Montreal actor Bruno Verdoni has forged a successful career in film and television, both in French and in English. Receptive to various worlds of the small screen, the child he was dreamed of knowing the same existence as a famous reporter …
Bruno Verdoni, which youth programs have marked you?
The youth shows that have stayed with me the most are surely the ones that have nourished my imagination the most, probably at a very young age where the line between reality and imagination is very thin. I think about Floor and Goblet and The surprise box, among other things, where the situations and the characters are so inviting that the minimalist decorations in no way prevent children from imagining everything. All Tintin, too, saw me glued to the small screen.
What are your fondest childhood memories linked to the small screen?
A wide variety of entertainment thrilled me in my childhood and adolescence. American shows like superhero cartoons (all that was Batman), Cosmos 1999, MA beloved witch, but also the world of Disney, Beautiful sundays, Pop Pumpkin and all the wonderful musical themes.
Did you watch television a lot when you were young?
Not as much as today’s kids, of course, but an hour or two after school and religiously every Saturday morning. It was always difficult to get up early to go to school, but to listen to the “guys” on Saturdays, there was no problem.
Is there a character who influenced you?
Although he is a character who has not really aged well, in a way, I have always found Tintin very inspiring by his courage, his knowledge, his faithful friends, his dog. I wanted to live strong adventures like him, which I was able to experience a bit in my own way as an actor.
Is there still a song from a show that stuck in your head?
Even today, musical themes resonate a lot in my childhood heart. I could not say that only one wins the palm, because there are several that transport me instantly: Beautiful sundays and Bugs bunny, the themes of American series such as Hawaii 5-0, Mannix and Jinny that I heard through the walls, because I was too young to look at them …
Finally, what do you think of today’s youth television?
I sincerely believe that a good program perfectly combines the “educational” and “entertainment” aspect, as Radio-Canada did wonderfully well in the 1970s and 1980s. Children need to develop their imaginations and I believe that the most beautiful inner journey is one where they have to fill in what is not present, visually and soundly, on the screen […] I prefer this tradition – where Quebec excels – which gave us the Iniminimagimo, Knock Knock knock and Bagpipes.
Bruno Verdoni’s talent is on display in the second season of The fault, offered on Club illico. He lends his features to lobbyist William Taylor, Celine’s ex and father of his daughter, Sophie.