Jean-Pierre Castaldi was the guest of Bel RTL matin. At the microphone of Thomas de Bergeyck, he spoke in particular about his great Belgian love and his new show, “La Boîte à souvenirs”.
French actor Jean-Pierre Castaldi opens his “memory box” and that is precisely the name of his new show, which is coming to Wallonia for a long tour. He tenderly recounts his long career in cinema, full of ups and downs, his failings, his encounters, including one in particular, which will turn everything upside down. The actor is also a man attached to “Belgitude” and the flat country. He reveals a little-known anecdote, his Belgian love story.
A little word from Belgium, we can often meet you here
This is my love story. My first great love of my life was a Belgian model who left us a few years ago, very famous, who ended up as a painter making collages, I discovered that recently. She made very beautiful collages, so I think I’m the only one who can decode what she put on her canvases. And unfortunately, it’s a story like all great love stories that don’t end well, but I never forgot her. Never. Never, never. I even thought about publishing all her letters in homage to everything she wrote to me, but well, it’s complicated.
Since we’re talking about Belgium, do you have a lot of fellow actors who live here?
I have Paul Legrand who you work with and Ommegang that I did. I have Cédric Benoît
I mean Christian Clavier, Bruno Solo, everyone who lives here?
I meet them at the restaurant when they are there.
They live in Belgium. And not you?
No, because I don’t earn enough money to be tax-exempt.
Ah, that’s what they’re here for?
Um, I think so. No, they love Belgium and the Belgians.
You could move in with us, because you are, sorry, of retirement age, almost 80?
You don’t have to talk to me about retirement. In Paris, I refuse to say how much I earn in retirement. If I tell you here, as I know that your pensions are very small. You will say: how can he not get by with that? I can’t get by, I have to work.
Yes, but do you like it, do you like your job?
I will die on stage like Molière.
We’ve talked a lot about cinema, but today, it’s more theatre that motivates you?
It’s been 20 years now, it’s been 20 years. Every year, every year. But you know, I noticed that all the great actors, Michel Bouquet, at the end of their career, cinema… You know, cinema is about choices, it’s different. You have to make the right film, etc. The theater, for 1h30, 2h, it’s you and the audience. And there’s nothing, nothing in the world. So on top of that, the Belgian audience is a sweetheart.
Is it really good? Is the Belgian public really better?
It’s an extraordinary audience. They are there, they give you love for 1h30, 2h. You know, that’s priceless. It’s priceless, it’s what keeps us alive. The cinema, you shoot, you are with your technical team, then the film, it comes out a year later. There, it’s immediately the ascension.
castaldi Jean-Pierre Castaldi theater cinema France
