The year 2024 marked a major turning point for the actor turned forest firefighter. Between literary projects and getting back into shape, Patrice Godin seems to be charting the path that suits him best.
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You currently star in the series Surprising Detective. How was the experience?
It was actually a nice surprise since I hadn’t auditioned for this role. The actor who was to play Detective Gingras had a scheduling conflict and I joined the project at the last minute. I was able to reunite with old friends and work with actors for the first time. It was a happy coincidence, because I was available. I was able to enjoy the beauty of the Magdalen Islands for about a month and a half.
What does filming on the islands look like?
It’s a beautiful place, but it comes with a few extra challenges! We filmed early in the spring, so temperature was a major issue. We had production days with strong winds and rain. Furthermore, the islands are sublime, but you feel very isolated. So it can become anxiety-inducing. On my days off, I was in the hotel and found it difficult for morale. I’m not afraid of loneliness, but I was in a slightly more turbulent period of my life. When the weather was nice, I at least went for a run to clear my mind.
Another notable character that you play is Dylan in Indefensible. What is it like to play such a role?
I have a lot of fun playing this villain! I have the latitude to improvise little sloppy lines and make him so detestable! We took inspiration from real, unpredictable criminals, not evil geniuses, but individuals who always find a way to get away with it. This season, Dylan is more unmanageable than ever and causing even more problems.
After playing several roles of this type, do you still enjoy playing villain characters?
Good guys, I’ve played several and I find that it becomes redundant at times, but with the bad guys, there is a certain complexity and depth to be found. I like these kinds of characters, since they are very far from me. I would like at times to respond the way they do! (laughs)
You also have a new role in your life: that of a forest firefighter! When did this dream come true?
I have always been attracted to service professions, like a firefighter or police officer. With my career, there are a lot of low points where I found myself doing nothing at home and I got tired of waiting for the phone to ring. Last year, I said to myself that it was now or never, and I registered with SOPFEU, where I was hired at the Havre-Saint-Pierre base. It clicked for me during the devastating fires across Canada.
How was your first summer in the woods?
I totally fell in love with this job! I made friends for life and discovered the North Shore, a magnificent area that I knew little about. I’ve played action roles before, but there’s nothing more exhilarating than being in the middle of a fire! Suddenly, I found myself going to work by helicopter every morning, and coming back in the evening tired, but so happy. I discovered myself and I can’t wait to go back this summer.
-How do you combine your career as an actor with that of a forest firefighter?
From now on, in the summer, I want to concentrate fully on my new role. I take the risk of losing opportunities, but it doesn’t bother me anymore. I’m honestly disillusioned with how filming goes these days. Everything is going too fast. I find that at a certain point, the texts are not worked on enough and that too much is asked of us. Even if I was offered a great leading role, I’m leaving for the woods in March. It’s my decision and I’ll accept whatever comes next. I’m 57 years old and I need to live the way I want.
You were injured in 2023. Have you regained your optimal physical condition since then?
Since my operation a year ago, I have regained my mobility, but I am not yet like I was before. I don’t lose hope, I still train and take care of myself, but differently. I don’t run the same way anymore and I miss it, but now I just want to be in shape to fight fires.
You seem to have reached a point where you are the best version of yourself. Is this the case?
I always want more! (laughs) I wish I had evolved earlier in my life, because I wasted my twenties and thirties doing nothing for myself. These are years that I will never get back. I have had a certain awareness since the pandemic and I talk about this aspect in my book All possible lives. After neglecting my mental health for a long time, I have been consulting for two years. I have always been difficult to confide in, but I understood that the mind, like the body, needs care. Unfortunately, mental health among men is still too taboo.
Do your three daughters support you in this new journey?
I am very close to them! Of course, it was difficult last summer not to see each other for several months, but I had their unwavering support. Julia, Simone and Marion, who are respectively 22, 20 and 16 years old, now have their lives and it is easier to leave them. I don’t think I would have made this choice when they were children.
What does it mean to be a father of three daughters? Do we see life differently?
It’s the most beautiful adventure that has ever happened to me! I wanted girls and I did the best I could for them. I have always been a very present father, despite my job. I think I succeeded in educating them well and building women who are independent, strong, but also sensitive and attentive. With what is happening in the world right now, I am worried about them, but I will always be there to defend them. I would have liked to change many aspects of my life, but I wouldn’t change my children for anything in the world!
Finally, is there another writing project on the way?
I’ve been thinking about it more seriously for some time. When my book comes out After the stormsin January 2024, I left for the North Shore and, since then, I have written sporadically, but nothing substantial. I need rigorous discipline when I write, so I’m going to wait until I settle down to dive back into writing.
Perhaps the subject of forest firefighter would be an interesting avenue?
There is a possibility that I will talk about it eventually, but for now I am still learning how to do this job. I think I’m going more towards short stories than novels, because it allows me to explore more worlds.
