Well, it’s a fantaisy coming from a perverse spirit… Unless it’s the opposite (I still don’t know!) But I believe that the answer of Nicolas is much more…
It is brilliaaant ! it is brilliaaant! I really wanna do it ! I really wanna do it ! (x3)
Well… No! Since I said: “It is brilliant, it is brilliant… etc… x3!!! ” that wouldn’t have been very logical!... I remember that even before meeting Benoît and even before reading the screenplay, I had been caught by the very small pitch of the advertisement which he had posted on the website of La Maison du Film Court. He had just written something like this: “A mother a little too fan of George Clooney”. That was it!... This and the title “A Juicy Turkey” were enough to let a furious certitude seizing me! “I MUST play this part, it’s NECESSARY, I WILL play it! ” So I replied to the advertisement…. but I didn’t get any answer during several months! Then, later, I finally received the screenplay and an appointment for an audition…
I remember arriving late. I was panicked because I didn’t want especially to make bad impression… I saw Nicolas in first who seemed happy to see me… I”ve liked that because, as he was already selected or almost, it was well for me if we had a good feeling! I left the audition with the dirty feeling I failed it or that I hadn’t done what was necessary ! But Benoît recalled me, because he was hesitating between another actress and me… I took that like a second chance and then here we are… I got it !
By several rehearsal sessions with Nicolas and Benoît. Benoît showed us the set (on photographs because rehearsals were done in Paris but we shooted in Lyon) and our children (also on photographs). He explained us the various axes of camera he thought about, the general atmosphere he wanted… On our side, Nicolas and me made our building work of the characters together, by asking our self many questions about this couple: this funny family that they had built together… their meeting… their respective past…
I do not believe that characters have a skin before being interpreted by actors. Only actors have a skin and flesh… and blood…. and emotions! Or not… (I like to say “or not”!). The mother of course existed on paper but did not have any skin. That’s the reason why I really wanted to play her! I had just to lend her my skin, my flesh, and my emotions… (or not !).
The mother is an idealist, cramped for space in her housewife role. She’s dreamy but is impeach to dream… She obviously loves her family and cares about it the best she can, but when the TV is on and that Clooney comes onto the screen, she’s as much grabbed than a child in front of a super hero… Imagine a 3-year-old child, which he’s asked to get dressed all by himself whereas Spiderman appears on the TV screen… There is one chance on two that he puts on his t-shirt on the wrong side… She makes daily motions without paying attention to them, only thinking to Dr. Ross because in addition to being super sexy, he saves children and has an exciting life.
