Nicole Ferroni (Aspergirl): "I asked myself the question of the legitimacy of incarnating an autistic person."

What did you like about this role?

I’m already very honored to have been offered the first drama role; this is the first time i read the script, i liked this character of Louison and also the series as a whole. Situations that reveal the absurdity of our world, and the fact that Louison made people laugh and cry at the same time, were the blessed bread to play. I could not see myself being denied such a role.

Have you asked yourself the question of legitimacy?

To be completely honest, even though the first big question for me was nudity, I really questioned myself. I had to act naked in one scene, but in the end I’m not completely naked. And I didn’t even have to negotiate! Director Lola Roqueplo asked me if I was comfortable, but I wasn’t. Then the question of the legitimacy of playing someone with autism really came up when I wasn’t. Can I place myself as a representative? But the article was moderated and analyzed by Julie Dachez, a reference on ASD and autism. At least what I’m going to play is neither malicious nor cartoonish, but realistic, I said to myself. I went there with the most sincere game offer possible and I hope it doesn’t break. This question is no longer mine. Other people will tell me if it’s legitimate for me to play like that. I think opinions will be divided.

This is a hard question…

I understand the representation issue, it’s also very present for transgender. Some activists are calling for transgender people to be portrayed by actors who really are. For autism and therefore less curious about legitimacy, I am the result of a logistical and economic compromise. aspergirl Since it is a low-budget series, the shooting tempo was intense. In the scenes shot with the actors presenting the ASD, the production was able to adapt: ​​the light was dimmed, just like the crew, we whispered on set and shot for half a day. But these adaptations take time, and we have very few series with this economic logic. Lola says elsewhere: If she had worked on a feature film and not this series, she might have made time to cast other autistic actresses. There’s also the practical side: Ferroni, we can whip it up and make it profitable, whatever the mood, we’ll break it down (laughs)!

What about Carel Brown?

Lola didn’t want to mistreat the actors either, so Carel Brown plays Guilhem. The production approached the associations of autistic people and parents made it known that the context of attraction can be abusive for an autistic child. It wouldn’t be nice for him to force him into his game.

How did the shooting go with Carel, who also won an award in the male commentary category in the French competition at Series Mania 2023?

We started shooting in a cardboard booth, with a close scene. We were immediately pushed into a mother-son bond, which has been very beneficial for this series. For a month and a half of filming, the entire crew stayed in an apartment hotel: We meet Carel’s real mother for breakfast every morning. So we had moments to talk about “our son” (laughs).

it happenedIs it difficult for him to play such a role?

It’s funny, but as we played with Carel, we realized that we looked like our real-life characters. We talked like them. Carel had no trouble orienting herself in the game. She had a wonderful kids’ coach who taught her both the text and the game. Even though they are sensitive to the looks we carry, it’s great to let the kids go. His only reluctance was the same as mine: kissing someone.

What does the series say about today’s society and the place left to people with ASD?

They are people who are more adaptable to society. They wear masks every day, as autistic comedians say. While society’s adaptations are beneficial to everyone, the labor comes mostly from them. Shooting in silence with a small team for two days at the autism center benefited everyone, even us. If the array can deliver this message…

Co-writer Judith Godinot with Hadrien Cousin reveals her secrets during Series Mania 2023 “a type of atypia in our lives makes us happier”…

In any case, a kind of audacity and freedom. Louison has great freedom of speech and action, and he does it not to provoke, but because he does not allow himself to be trapped in the social mold that urges him not to do certain things. We should all be able to express our difference by feeling welcome.

How do you choose your roles?

My choices are guided by what is presented to me (laughs). Still, I turned down a few projects. The ones I keep talking about pretty strong social issues like domestic violence (to madness in M6), child psychiatry (mental on France TV Slash), disability (Handicap on France.tv)… I was told that I specialize. Even if it interests me, it is not wanted. I do not go to these projects specifically, the projects that come to me without knowing why. Schoolboy humor would suit me too. I reject fictions that already tire me out even by reading them. It’s like acting like a nymphomaniac, hysterical woman, or forcing your boyfriend to calm down and be responsible. “Are we still there?” I say. I say no when the project is too late for me compared to what I have defended in life. Patriarchy is already well represented in society, it does not need to be integrated into a fiction.

Pauline Hohoadji