Interpreter of the character of Daphné Forestier, police officer specializing in administrative research, the Belgian Bérangère McNeese (Good people) lifts the veil on this fourth season which already promises to be colorful. “The fact that Morgane does not know who the father of her child is will put a little “dawa” everywhere. Everyone will wonder where their place is following Morgane’s return.”, explains the actress who adds that there will be a real “redistribution of cards” within the group of characters.
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Daphne’s character seems to be the complete opposite of Morgane’s…
”Totally, but she learns a lot from contact with Morgane. At first, she had a knee-jerk reaction to his anarchic and anti-system side because it all reassured her. But, at the same time, she sees that Morgane is brilliant and knows how to solve cases. She therefore develops a form of fascination for this woman whom she did not know how to see at first.”
Do you ever find yourself in the character of Daphne?
”Not a lot. Daphne is a very litigious woman. She likes order. What I like about this character is that as the seasons go by, he evolves a lot and becomes more and more whimsical. It has, for example, a whole mystical side. She is passionate about horoscopes. We develop our grain of madness. And there, I find myself there more.”
What do you think makes the series successful?
”It is a mixture of this anti-system character with his values which are not necessarily those established by law. It all fits well with the times. You don’t see that in other series. Police comedy is very developed in the United States but much less in France. I think that’s what makes the difference. It’s a genre we’re not used to seeing here. Then, this series has a fine and demanding humor. She doesn’t look down on the public.”
Does the success of the first seasons put pressure on you to always do better?
”It’s a highly anticipated and widely followed series so, yes, there is a form of pressure, but we are lucky that it worked well from the start even though we were given a lot of freedom. As we move forward, we continue to keep this freedom. So, we’re having fun. “
Do you manage to keep your seriousness on set?
”No not at all. (laughs) But, at the same time, we manage to have a certain discipline because we are professional and filming is tiring.”
What does it represent HPI in your career?
”I think there is a before and after because it’s rare in an actress’ career to participate in a project that has broken historical audience records. But, I remain very attached to my freedom. I’m part of the cast ofHPI but, at the same time, I continue to act in other fictions and to direct (she has just finished her first feature film and notably directed several episodes of the Baraki series, Editor’s note.).”
You were born in Belgium but your father is American. Have you ever thought about trying your luck in the United States?
”It was the option I had when I turned 18. Either I continued my acting job in Paris, or I left for Los Angeles. As I love French cinema and I had already filmed in France, I decided to stay there. I also find the European film industry much richer and multicultural than the American one.”
