At the Palace of Menthon this Wednesday, December 18, comfortably installed in a velvet armchair, François Berléand, facing Lake Annecy which is visible through the bay window, savors the setting with a sigh: “Ah, there are worse …”
« This shoot is truly a pleasure”
First visit to Haute-Savoie? What do you think of this choice for filming?
“Not at all, I know the region very well, I have often played in the theater there, in Aix-les-Bains, Chambéry or Annecy. It's so beautiful here! The lake, the mountains, this absolute calm, we feel an incredible purity. I find that this place fits perfectly with the scenario ofAlpha. Since he talks about ecology and Annecy seems to be an ecological city. Frankly, I don't see any other place in France to film this series. This shoot is truly a pleasure. »
In the theater, I would really like to play Uncle Vanya by Chekhov and Le Roi Lear the Shakespeare
François Berléand
Tell us about your role in Alpha. What attracted you to both the role and the project?
“For once, I'm not playing the bad guy but a good guy! I am an “ecology” professor, very charismatic with my students. The most brilliant of them, Mathias (Editor's note: played by Léo Legrand), becomes one of the leaders of a band of young activists, the Alphas, who kidnap the children of big European bosses to demand ransoms. My character also runs an ecological foundation and she will find herself at the head of several billion euros, corresponding to the amount of the ransom. But he refuses them when he finds out. I like this scenario because it talks about ecology without being political and highlights current events that are very present in Europe. »
« I have always found lakes very calming”
Can you share with us a significant anecdote since the start of filmingAlpha ?
“I was very pleasantly surprised by the quality of the young actors, especially Léo Legrand, who plays my former student. He's great. And then, each filming location is magnificent: the scenes at the chapel with a breathtaking view of the lake, it was absolutely magnificent. And then the Palace of Menthon, it’s just heavenly, look at this view… it’s inspiring. We could stay all day admiring the view. I have always found lakes very calming. Besides, the only book I wrote was in front of a lake. The sea is not relaxing, a lake is. »
You do a series of shoots and shows. This year seems particularly busy, right?
“That’s an understatement to say!” At the moment, I'm touring a lot. I only took three weeks of vacation this summer, I couldn't take it anymore. But I love it. As soon as someone says “motor” or I go on stage, nothing matters anymore. What I like about this job is this possibility of having several personalities to defend. It's funny, because last night, you could find me everywhere on TV: on France 2 in an episode of Alexandra Ahle where I played, and on M6 in Santa at home. This year, I made two films at the cinema, one where I play Cupid, which shows that Cupid has no age, another with Thierry Lhermitte. A film for Amazon by Simon Astier, which is a parody of SWAT. Also another season of Alexandra Ahle with Julie Depardieu, the series The Replacement with JoeyStarr and then of course Alpha. On the theater side, I played in three plays, including one with Sophie Marceau. »
Is there a role you would particularly like to play?
“Yes, in the theater, I would really like to play Uncle Vanya by Chekhov and Le Roi Lear by Shakespeare. In cinema, I have had the chance to work with many great directors but I would love to work with Philippe Lioret or Xavier Giannoli. For the actors, I really like Benjamin Lavernhe, his personality and his acting. Otherwise, I try to stay open to projects. In the theater, I only choose the plays that touch me, because it's a very intense commitment, two hours non-stop on stage, so when I say yes, it's sincere. On the cinema and television side, it could be a script, a director that I like, or simply the desire to work with certain actors who will decide me. »
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