“We didn’t want to celebrate Mom Boucher”: Magalie Lépine-Blondeau plays Judge Charbonneau in the series “L’Appel”

Magalie Lépine-Blondeau may not have assiduously followed the legal saga surrounding the arrest – then conviction – of Maurice “Mom” Boucher at the end of the 1990s, she still has vivid memories of it. And terrifying. “The fear was palpable. It created a real commotion throughout Quebec,” recalls the actress who plays prosecutor France Charbonneau in the series. The Call.

The biker war caused a lot of ink to flow at the end of the last millennium, its various twists and turns systematically making headlines. One of these left its mark, perhaps more than the others: the murder of two prison guards, shot dead at the request of Maurice “Mom” Boucher, an influential figure in the Hells Angels.

• Also read: Trial of Maurice “Mom” Boucher: Judge France Charbonneau praises the new miniseries “L’Appel”, by Luc Dionne

• Also read: [VIDÉO] “Family of criminals”: ​​the daughter of Maurice “Mom” Boucher confides in Annie-Soleil Proteau

• Also read: [VIDÉO] “The Call”: watch the trailer for the new series by Luc Dionne and illico+ focusing on the 2nd trial of Maurice “Mom” Boucher

The prolific author Luc Dionne (District 31, Omerta) today dips his pen into this pivotal period in Quebec’s judicial history to The Calla series produced by Fabienne Larouche and Michel Trudel. The six episodes, all directed by Julie Perreault, are posted on illico+ two per week until February 6.

Behind the scenes

But be careful, The Call goes against the current trend by refusing to shine the spotlight on members of organized crime. If American studios have a propensity to devote significant showcases to renowned criminals (Ryan Murphy has, among others, been singled out for entire series dedicated to Jeffrey Dahmer or even the Menendez brothers), Luc Dionne’s project focuses mainly on the behind-the-scenes investigation and trial that led to the incarceration of Maurice “Mom” Boucher, sentenced to life in prison, in 2002.

And it is precisely this angle that seduced Magalie Lépine-Blondeau, suddenly agreeing to play the role of prosecutor France Charbonneau.

“The glorification of criminals or violence doesn’t really interest me. Although I am a big fan of true crimeI prefer that we tell these stories from the point of view of the victims or of justice. And that was unanimous among the team. Everyone – as much for Fabienne Larouche, Luc Dionne, Julie Perreault and the entire cast – wanted to approach this chapter of our history without celebrating Mom Boucher,” says Magalie Lépine-Blondeau in an interview with Journal.

“Besides, in the series, France Charbonneau always refers to him as Maurice Boucher. We wanted to avoid this familiarity that comes with the use of her nickname, especially since calling her “Mom” – which still means “mom” – evokes a certain belonging and can soften the character,” she continues.

Vincent Graton “terrifying”

The character of Maurice Boucher will still be present in the series, here borrowing the features of Vincent Graton. And Magalie Lépine-Blondeau remembers a “really disturbing” first meeting on set as the resemblance between the actor and the criminal is so striking.

“Vincent may be so affable – he is incredibly kind – but he is absolutely terrifying as Maurice Boucher. We played together a lot, but we never exchanged lines. He actually doesn’t speak much in the entire series; and it’s very threatening to see him on screen, a bit like a specter. We fear him and that creates a lot of suspense,” explains the actress.

In addition to the characters of France Charbonneau and Maurice “Mom” Boucher, the series The Call relies on a combination of true and fictional characters. Pier-Luc Funk, for example, lends his features to the very real informer Stéphane “Godasse” Gagné. On the other hand, the investigator of the Carcajou squad Sylvain Provencher, played by Patrice Robitaille, is very fictitious, created by amalgamating several different police officers of the time.

• The first two episodes of The Call will be available on illico+ starting January 23.

“She is an absolutely formidable woman”

Magalie Lépine-Blondeau saw in The Call an “extraordinary challenge” like she will “probably never experience” again in her career.

Playing a prosecutor is not an easy task, especially when the plot being served revolves around true facts. The actress realized this when the time came to shoot the pleading scenes on the set of The Callin which she lends her features to the character of France Charbonneau.

“For legal and legal reasons, we had to stick to the verbatim version of what was actually said at trial. And that means I had a 32-minute monologue to deliver! In the theater, we would have had weeks of rehearsal. But on television it’s very different. So I threw myself into the void when I arrived on set at seven in the morning,” remembers Magalie Lépine-Blondeau with a laugh.

“But that’s what’s exciting. Luc Dionne, that’s exactly what he likes to do: write characters and scenes that allow the actors to achieve technical feats,” she adds.

“It’s not a Bye Bye»

Important clarification, however: Magalie Lépine-Blondeau evokes France Charbonneau more than she personifies her. Certainly, she borrows her look and vocal range, but the actress has chosen to rely more on the character traits of the prosecutor to bring her to life on screen.

“We met beforehand, but we haven’t seen each other since the start of filming. I had to detach myself a little from reality, to take a step back. The Callit is not a Bye Bye; we are not in imitation. SO, [la réalisatrice] Julie Perreault and I mainly worked on her flow and poise. We realized that this is where the character really appeared,” she explains.

She thus hopes to pay homage to the woman who knew how to make her place in a world dominated by men… and perhaps even, who knows, to correct certain facts which may have become confused in our collective memory.

“France is a woman that I admire enormously. At that time, everyone was afraid of the Hells Angels. But France Charbonneau, she pointed at Maurice “Mom” Boucher, she confronted him, she looked everyone in the eyes. She is a woman who is absolutely formidable. And we must not forget that it is thanks to her that he was arrested and imprisoned. We think we know the story well, but we will discover it in a breathtaking way, like a good soap opera,” says Magalie Lépine-Blondeau.