He was at the Fnac forum, sitting in a rattan armchair dressed in a beige suit. On that day, he looked nothing like the despicable and greedy French commander from “The Prince of the Pacific”. Nor did he resemble the stern and terrible Rachin, who did not believe in the success of “The Chorus”. Where is “Edy”, the cynical assassin at his wit’s end? Could it be an imposture? Well no, it is simply the talent of François Berléand hiding behind this great man.
Good or bad, yes he also plays good roles, need proof? Look at the series “The Bureau”, currently on Canal +, an American adaptation, in which he plays an utterly clueless boss…
But let us return to the film “The Summer Passenger” which will be released on June 7, featuring Catherine Frot, Laura Smet, Gregori Derangère, Mathilde Seigner… An impossible love of 3 women in the rural world of the 1950s…
Nice-Première: What role do you play in “The Summer Passenger”?
François Berléand: I should play yet another despicable scoundrel but in the end, my character isn’t someone horrific throughout the film. He is presented as quite a tough person but as the film progresses, you realize he is deeply in love with Catherine Frot, who plays the role of Dominique: he changes.
N-P: What did you like about this character?
F.B.: I play a character who is saved in the end. That’s what I liked, as well as the connection to this reality that I had completely forgotten… I’m Parisian, I was born in Paris and my connection with the rural world is a connection that no longer exists. I knew the countryside until I was 6-7 years old and then it was over. It was a way of finding my roots, roots common to all French people because we all have an ancestor who was a peasant. This role, it’s a tribute to my great-grandfather whom I knew and who was a peasant. It’s a way to reconnect with this almost gone world.
N-P: You often play the “villain” roles, notably in “The Chorus,” “The Prince of the Pacific” and even in the latest films like “Aurore” where you play a domineering and authoritarian father. What attracts you to these roles?
F.B.: (Laughs). Yes, I portray a king. It is inevitable. In “Aurore”, I play the role of someone who is madly in love with his wife. The problem with the film is that it was edited a bit weirdly and as a result, the character appears a bit harsher; he was not like that in the script. The scenes where my character was more fatherly with his children were cut. The problem with this profession is that when you succeed in a role, you get typecast. I have been fortunate enough to play this role. It has allowed me to explore all of humanity’s malevolence. I therefore play villains. I enjoy playing these characters who have a lot of depth. I’m not interested in playing “flat” characters. I prefer playing smaller but more character-driven, significant roles. It amuses me. Now, I have done a series for Canal + called “The Bureau” which will be released at the end of May. It consists of six 30-minute episodes. I play the role of a fool, a moron, a total lunatic. To the point that if he does harm, it’s unintentional and nobody holds it against him. It’s going to be a change. I hope it will alter the mindsets of directors.
N-P: What role do you play in real life?
F.B.: Someone who laughs on set, who loves people, meetings. I am the opposite of my character. Someone kind, very human. That’s how I was raised by my parents and grandparents. It’s really weird that I ended up in this. At the beginning of my career, a director I worked with told me: “You, you are the successor to Bourvil.” Not that I made a career like Bourvil’s! (Laughs).
N-P: Finally, if I say “First” or “Première”, what or who do you think of?
F.B.: I don’t think of myself. I was always in the lower average of the class. First, Première, it’s always someone else.
