In fifty years of Parisian life, he has experienced everything, from the intimacy of the stars for whom he was the agent, to party evenings. Pillar of a new series on the backstage of a cabaret, That's Paris!, this figure of cinema tells us behind the scenes. A vibrant testimony of emotion.
If a name were needed to embody the passion for cinema, it would be obvious from the first hearing: Dominique Besnehard. “I have devoted my life to the love of my profession,” confirms this colorful character who was in turn an actor, casting director and artistic agent, before turning to production. For anyone who still doubts this devotion, just open the door of his small Parisian apartment, in the Etoile district. A true temple to the glory of the seventh art. The autographed portraits of Marlene Dietrich, Patrick Dewaere or Jean-Claude Brialy – her model – sit alongside more private photos of her former protégés who became friends: Béatrice Dalle, Sophie Marceau, Marlène Jobert, Isabelle Adjani or Nathalie Baye, who made the godfather of his daughter, Laura Smet. Beautiful books and movie posters line the walls. A DVD collection is even hidden in the broom cupboard! “I don't know how to throw away,” he justifies himself while preparing coffee in his kitchen, with this simplicity which is a mark of humility for him. And I'm very nostalgic. Our times tend to forget. I don't forget. » Paris and the world of entertainment were at first like enchanted bubbles in the life of this son of grocers from Houlgate, on the Normandy coast. “Claude Lelouch's mother was a customer. My father was going to deliver her and it was thanks to her that I was able to attend the filming of A Man and a Woman. I was far from imagining that, thirty years later, I would be the agent of Jean-Louis Trintignant and Anouk Aimée. There is no chance, there are only meetings,” he notes nicely. There was also this magical birthday in the capital, for his 10th birthday, where little Dominique attended Sylvie Vartan's concert at the Olympia. Without forgetting this autumn ritual: after a summer of working tirelessly in their business, his parents treated themselves to a trip to Paris with evenings at the cabaret or the theater, the programs of which they brought back. “Look at this nugget that I kept,” he proudly says, taking out a period magazine program bearing the image of Line Renaud from a drawer.
At 19, Dominique Besnehard left his province, determined to conquer Paris. He moved into a maid's room on the sixth floor… of the building of which he now occupies the first floor. Admitted to the prestigious Rue Blanche Theater School, with fellow students Christophe Malavoy, Evelyne Bouix, Catherine Frot, Jean-Pierre Darroussin. “Going to Paris was like “delivering” myself or, rather, “delivering” myself to life as I imagined it. Being in the world of entertainment. Also living my homosexuality more easily than in Normandy. I'm not talking about my parents, who were always very respectful of my choices, wanting only my happiness. » For pleasure and for the needs of his new job as a caster, Dominique spends his evenings at the theater. He hangs out with Orlando – Dalida’s brother – and his group of friends, then, later, Nathalie Baye and Johnny Hallyday. “At the time, we went for “dinner” after the shows, in late-night restaurants like the Kokolion or Harry's Bar. Everyone was there, the dancers, the actors, Nicole Croisille, Francis Huster…”
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It is this atmosphere of glitter and troop, with its joys and its disillusions, that reveals This is Paris !, his new series as co-producer, after Ten percent inspired by his life as an agent. Dominique Besnehard suggested the idea to writer-director Marc Fitoussi, remembering exchanges with a Crazy Horse dancer, Rita Xenon, who wanted to tell the story of the life of her cabaret. Around Alex Lutz, as the heir who tries to breathe new life into “All-Paris”, there is a five-star cast: Monica Bellucci, Charlotte de Turckheim, Nicolas Maury, Aurore Clément, Line Renaud and Christian Louboutin. Without forgetting a certain… Dominique Besnehard. Playing in this fiction which shows this world of entertainment in which he has been immersed for half a century, it is a wink that he really wanted. “I didn’t ask for anything but as I’m very smart, I made sure that Marc Fitoussi thought of me,” he tells us. The former student of Rue Blanche plays Régis, a boss with a profile not so far from his own: within reach of the rhinestones but a little in the shadows, severe but fair with the young people he trains. “For this role, I thought of Aznavour's song As they say: Régis spends his evenings in an atmosphere of celebration and feathers, then he finds his solitude, a home where no one is waiting for him. In his demanding behavior, it's true that he resembles me. The only thing I don't see myself in is… his hairstyle,” laughs the former cinema bigwig, adorned in this series with an astonishing wave cut.
At 70 years old, Dominique Besnehard does not hesitate to take stock. “I have never been fooled by anything and I am less and less. I made a big mistake: refused to take care of Vanessa Paradis. His uncle had asked me, but in those days we had a certain class, we didn't take advantage of other people's talents. And I was already Elsa's agent. I would also have liked to discover Jean Dujardin. Finally, my greatest pride is Béatrice Dalle. She's there because I've been there… and it's been complicated sometimes. » If he has bought himself an apartment in Houlgate, there is no question for the tireless Besnehard of thinking about retirement. “As a producer, I have a project at the theater,” he reveals. A remake of the play Les Garçons de la bande, already produced in 1969 with Gérard Depardieu, for which I bought the rights. » When you have dedicated your life to your art, the show must go on. Until the final salvation.
* On France 2, from Wednesday November 27, at 9:05 p.m., series produced by Dominique Besnehard/Michel Feller (Mon Voisin productions) and Thierry Sorel/Stéphane Sperry (Fédération studio France).
This article could be found in the Gala No. 1641, available on newsstands on November 21. To follow the news live, you can join the WhatsApp feed of Gala . The new number of Gala is on newsstands from this Thursday, November 28, 2024. Enjoy reading.
