The return of Anna Brodeur marks another return: Richard Blaimert’s return to comedy. After a decade of drama, the author wanted to “change course” and revisit the genre he had exploited – and savored – in one of the flagship series of the 2000s, The ups and downs of Sophie Paquin.
Reached by telephone in California, where he has lived for several years, the screenwriter explains that after exploring the psyche of different killers in Cerebrum and painted a portrait of a woman with widespread cancer in New addressthe desire for lightness was pressing.
“You should never underestimate the subject you are diving into. For New addresseveryone was like, “Oh my God! That’s a depressing subject!” And I was sure it wasn’t. But after just one year of writing, I went back to therapy.
PHOTO MARTIN CHAMBERLAND, THE PRESS
The author of the Return of Anna BrodeurRichard Blaimert
” For Cerebrumit wasn’t as anxiety-provoking on a personal level, but it was still very intense…”
Colorful characters
It is not known what type of energy will emanate from the Return of Anna Brodeurwhen the comedy lands on Crave in October, but one thing is for sure: During our visit to the set in early August in Montreal’s Villeray borough, the mood was bright. And not just because of the vibrant colors of the PR agency’s offices at the heart of the action.
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PHOTO MARCO CAMPANOZZI, THE PRESS
Part of the distribution of the Return of Anna Brodeur : Jessica Larsen, Clémence Lavallée, Élise Guilbault, Vlad Alexis, Julie Le Breton, Benoit McGinnis, Gregory Beaudin and Rebecca Vachon
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PHOTO MARCO CAMPANOZZI, THE PRESS
The filming of Return of Anna Brodeur will end in two weeks. The series, which has 10 one-hour episodes, will be released on Crave in October.
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PHOTO MARCO CAMPANOZZI, THE PRESS
Mathieu Cyr (photo) co-directs The return of Anna Brodeur with Sébastien Gagné. The series is produced by Sphère Média (Cerebrum, Transplanted) in collaboration with Bell Media.
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PHOTO MARCO CAMPANOZZI, THE PRESS
In the series, Benoit McGinnis plays the heroine’s best friend, the director of a major public relations firm. “The people Patrick represents are bad numbers,” says the actor.
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PHOTO MARCO CAMPANOZZI, THE PRESS
Élise Guilbault plays Anna Brodeur’s mother. “She’s not the embodiment of moderation,” the actress emphasizes. “She’s a pretty explosive character. When someone criticizes her for being who she is, she responds: ‘I apologize, I’m alive.'”
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PHOTO MARCO CAMPANOZZI, THE PRESS
” [Mon personnage]she’s a bit of a weather vane, impulsive, observes Julie Le Breton. Instead of staying here and facing her demons, she chose to flee. She left for Paris for 10 years without saying goodbye to anyone. It takes someone pretty cuckoo to do something like that.
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Starring Julie Le Breton, The return of Anna Brodeur tells the story of a woman who returns to Quebec after a decade of voluntary exile across the Atlantic. Her surprise reappearance creates a shockwave among the people she knew before she suddenly left, including her ex Antoine (Patrick Hivon), her mother Monique (Élise Guilbault) and her best friend Patrick (Benoit McGinnis), who runs a major public relations firm. Today, all the company’s employees must take COVID tests to reassure a hypochondriac client, an internationally renowned conductor played by Antoine Pilon.
It’s been a long time since I played in a comedy. I played in Another storywhere I had early-onset Alzheimer’s; and in AlertsI’m the police chief. It’s not very funny. Having lighter scenes does a lot of good!
Actor Benoit McGinnis
A reunion
The return of Anna Brodeur also marks the reunion of Richard Blaimert and Élise Guilbault, who played the extravagant – and particularly intense – Estelle Poliquin in The ups and downs of Sophie Paquin and in Penthouse 5-0a spin-off series that only lasted one season in 2011.
Richard Blaimert contacted Élise Guilbault directly so that she could embark on the adventure ofAnna BrodeurThe actress accepted without even looking at the texts.
“ Sophie Paquin And Penthouse 5-0these are extremely happy moments for me. It’s an encounter with a kind of humor that suited me well. I had played in so many dramas before. Something happened with Richard. I was able to have fun like never before.
In The return of Anna BrodeurÉlise Guilbault claims to recognize the author’s “extraordinary finesse of mind.” “It’s so well constructed. His humor never runs out. I’ve never changed anything in Richard’s texts. I’m a fan.”
Without hearing
Like Élise Guilbault, Julie Le Breton did not audition for the role of Anna Brodeur. Throughout the writing, Richard Blaimert imagined and “heard” the actress each time he came up with lines for the heroine.
I saw her with Xavier Dolan [La nuit où Laurier Gaudreault s’est réveillé]. I saw her with Martin Matte [Les beaux malaises]. I knew that with her, I would really be able to go anywhere. She is so gifted. She sees everything. She understands everything. She captures all the nuances of the characters.
Author Richard Blaimert, on Julie Le Breton
The actress, who had a small role in The ups and downs of Sophie Paquinappreciates the ambivalence of the Return of Anna Brodeurwhich oscillates between comedy and drama.
“That’s what I like about writing the series I’m most involved in: when you can switch from one to the other. Richard has this ability to create characters who are full of flaws, who make bad decisions and who never face their demons… but who are endearing. It’s fun to play crooked characters!”
Benoit McGinnis also likes the author’s characteristic style. “Sometimes, in scenes, I’m like: ‘Ah yes, this scene construction reminds me of the lightness of Sophie Paquin…”And pow! We immediately fall into something truly human. We’re not just in a light comedy. There are real stakes. Except that sometimes, it’s exaggerated. The mess becomes funny.”
Produced by Sphère Média, the series The return of Anna Brodeur is jointly produced by Sébastien Gagné (Let go, White night) and Mathieu Cyr (Good morning Chuck). It will be presented on Crave starting in October.