“In this scene, I burst into tears, without forcing, without playing”

This month, William Lebghil is in love. First in The Beautiful Role, delicate comedy by Victor Rodenbach where he plays an actor, in a close relationship with a director (Vimala Pons) for ten years: she directs him, he plays. Until his desire for cinema calls their relationship into question. Then in Pretty Prettya musical comedy produced by Diastème with songs by Alex Beaupain, a tribute to Jacques Demy in which, as a writer, he meets his feminine ideal, played by Clara Luciani.

William Lebghil is in love, and it suits him well. Until now, we perhaps only remembered his clumsy silhouette, his bewildered look and his somewhat drawling voice, the silhouette of an eternal teenager who would not have grown since his debut in the series. Soda. Then, from Meaning of the party has First year and A serious professionthe 34-year-old actor has gained some stature and thickness. And this year it turns out to be extremely touching, subtly playing on a fragile cord mixing humor and seriousness in films which dare to take a step aside, more confidential than the blockbusters which bring together the peers of his generation. It was My mother’s life in March, in which, as a young adult, he had to slalom between the changing moods of a bipolar mother, played Agnès Jaoui. Or recently season 3 ofHippocrates where, arrogant ophthalmologist, he saw his eyes opened by the lamentable state of the public hospital. Today, he works wonders in these two comedies which combine love in the present. Complex, falsely light, ambivalent.

Madame Figaro.- What attracted you to The Beautiful Role ?
William Lebghil.- I have known Victor, the director, for around ten years. We made a short film together, we got along extremely well. We met again by chance during confinement, which we were both spending in a small village in Charente. He told me he was writing a film, that he was thinking of me. When I read the script, I loved it. I like his finesse, his dialogues, as well as the fact of playing an actor, of talking about my job. And I also liked talking about love: I’m quite romantic.

Does this acting character resemble you?
Yes, because I put a lot of myself into it, but in reality, not that much: I have never worked for ten years with the same person. What I appreciated about playing an actor was this porosity between acting and reality. Sometimes I can let myself be surprised by a scene, really experience it, without pretending. Being able to show that was awesome.

Did this happen in The Beautiful Role ?
Yes, even if the scene was cut. When my character attends a performance of Ivanovby Chekov, he hears this line about “active love” “(…) every young girl is tempted by active love (…) For us, love is life itself. I love you, that means that I seek to dispel your sadness, that I want to follow you to the ends of the world…”, Editor’s note). I burst into tears. Without forcing, without playing. When you’re an actor, these little moments are landmarks, beacons in the night where you tell yourself that you’ve hit something right. To which we always try to return.

Also read
The Beautiful Role at the cinema, television according to Jérôme Commandeur, the book by Sarah Poniatowski… The culture week of Madame Figaro

The film also shows the behind the scenes of the profession, its craftsmanship, its difficulties…
Yes, and it was a pleasure to play in this film to show my parents that it’s also a job!

Since then, have they still not been convinced of this?
Yes, of course. But there is still a form of prejudice, according to which actors do not work that much, that their “gift” is innate. Now it’s fascinating work, but it never really stops. When I approach a role, he pursues me. I’m going to make connections between everything that happens to me in a day and my character, and ask myself if it can be useful to him. It occupies my mind a lot.

Your character, Henri, suffers failures and humiliations, particularly during castings. Has this happened to you?
Yes, when I was 16, 17 years old, I had a casting for an advertisement: I was so stressed that I discovered new muscles in my face that moved on their own. I almost had a fainting spell afterwards in the metro. There was also this time when I was half insulted by the casting director who thought I was acting too badly

How do we overcome these episodes?
Through denial? (laughs) In fact, it’s part of this job. As we are our own instrument, we feel more easily targeted personally by criticism. But you have to manage to laugh about it. I had great teachers who taught me that shame and fear of ridicule were the actor’s number one enemies. Accepting it is the Holy Grail. This is how we feel the most freedom.

Being an actor is also a profession that involves one’s private life, as shown The Beautiful Role .
Yes. I have often been with people who were in this environment and who therefore understood the issues, but yes, it remains difficult. We sometimes make somewhat selfish choices. When I started preparing this film, it had been a long time since I had filmed. For me, it was super important: I wanted to do my job well, I wanted to be in shape. Chances are my personal life took a hit at that point. But I warned that I was going to be very selfish, absent, but that it would end eventually. In a relationship, we sometimes have to make this kind of contract. The main thing is to talk about it, as we see in the film. It’s when the characters no longer speak to each other that they move away.

The Beautiful Role is a romantic comedy. Do you believe in romanticism yourself?
It’s funny because three friends and I were talking about it recently and we were looking for the definition of the word “romanticism” (he takes out his phone and consults it on the Internet, Editor’s note) : “A new sensitivity opposing classicism, the Enlightenment and rationality. It proclaims the cult of the self, the expression of feelings including passions. Resulting from unprecedented political and social upheavals, it confronts the man and the artist with an improbable, worrying destiny.” The predominance of sensitivity, emotion and imagination over reason and morality: this is the definition of actor’s work. But when it becomes toxic, it no longer makes sense. At one time, I really liked The Sufferings of Young Werther, Goethe. Then I realized that I didn’t want to be a fan of this guy, it’s too sad. In Chekov’s line about “active love”, there is romanticism, but also a hope and a desire to understand the other, to move forward with them whatever happens. This unconditional love is great, but I also try to get rid of my illusions. We tell ourselves that we are going to climb mountains and ultimately it is in everyday gestures, the little touches that we find romance. A helping hand, a shoulder to lean on.

Also read
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You also play the leading role of Pretty Pretty a romantic musical comedy in which you sing. Is this the first time?
I rapped in Yvesbut it’s not the same. I loved that. But I like to sing. I sing in my shower like crazy: I live for herby Andrea Boccelli, Laurent Voulzy, Alain Souchon, lots of French and Italian variety… I even sing on set, between two takes, it relaxes me.

What are your favorite romantic comedies?
Licorice Pizza by Paul Thomas Anderson. I also really like Her by Spike Jonze. More “classic” romantic comedies Love Actually or Bridget Jones don’t talk to me too much. I didn’t even see 4 Weddings and a funeral : the handsome side of the main character, who seems to be spoiled for choice between girls, doesn’t touch me. Whereas male characters like those of Anderson or Jonze seem more “normal” to me. In fact, I’m jealous!