Reports is inspired by a true story. Did you do any research beforehand?
Odile Vuillemin. I think the director Eric Métayer advised me not to read the book. He came with such a specific idea in mind that I rather wanted to serve his purpose. I don't usually work like that, I tend to find out more. But there, I wanted to let him guide me.
Cecile Bois spoke a little with Laurence who she plays on screen. On the other hand, I imagine that this was not your case with the real Véronique…
I didn't try to meet her. I think it would have been inappropriate to ask, knowing that the story started from Laurence Brunet-Jambu. I couldn't see myself saying “Can I go see the enemy?” » And then there is still a duty to respect the dignity of the people who lived this story.
Odile Vuillemin: “I find it quite interesting to play the bad guy, rather than the good guy.“
Is it complicated to get into the shoes of such a character?
It's a little difficult to admit like that, but it's true that there is an enjoyable side to these characters. I find it quite interesting, at some point, to play the bad guy, rather than the good guy. There is a dark side to be explored, namely to retransmit, to be in the service, despite everything, of the light. I don't have too much trouble with it, because I know it's not me. My goal is to be the mirror of society, and to seek humanity despite everything. That doesn't mean I condone it. But I'm trying to understand what part of his humanity is, otherwise I'm loosening the point.
Does working in a public utility drama like this give a new dimension to your job as an actress?
Yes. I like this idea of being a little useful and being a mirror of society, a bit like the king's jester. I like the idea of, at my level, shaking up society a little by transmitting strong emotions that make you think. I remember that when L'Emprise was broadcast (in 2015 on TF1, editor's note) and we told people about domestic violence “Hey look”, there were plenty of people who wanted to close the door. Because fiction made everyone face their responsibilities, their primary instincts. It's much more impactful than speeches. However, a good romantic comedy will relax me!
“I really needed to get down in energy“: Odile Vuillemin returns to the most difficult scene to perform
How was young Flavie Dachy, who plays your daughter Karine, protected on set?
This was the first question I asked after reading the abuse footage. Because I don't want to traumatize a child. My concern was not so much how I was going to cope with doing the sequence, but rather how she was going to experience it. Finally, I admit that I think it was harder for me than for her. It's true that she was very well looked after, and I have the impression that it didn't affect her. So, it was quite easy. Easy and a little confusing too.
Was there a particularly grueling scene to shoot?
The one where I break down and leave my daughter with Laurence. Eric very quickly understood that I had to leave me in my bubble. Only afterwards did he come and inject what he wanted and needed. This scene required a very particular concentration from me. I was with the music, I wasn't really communicating. Besides, I went to apologize afterwards. But I really needed to go down in energy to try to get into a state and stay there because otherwise, the journeys were way too energy-consuming. Afterwards, the other rather striking difficulty, generally speaking, was to succeed in not playing the character, to achieve a fairly atrocious degree of sincerity. I found myself, at one point, laughing in the middle of a take because it was so horrible. I don't know if it's to protect himself or because the character is so caricatured in his horror that somewhere he is also caricatured a little in the game. Either way, it was very interesting to analyze.
