Between two takes, the actor happily strikes a pose, arm in arm with passers-by who ask him to do so. Choose the best frame for the shot. And exchange a few words with everyone. As if he knew everyone, here, at Moulin-à-Vent, in Perpignan where he is filming for the new television series on “The Missing from the Station”. Hugo Becker plays one of the leading roles alongside Camille Razat and Patrick Timsit. A new face added to the remarkable range of characters he has already played. Not a simple cop immersed in an extraordinary investigation, that of a man tested, beyond his police badge, by the despair of the victims’ families. Touched by the terrible, in his sensitive mercy.
Hugo Becker, why did you accept this role?
I had never played a police officer before. Because sometimes these are roles that can lack emotion. There, what I found particularly interesting as an actor was the psychological path of the character. We were on a journey of almost 20 years and we had access to the interiority of a police officer, to the impact of an investigation on him, on his private life and on his way of reacting, of thinking. My character dedicates himself body and soul, I find that quite beautiful, but quite logical. However, it shows us that even when we have the best intentions in the world, especially at that time, the complexity of an investigation can lead to dead ends. This does not mean that we are doing our job poorly, that we are not concerned. This character has the will to do the best he can, however he will encounter a number of obstacles which for some are very difficult to overcome. And that’s exciting. How to resist trials and failure? Are we responsible for things? There are many police officers dedicated to their profession and unfortunately they operate in a difficult world with technical means which do not make things easy, especially there, in the 90s. The most difficult thing, probably, is not knowing, not finding those responsible. If there is a doubt that we cannot resolve, it can drive you completely crazy. In this series we are not about the investigation or only about the intrigue, it is richer than that. We’re on people. And as far as I’m concerned, there is a person behind a plate, who like most police officers wants to be of service, to help others. It requires being Cartesian, having a distance from things, at other times having empathy. There, we are not in the function, we are in the human concerned and that is what I liked.
Is it more complicated to play a true story?
It’s very delicate. But there is a real finesse in the writing of the characters and in their psychology and we say to ourselves that it would be a shame not to do it. Because perhaps it can provide something which is not an escalation, nor voyeurism, but which is rather a support, which demonstrates that we do not care about this kind of story. We have a heavy responsibility in this. We try to do it as seriously as possible. Before and during the project, we often ask ourselves questions about the scenes, there is a lot of dialogue with the actors, the director… because it is a true story. And to achieve the impact we want, that of empathy. This series can show to what extent each person who is involved in this type of drama experiences difficulties in their own way, it can help bring the victims closer to the police and above all not forget. There is both the human side and the duty to remember, for me, the series sends this message. That we don’t let people down.
How do we prepare then?
I believe that Mélanie Doutey met relatives of victims. We met police officers, we worked in particular with Franck Martin, one of the police officers who arrested the Sambre rapist. We spent time together discussing vocabulary, how to behave. I was lucky enough that he opened the doors of the PJ in Lille to me and then during filming we continued to call each other when there was a doubt about a scene, to try to be as close as possible. possible from reality. Then, as soon as I can, I will spend time with them again to absorb as much as possible.
“This filming allowed me to discover the region which is quite sublime”
Have you already worked with the actors in the series?
With Mélanie Doutey we did Paradise Beach. And Patrick Timsit, with whom we get along wonderfully, it’s a pleasure to work with him, offered me a series some time ago where we were to play a father and son who worked in a real estate agency. Maybe it will happen but in any case, I accepted because I had such a good time with him. It’s great to be here. And then, I didn’t know the area well and this filming allowed me to discover the region which is quite sublime with these mountains. These are very cinematic landscapes but they are also quite relaxing for the eyes. It’s good, outside of filming, it brings a little serenity and we need it.
Is it a plus for you to constantly change characters?
What’s difficult at first is that you’re being thought of for completely different roles. I was very lucky. (He leaves to knock on wood). I made a gangster with iron teeth and tattoos, I made a journalist in the Plague with an earring, a mustache and sideburns. It’s a lot of fun for me to transform myself, it helps me play too. I was very happy that in this character he was clean shaven. He had to be clean. He’s the type who, as the investigation progresses, needs to put order where he can. He doesn’t let himself go. I have a head and a voice that can easily be attributed to everyone. Some have more identifiable faces. I imagine mine is more chameleon-like. And then as I said, there is an element of luck, someone offers you something totally different and therefore it gives ideas to others. It’s extraordinary. It gives us a bit of the illusion of living different lives, of meeting lots of different people.
The actor on all screens
After his role in the Plague on France Télévisions, Hugo Becker, who played Prince Grimaldi in the American series Gossip Girl, is starring in a comedy released in cinemas on April 17 “Here and There” with Hakim Jemili and Ahmed Sylla. He will soon be on screen in The New Look for Apple TV with Juliette Binoche and John Malkovitch, where he plays Hervé des Charbonneries, leader of the resistance, but also in Concordia, a science fiction film from the producer of Games of Thrones. He also participated in the film Maria by Jessica Palud, selected for the Cannes Film Festival. And he will resume a tour in September at the theater with Les variations enigmatiques by Eric-Emmanuel Schmitt.
