you hear me! (Smiles)
N-P: Do you have a website?
