“It was incredible”: Guillaume Cyr still pinches himself about having worked with Jamie Lee Curtis in “The Sticky”, a series inspired by the maple syrup theft of the century

Guillaume Cyr had a blast playing alongside Oscar-winning actress Jamie Lee Curtis in the American series The Stickya black comedy loosely inspired by the theft of $18 million in maple syrup that occurred in Quebec in 2012.

“It was incredible,” recounts the Quebec actor in an interview with Journal. Jamie Lee [Curtis] is a great lady. Its image on social networks is not a trademark. She is like that in life: honest, full, generous. It was great working with her. I’m still pinching myself!”

Expected on Amazon’s Prime Video platform on December 6, the series The Sticky is loosely inspired by the “maple syrup theft of the century” which made headlines in Quebec – but also elsewhere in the world – in 2011 and 2012.

It follows a maple syrup farmer on the verge of bankruptcy (Margo Martindale) who teams up with a Boston bandit (Chris Diamantopoulos) and a Quebec security guard (Guillaume Cyr) to set up a scheme that will eventually allow them to steal for several million dollars in barrels of maple syrup.

“I remember seeing this story on the news at the time, I said to myself: wow, what a great news story,” says Guillaume Cyr, who plays in English for the first time in the series.

“A theft of maple syrup is so unusual! With a story like this, 50% of the comedy job is already done! I think that’s why the two authors of the series, Brian Donovan and Ed Herro, wanted to make it clear from the outset in the credits that this is not the real story. We take the context of the theft, which is very eccentric and very funny, and then we go into fiction and imagination.

Several Quebecers

Filmed in Quebec in spring 2023, the series features several other Quebec actors, including Guy Nadon, Mickaël Gouin, Marc Beaupré and Suzanne Clément. The latter plays a police investigator responsible for finding missing barrels of maple syrup.

“It was fun to play,” says Suzanne Clément in an interview.

“To prepare for the role, I called an interviewer to get information about her job and how it works on a daily basis. It was very interesting and cool to explore.”

Unlike Guillaume Cyr, Suzanne Clément did not have the chance to opposite Jamie Lee Curtis, since the latter only appears in a few scenes in the series (which she also produces). However, she was able to meet the famous American actress and producer during a script reading session.

“Jamie Lee Curtis, that’s a 3000 volt battery! says Suzanne Clément.

“She has great energy! It’s certain that she can lead a project because she has drive.”

The tone and atmosphere of the series will remind moviegoers of certain American black comedies, including those of the Coen brothers.

“I often say that it’s a mix between Fargo et The Big Lebowskiunderlines Guillaume Cyr when we discuss with him the parallels with the world of the Coen brothers.

“I’m a big fan of that genre, so it’s the kind of show I like to see as a viewer. And to be part of it… it’s a bit of a simpleton’s dream.”

• The six episodes of The Sticky will be available in 240 countries and territories via the Prime Video platform starting December 6.