A BREAK WITH FRANÇOIS-XAVIER DEMAISON
Comic François-Xavier Demaison is back with his third one-man-show that has a lot of him to it: crazy characters and a dose of intimacy. Despite his numerous projects for both the cinema and the theatre, the man who was a hit as Coluche took the time out to meet LiFE for an exclusive interview.
Where does your love for the theatre come from?There are a lot of things that attract me to the theatre. First, I love attracting people’s attention. Ever since I was small, I always wanted to be noticed, especially to attract the girls. This continued and I integrated the Cours Florent and when I realised I was talented, I wanted to take it further. I have always loved telling stories and distracting people.
There’s also something in the family that can ex- plain it. My grandparents took me to the theatre every month. My grandmother had two good friends : one with blue hair the other purple. We were like a group of pensioners and I was the only young person. I have very fond memories of the time.
I love the theatre, its smell, the red seats that creak, the atmosphere. I was fortunate enough to become the proud owner of a theatre in Paris this year.
Because we all want to please our parents and to reassure them, so it was a sensible choice. I started studying at university and at the same time I followed lessons at the Cours Florent.
In 1998 I graduated from Sciences Politiques. I was in love, got married and started working. I joined Landwell & Associates, a big legal firm and set off for New York. I worked very hard and shelved my dreams of performing in a theatre for a number of years.
One morning, on September 1, 2001, I realised I was wasting my life by trying to earn a living. I realised the world I was living in wasn’t for me and I had to change. So I started to write a show in my open space in New York.
I returned to Paris and decided to contact my former teachers. I showed them the show I had written and they helped me improve it. On December 2, 2002 I presented the first version of Deuxième acte at the Gymnase theatre in Paris. I met Samuel Le Bihan who accepted to produce my show in different Parisian theatres and the adventure took off.
At the same time I was still working in the world of finance. I remember some days I would leave the office in my suit and tie, would remove my tie and run on stage at the Rond-Point theatre. Everything was there to make me totally schizophrenic (laughter).
No doubt about that! It’s when I played Coluche and it was a huge success. I remember each time at the Gymnase in Paris in front of 600 extras, all Coluche fans, when I would get on stage wearing his dungarees. Totally crazy times!
There are also the friends I have made over the years, directors I have worked for, actors, team members … Recently when I was touring I was lucky enough to do 10 days at the Olympia, it was magical. A childhood dream come true! A standing ovation ten days running is both surreal and crazy.
Copyright photos : François-Xavier Demaison
Playing Coluche seems to be something special for you, how did it happen?Antoine de Caunes was behind it all. A friend told him to come and watch me at the theatre and it suddenly came to him: “that’s him, he’s the right person”. He helped me a lot during this period. It might seem absurd to pick someone the public didn’t know, to give him the role of a guy who was from a completely different milieu, but Antoine was determined. He helped me a lot and I thank him for that. It was an incredible experience. The role boosted my film career as I was nominated for a Cesar as best actor.
What type of register do you feel most comfortable playing: comedy or drama?Both. I have had the opportunity to do both and I enjoy playing both. Maybe I should say I have a slight preference
for comedy. In Hugo Gélin’s film Comme des frères in which you act alongside Pierre Niney, Nicolas Duvauchelle, you do both … Yes, and it’s a great film! I loved working on the film and yes, it’s true I do both. I am proud to have been part of the adventure. The two world’s meet in the film and we had to get on well for the fusion to succeed. We’re very close now.
Maybe because I had another life before this one. You have to know how to keep things in perspective. I went through hard times at the beginning. The profession can lead to great things but one that also has its load of humiliations. Claude Lelouch summed it up nicely when he said: “when you move up, be kind with the people you meet because they’re the same people you will meet when you move down”. I feel empathy for others, it’s a question of education I think.
Do you have to keep your feet on the ground to last in this profession?I don’t know. There are some crazy people out there who have fantastic careers and others who don’t get so far. The most important thing is not to get lost.
Does your life before inspire your life today?It inspired me for the first show, less so now. Keeping a foot in reality helps me keep my feet on the ground. I of- ten meet people who compare themselves to me, the only difference being the spotlights are on me. There is no barrier between me and the public and this is rewarding for me. The people I meet, that I talk to, they inspire me each day because I am like them and I want to maintain this proximity with my public.
Do you have any projects?I have just finished filming a series I do with M6 that will be aired on prime time after the summer. In this series I marry Alix Poisson and we tackle the mid-life crisis. It’s really quite funny and emotional. In fact it’s a return to what I like best: comedy and drama together.
Other projects for the future?
Jour J was released, with Nicolas Duvauchelle, Sylvie Testud. It’s a film you go to see to laugh and have a good time. There’s another film in which I had to play in the two registers, comedy and drama, called Comment J’ai Rencontré Mon Père with Isabelle Carré and directed by Maxime Motte and which tackles the unfortunately hot topic of migrants. And, between you and me, I am currently filming with François Cluzet, and I guarantee it’s really funny. It’s the story of a Parisian who sets out to live in the country. It’s funny and full of clichés. I’m delighted to be back with François Cluzet who is a great friend. We’re having a lot of fun.
You have your own theatre now. Does this mean you have come full circle? What more can we wish for you?Long may it continue! (laughter). Taking over a theatre is extremely important for me. I wanted to turn it into a sort of mirror image of myself which is why I decided to incorporate a wine bar with trays of meats and cheeses so everyone can enjoy themselves.
Isn’t it a gentle reminder to get back on stage a little more often?I am a workaholic. Comic, actor, producer of series and films, theatre director etc. people often say I’m crazy but I earn a living doing what I love doing and that is most important thing for me.
Your passion for the theatre is omnipresent so what about writing and directing?Not for now, maybe one day. I am devoting all my time and energy to my current and future projects, my family and my friends. One thing is for sure, I will never stop pushing my own limits and doing what I love doing.
Other films and encounters followed and finally I could live my passion to the full.
