Bruno Sanches: "Audrey Fleurot is a Stradivarius, "most" by HPI" (SPECIAL)

Your character has gained more depth this second season. Did you have more fun from a personal point of view?

Bruno Sanches: It’s always good to be able to bold a character. We had a blast this second season. It was great to see the inside of Gilles’ home, his life outside the police station.

How exactly do you see your character?

I look at him with affection. It’s good to see that a police officer, especially a law enforcement officer, can have a sensitivity because he’s used to seeing so many crime scenes. We imagine that it’s a bit like in the movies, that there are people who see life in a bit of darkness, and we realize that they are people just like everyone else. It’s interesting to see that Gilles is deeper than we thought.

Inspired by a real police officer to interpret this character?

Actually, I wasn’t inspired by anyone, but we have a reference on the show named Franck Martin who works at PJ. He’s on set to tell us what’s reliable and what’s not. We had a lot of laughs with him as he was such a funny guy despite the dark stories he told us. Each time I say that I don’t want to know the rest because their stories are terrible (laughs). It touched me a lot as a person and brought me the business facts I was looking for. The reality of a police station is not leather jackets, whiskey and an endless supply of cigarettes. I believe our outpost at HPI is similar to Franck’s. They’re super good guys at their jobs but a little “broken arm” in life. It’s very interesting to play as a role.

The humor in this second season is also more present. Do you agree?

It’s a choice of directors and we don’t know yet what style we’re going to approach, especially in the first season. People loved this humorous side, and we pulled some more in season 2. It looks and is really beautiful. We had so much fun. I really enjoyed being able to let go of the horses. We had a lot of scenes to do, especially with Audrey.

Do the directors give you too much freedom in the incarnation of your character?

They trust us, but at the same time, the script is so well written that we don’t have much to add. When well written, it’s easier to improvise behind it. Even Audrey and her extravagant personality keep on going. More so at the end of the series where we allow ourselves a few moments of improvisation. But Audrey is great. This is a Stradivari. It sets the tone for the show. We have to rise to his level for it to work.

Are you learning a lot with Audrey Fleurot?

Yes, many and even others. It has the air of a theatrical ensemble. We are all a little. The more we get to know each other, the nicer it will be. You have a nice osmosis.

Tell us a little about HPI’s shooting secrets. Is it more dispersed or disciplined?

It’s a mix of the two. We have to respect a timing so that everyone works hard. We are not in the cinema so we have less time to shoot but we manage to have a lot of fun. Now everyone knows each other, we found our rhythm. Audrey has so many texts that we are very conscientious and respectful of her work.

Ready to chain a few seasons?

I know Season 3 is being written and I can’t wait to see how the characters will develop. If the quality is still there, I’m ready to continue for a few more seasons. The production team and writers are great and if we still have this osmosis between us, I will be back with great joy.

The success for HPI is huge in France as well as abroad (175 million views in over 90 countries). It should sound pretty resonant for a gamer anyway, right?

Yes, it’s really fun! I’ve seen several European countries broadcast the series. It has also been recently exported to the United States. Really amazing !

You have had a very busy daily life since the prison ended. Come in, I promise you, HPI. And cinema in all this?

I’m leaving soon for Perpignan to shoot Julien Rigoulot’s Petit Jesus with Gérard Darmon, Antoine Bertrant and Caroline Anglade, which will hit theaters in 2023. I’m also shooting season 2 and season 3 of The School of Life. I promise I’ll dive in August. Lots of good stuff!

Thibaut Falconnat