Cécile Bois has not finished surprising her loyal viewers. Known for her role as Candice Renoir, the actress finds herself starring in the mini-series Made in Francebroadcast from this Wednesday January 15 on France 2. This time, no police intrigue but more of a personal quest. Alongside Thierry Neuvic and Antonia Desplat, Cécile Bois plays a mother finding herself at the heart of a love triangle in the world of fashion. A character as moving as endearing to whom she returns to Gala.fr.
Gala.fr: You play Rita, a 50-year-old mother who faces adultery, what attracted you to this character?
Cécile Bois: I liked the idea of a character who evolves, who endures and who transforms being a victim into a strength. Also, this series is a comedy, and I really needed that. And then, I thought it was particularly well written. Starting from a common subject, which is the adultery trio, I found a fairly new side to tell on television.
Do you share anything in common with your heroine?
With Rita, I share her fairly pragmatic side. She has this desire not to let life get to her and to find a solution so as not to suffer. I don't like suffering so I'm always looking for solutions to get better, whether medical, professional or personal. (laughs). I certainly feel much closer to her than to the character of Antonia. I don't have this convention of pomp and ambition.
How was filming with Thierry Neuvic, who plays your husband?
Alright ! Thierry is a very simple and discreet person and, at the same time, he is very attentive. He is a very good playmate.
François DARMIGNY – France Télévisions – Barjac Productions/Newen
Do you think a couple can stay together and overcome infidelity?
It depends on the people. For those who have an aversion to infidelity or have been hurt in the past by infidelity, I think not. For me, infidelity is something that can be overcome because I find it terribly human.
Behind the comedy of this vaudeville lies a real reflection on the place of women in society. How do you view it?
The position of women depends on the country in which we find ourselves. With the #MeToo movement, there was a real earthquake. Now, I find that there are a lot of confusions and nuances to be made around feminism. I am reserved about all positions that can be extreme. In particular that of splitting the group of women and that of men. By doing this, we denounce what we are fighting for. I cannot embrace this movement. Afterwards, there is still work to do to find parity. But, talent is not gendered. Meanness is not gendered. Manipulation and cruelty are also not gendered. Now I am talking about the situation in Europe and not on behalf of other countries. What we can see in Afghanistan or Iran is unspeakable what is happening to women.
“In the eyes of the public, I was surely born with Candice”
In addition to the series, you completed the third part of Candice Renoir . Would you say that the pleasure is the same as at the beginning?
Yes ! In this character, there is the virtue of play. Each time, I try new things and I push a little further. As I find comedy to be very difficult work, Candice is truly my acting laboratory. I look at how far I can go, where it sounds false and where it is too much. It is also my laboratory of truth. A character is never more credible than when he delivers a truth to the spectators. Candice helps me with that because she finds herself reacting in situations that are often absurd. And then, it’s a team that I love passionately. We learned to work together and we grew together. There is such an artistic, intellectual and friendly understanding that we never feel like we are working. Plus, we can tell each other anything. There is no filter.
Aren't you afraid that this character will stick to you?
No, because I learned to live day by day, especially in this profession. You shouldn't expect anything. It's true that in the eyes of the public, I was probably born with Candice. It's not serious ! So, they follow me on my other adventures. And there are others who discover me in other exercises and series. I have no fear there.
You often break audience records, did you expect such notoriety?
No, never. And it was Candice who brought it to me. She is a benevolent character and a woman who fights for the feminist and feminine condition. She assumed being a woman in all her feminine and femininity. She is quite an individualist and that is her strength. Lots of women find themselves through her in all her weaknesses, her humanity and her courage.
If you hadn't been an actress, what would you have done?
My love for animals would surely have led me to them. Perhaps I would have been an ethologist or cared for and loved animals. I would have gone to a place where they are preserved. My daughter-in-law is currently in Australia where she is going to an animal orphanage. This is something I might have liked. Or a painter but that would have been more difficult than an actress.
“I try to put the passing of time into perspective”
At the same time as all these shoots, you are a mother. How do you manage to juggle these two parts of your life?
It's an organization! Since I wasn't there for ten years, I didn't want this to reflect on my lover. It was difficult because the girls were very small. So I took on an extraordinary nanny who took over with my lover. They shared the time so that the girls never lacked anything. I traveled 6,000 kilometers a month to be with them on weekends but also so that they wouldn't call me 'Dad'. It still happened (laughs). Fortunately, the production of Candice Renoir allowed me to have all the school holidays. Now they are growing but I won't let go of them. Adolescence is a time when there are turns to take. So I am very attentive. And then, I don't do theater to be closer to them in the evening. This is the time to talk. I do a lot of diplomacy. It requires a lot of patience because everything is not that simple.
To make up for lost time, what are the little things you like to do together?
I try to spend as much time as possible with my daughters. As they like to shop, we wander the streets. It's an excuse to talk and spend time with them. From time to time, I like to go to the cinema with them to introduce them to new things. For me, it's a gentle way of talking about certain themes that are not gentle at all. I don't always succeed because they have fairly defined tastes, especially the eldest. And then, we had the luxury of going to New York as a family. We did it during the Christmas holidays. It was one of their dreams. It was an opportunity to spend extraordinary moments and see them grow.
Do your daughters share your passion for comedy and theater?
The eldest not at all. She was curious about it so I signed her up for theater last year. But, I think it disgusted her! It's not his thing. She is too shy and reserved. On the other hand, my youngest will pursue an artistic career, that's for sure. She is attracted to comedy and still does theater. On the other hand, she writes a screenplay and a novel, she sews and she draws. At this moment, I want to say that she will go towards directing. She is very curious.
You recently celebrated your 53rd birthday, how do you approach the passing of time?
I find him violent towards my parents, more than towards me. When I see them, I tell myself how lucky I am because I can still move, enjoy, breathe and not talk about medications all day. I had close friends who left last year who were my age. I try to put the passing of time into perspective.
What are your plans for 2025?
Projects a little different from usual. There I end the series Drops of God. We're doing season 2 until spring. I am also developing a series with a young director. And by the end of the year, I would like to have written a book that I have been developing for a few months. And I would also like to take up the painting that I left behind since I had my daughters. As they grow, I will be able to return to who I was before I had them.
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