Even if we were able to see him briefly in the skin of an enigmatic character in Statwe miss the excellent actor Gabriel Sabourin since the end of the series The perfect moments. Good news: it will be in the theatrical adaptation of the very first film in the franchise Les Boyswhich will be launched next summer in Terrebonne.
• Also read: Everything you need to know about the play “Les Boys”
Gabriel, how did you join the cast of the show Les Boys?
When I was approached, some of the cast had already been cast. Just by reading the names of the confirmed actors, I already wanted to embark on the adventure! Most of the actors are long-time friends, like Louis Champagne, Didier Lucien, David Savard and Emmanuel Bilodeau, who studied at the same time as me at theater school.
The history of Boys is part of our cultural DNA. How do you manage to ignore what has been achieved so far?
Even though I saw the first film of Boys at least five times, I wanted to start from scratch, focusing on my character. Jean-Charles is a lawyer by profession. He is the most serious and educated of the group. He gives a helping hand to boys of his hockey team when they are in trouble. Personal life wise, it’s more difficult for him, and his problems will end up coming out in the locker room.
In your life, have you experienced moments worthy of the atmosphere of Boys?
I have three brothers, so I don’t have to look far for my moments between boys. When we were young, we played hockey… in the house! My parents had a big Victorian house and we played hockey in the hallways. There were puck marks on the walls. When I think about it, I can’t believe my mother let us do that, it’s terrible! (laughs) None of us became hockey players. Jérôme is a cinematographer, and our youngest brothers, Thomas and Alexis, are doctors.
Do you still play hockey?
I played in a garage league with friends from the Artists Union for a very long time. There were among others David Savard, Patrice Robitaille and Ricardo Trogi in the team. I stopped acting because with theater schedules, I was missing too many parts. The show Les Boysit will somehow be my return to hockey! (laughs)
Photo Agence QMI, JOEL LEMAY
In the meantime, we were able to see you recently in the guise of an enigmatic character in Stat. It’s Hervé Patry, a 78-year-old man who looks like he’s 50!
Yes! This plot is inspired by a real case: that of Bryan Johnson, this multi-billionaire American entrepreneur who invests his fortune in blood transfusions, vitamins, supplements and experimental treatments to delay his aging. It was a beautiful shoot. On the set, I met Normand D’Amour, Suzanne Clément, Geneviève Schmidt… They all have the gift of making us feel like we’re part of the gang, even if we’re just there for a moment. history.
Like Hervé Patry’s character, are you afraid of growing old?
No not at all. Probably because I have great examples around me. My father was born on March 25, the same date as his friend Janette Bertrand, ten years apart. They often celebrated their birthdays together. Janette sometimes came to the house or they called each other to wish each other happy birthday. In 2025, Janette will be 100 years old and my father will be 90! When I see them so passionate about life, I tell myself that it’s beautiful to grow old.
The public was recently treated to a very moving moment during a tribute to your dad, Marcel Sabourin, on the show TV kids…
When I went to my parents’ house this weekend, I asked my dad if he had watched the show and he said, “What’s the point of watching it?” I was on set, I experienced it, I know what happened!” After 70 years of career, seeing yourself on TV loses a little of its magic! (laughs)
Alongside being an actor, you are also an author and screenwriter. Among other things, you worked on the script for the excellent film It’s the heart that dies last and you are among the authors of the series Chaos. Are you still writing?
I continue to write according to my feelings, according to what I want to deal with or the proposals that are offered to me. These are two different but complementary professions, since they feed off each other. I can write by putting myself in the shoes of characters totally different from me, like a grandmother, for example, and this diversity nourishes my game.
Could we one day see a novel by Gabriel Sabourin?
Being an author is a completely different process from screenwriting. I know that, because I learned so many lines as an actor that I came to understand the mechanics. For the moment, I am fulfilled by both facets of my job. When I’m not in front of the camera, I write, and vice versa: I appreciate this balance.
In closing, we would like to hear from you about your lover of the last 26 years, Geneviève Rioux.
We are currently working together on the writing of the third season of I don’t live anywherewhich follows the journey of abused women in a marital context. I created this web series with my lover, Geneviève. This year, her son, Emmanuel, is co-directing the series with her.
And how did you come up with the idea of writing on this delicate subject?
I had the chance to play in the latest film by director André Melançon, which focused on help and accommodation centers. During the promotional tour, I went to meet the directors of help homes in Gaspésie. It was the first time a man had entered there. They trusted me because I played a social worker in the series Helping Béatrice. For her part, Geneviève had the opportunity to visit a help center in Chambly, as part of a filming. This is what made us want to write on the subject.
(After a pause, Gabriel concludes.)
The purpose of the web series I don’t live anywhere is to show that women can rebuild their lives in a shelter and shelter. Every time a feminicide makes the headlines, we say to ourselves that, somewhere, the series can raise awareness about domestic violence and do useful work.
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