Your last TV role in Kaboul Kitchen (season 3) dates back to 2017. Why did you wait so long before shooting again for the small screen?
Stephane De Groodt: I need a beating heart to connect to a project. If I’m not shaking for a character, I don’t go there. So every time I wait for my desire to awaken.
And why did you choose the Lycée Toulouse-Lautrec?
When series creator and co-writer Fanny Riedberger had me read the script, I was immediately excited by the project. The way he treated the disability, as well as the humanity and emotion emanating from the characters, had a profound effect on me. It’s a very lively, very funny, self-teasing world. Everyone needs to know this. I hope this series gives viewers the keys to change their perspective.
Here you lend your qualifications to the Headmaster Feuillate. How did this role resonate with you?
It is a pure composition. Manager, I didn’t even know what it was! I was dyslexic as a child. I did not understand anything in the lesson and had a difficult school. In my youth I projected myself into two worlds: racing and comedy. Two dreams I have come true… This acting profession, which I have been practicing for more than twenty years, allows me to take on characters that I will never be. That’s what makes it magical!
To prepare, have you applied to the administration of the Toulouse-Lautrec high school, which actually exists in Vaucresson in Hauts-de-Seine?
No. I don’t usually work upstream. I create my character on the fly, to be taken aback. It’s a risk, but my method is to be as sincere as possible. Monsieur Feuillate is a man who cares about his students.
However, their relationship with their 18-year-old son, Jules (Abraham Wapler), seems to be more strained.
Yes, it is indeed complex. Jules was the victim of an accident and was left with a handicap he did not accept. He is angry with the whole world, at his father… This father who dedicates his whole day to disabled youth and finds himself very helpless in front of his son. It’s exciting to play these relationships between our two characters.
Were you happy to have as your partner once again the young China Thybaud, who plays your daughter in the comedy Everything Is Smiling at Us (released by Mélissa Drigeard in January 2020)?
Very happy ! I see him here as a student. Being asked for new projects so quickly proves he’s a good player. And he’s not the only one… I was amazed by Abraham Wapler’s talent and the performance of Ness Merad, who was the interpreter of Marie-Antoinette, in this shoot. This disabled young girl is overwhelmingly telling the truth.
Toulouse-Lautrec high school: Monday 9 January at 21:10 on TF1
INTERVIEW CATY DEWANCKELE
Source: Programme Television
Joseph Fearn is an entertainment and television aficionado who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a keen eye for what’s hot in the world of TV, Joseph keeps his readers informed about the latest trends and must-see shows.
