EVELYNE BROCHU back in Quebec for CHOUCHOU
✒️ Vincent Marcelin / La Presse
Evelyne Brochu is officially back in the country after living in France for several months. On the occasion of the shooting of Chouchou, a series expected on Novoo in the fall, the actress told La Presse about her joy to find the warm atmosphere of Quebec.
Evelyne Brochu is not the type to laze around. Earlier this year, while she was shooting the sequel to Paris Police 1900 in France, she was preparing the shooting of Chouchou, a series written by Simon Boulerice. “I’ve been doing the in and out since January," says the Quebec actress, who has been seen in Trop.
Her stay in Paris allowed her to open up to new perspectives. “When we travel, we try to break our reference points, to break the routine, to renew our view of the world,” she explains. “To learn, to be turned upside down, to experience something else and therefore be different, because we are in another context and that reveals something else about us.”
For this second season produced by Canal+, aptly titled Paris Police 1905, Evelyne Brochu reprised her role as Marguerite Steinheil, this courtesan reconverted to espionage during what is known as the Belle Époque.
LIKE A RETURN TO THE ROOTS
After this new experience abroad, returning to Quebec was an obvious choice for Evelyne Brochu.
“There is a real pleasure in being in a kind of family feeling: the referents are common, the sense of humor is already embodied, because it is the same since our childhood.”
Evelyne Brochu has therefore launched this new challenge, which she approached by a preparation provided before the shooting. “I still had a month here to make meetings, fittings. We had a lot of discussions, so we felt in familiar territory.”
In Chouchou, the actress plays Chanelle, a French teacher consumed by an illicit passion for one of her students. She shares the stage with a prestigious trio made up of Lévi Doré (Sandrick, the student in question), Steve Laplante (Jeff, Chanelle’s partner) and Sophie Cadieux (Sandrick’s mother).
The 39-year-old actress is pleased to have formed a bond of affection with the production team of Chouchou. “On set, there's a kind of familiarity, like when you go home and say, ‘This is our home.’” “Caring,” “tender” and “magical” are the three words she remembers to describe her co-workers.
A climate of trust that puts her in the best conditions for the rest of the shoot. "I feel so protected, welcomed and supported, I feel that we want to protect, love and cherish each other. It gives the feeling that everything is cushioned, that we just have to go for it," explains the actress.
Directed by Marie-Claude Blouin and Félix Tétreault, the series written by Simon Boulerice tackles difficult themes such as adultery, poverty and drug addiction. “I think it was great that there was this sense of security and comfort, because there were going to be sensitive and uncomfortable things to talk about,” says Evelyne Brochu.
The role of Chanelle, which involves “challenges from an emotional and physical commitment standpoint,” led the actress to enter a phase of introspection.
“There are certain characters where it's best to get away from that. My big job for this role was to get as close to myself as possible. Of my fragility, of my vulnerability.”
More than her sense of interpretation, her life experiences helped her embody her character. “Having more life experience sometimes prepares you for a role without having to intellectualize it. Evelyne Brochu cites the birth of her two twins in November 2021, which helped her better understand her character's fears about the consequences of her adultery.
“When Chanelle feels the danger of losing her family, it’s an emotion I can imagine,” she emphasizes. The 39-year-old actress is also looking forward to the projects that await her, especially in the cinema. She mentions a romantic comedy with a “cool American actor”, which will begin shooting in August.
“It’s very exciting. And I think it will be good to change universe after this great dive for Chouchou”, she concludes with a smile.
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