“I discovered happiness, joy, pure love when my daughter arrived”

Every day, a personality invites itself into the world of Élodie Suigo. Monday March 11, 2024: The singer and actress, Camille Lellouche. She has just published an autobiographical book, “Tout te dire”, published by Stock.

Camille Lellouche is a singer, comedian and actress, revealed to the general public thanks to the show “The Voice” in which she participated in 2015. Two years earlier, it was her role as Géraldine in the film Grand Central by Rebecca Zlotowski, who gives him a spotlight. She quickly had her heart set on going on stage, which she will do in 2018 with her first one-woman show Camille in real life.

Camille Lellouche has just published an autobiography: tell you everything, published by Stock.

franceinfo: Can we describe your book as an autobiography?

Camille Lellouche: It’s autobiographical, but hey, at my age, you don’t do biographies.

tell you everything is intended for your daughter who taught you, even before she entered life, that you could not systematically control everything. Isn’t that the message of the book?

It’s contrary to what I want to do every day, which is to control everything, whether it’s the people around me… I need to be in control.

There is another person who is very important in your life and you pay tribute to her in this work, it is your mother.

With my mom, it’s close. I always “overloved” her, it’s hard to say, but it’s true that we are so close… I had a somewhat conflicted adolescence because I’m still someone not very impulsive and above all very extreme, so I made her see a bit of all colors and despite all that, she is still there.

“My mother never judged me and I think that’s the most important thing.”

Camille Lellouche

at franceinfo

Between the ages of 19 and 21, you suffered beatings and rape at the hands of your partner. Why is it still so painful for you to talk about it?

It’s painful, but above all it brings back memories, images, flashes that are not necessary for my health. I needed to write, I needed there to be a record of it all. And for my daughter and for all the people who follow me, but I see too many things coming back. And then, it’s so far away that when it comes back, it comes back and it stays a little, afterwards.

There are two people who are extremely important, even today, and they are your maternal grandparents. Your grandmother who was Jewish and was sent to Birkenau. He was sent to Dachau. As luck would have it, they escaped and found each other again. This story also marks how very important they were and how this is a line of conduct that you have had all your life?

The very strong need to exist, to skip a generation to exist and leave a trace, at least in relation to this story, I don’t think it’s vital, but it’s visceral. It’s very unconscious, very ingrained in me and I will tell my daughter, if she also has children one day, that we will always have to talk about it. The duty to remember is very important. It’s like my parents, I grew up with them, they raised me, protected me. These are people who have never complained about their lives. I had exceptional grandparents.

The starting point is music, the piano. It starts very young, very early, with a teacher who will really give you confidence. What did you learn from the piano?

I learned piano, rigor. I had a teacher who was very strict. She was first prize at the violin and piano conservatory. She had traveled around the world with her grandmother. And then I annoyed her as much as she adored me because I had facilities and when I worked, it became quite extraordinary. I was always first in my competitions even though sometimes I only learned ten days before. I really liked this woman.

“My piano teacher taught me rigor. I took pencil marks on my fingers, but that didn’t bother me. I liked being first somewhere in my life. It was only there so it was cool!”

Camille Lellouche

at franceinfo

It is while working as a waitress that you will meet lots of people, including Rebecca Zlotowski. Tell us about this meeting that will change your life.

First of all, he’s someone extraordinary. We talked a lot, she confided a lot because it’s always easier to confide in someone outside. I told him that it was a job that I would love to do, even if initially, I was a singer. And then one day she said to me: “Look, I would like you to make a small appearance in the movie I’m making, but something quick“. I said: Ok, I absolutely didn’t believe it. Then a month later, they called me for tests. When I read the scenes, I said to myself: but it’s the supporting role in the film , it’s not a small role at all. Without believing it, I spent two hours at the casting, which is still quite rare. And then, I have no news.

One month, two months, three months and then one day, I see that I have a missed call in which she tells me quite coldly: “Camille, could you call me back please? “I tell myself that it’s dead. And then she says to me: “Actually, it’s been you all along, but I wanted to be sure. Would you be willing to have your head shaved?“I answer him: listen, my grandparents’ heads were shaved in concentration camps, I’m willing to do it for a film, then it will be flattering.

One thing this book shows is that you have finally found yourself. Is that the case ?

I am, in any case, happy because I did not think that it would happen to me to be a mother and the fact of having been able to and naturally in addition, it has really been absolute happiness. I discovered happiness, joy, pure love when my daughter arrived.