I am the ultimate guardian of their career and, with me, it has to happen! » Emmanuelle Girard manages with a gentle iron fist the artistic destinies of Beyries and Alexandra Stréliski, to which she has devoted herself entirely since 2017. After a career as an athlete, communicator and advertiser, the one who confides having “ not so much “affinity with music, follows her instinct body and soul: the general public must discover Amélie Beyries, whose music she first heard in 2010 during a wrestling web campaign against breast cancer.
“I fell in love completely,” says Emmanuelle Girard, who had this Amélie Beyries song in her head for a year or two before finally meeting her. “She ended up making me listen to her other models and I told her that she couldn’t keep that to herself,” remembers the artistic agent. It’s 2012, and while she works for the Spectra team, she enjoys talking about the still anonymous musician to anyone who will listen. “The feedback I got from the industry was rave,” she adds. We know the rest: director Alex McMahon joins the adventure and Landing, Beyries’ first album was released in 2017. The success was immediate.
So that my artists can concentrate on their work, which is composition and performance, I coordinate with all the teams — record labels, show production, press officers, etc. Once the main points are clear, it is easier to make the right decisions. Regardless, I am in constant communication with them. We’re really close. Emmanuelle Girard »
A relationship of trust
If the artistic environment in which she evolves is different, the fortune of the impresario Cha Cha Da Vinci resembles that of Emmanuelle Girard. “I am American and when I arrived in Montreal, my daughter participated in an advertisement. At the time, she had an agent who asked me to join the adventure and that’s how it all started, 24 years ago,” reveals the former professional singer and dancer. And she continues, amused: “My first submissions for films or shows were made by sending portraits in envelopes by courier. »
Today at the head of an agency which has around a hundred film, television, dubbing and advertising actors, she believes that her job is not difficult as soon as you understand where everyone comes from. and everyone does the best they can. “Each person has their own emotional intelligence and let’s not forget that we are dealing with artists,” emphasizes the agent. Cha Cha Da Vinci’s mandate with its clients is therefore strategic, and this requires a lot of listening and attention beforehand. “I make sure they get the right roles based on where their careers are going,” she explains. Is it a good idea to do an ad right after a film, for example? » In fact, she devotes a large part of her time to discussions in order to get to know her actors. “It’s not just a job for them, it’s their dream,” she notes.
He also became an agent “by force of circumstances”: Vincent Beaulieu, president of the BAM agency, sees himself as a conductor who does everything possible to ensure that the dance or circus companies he represents are at the forefront. better during shows. “I’m more of an advisor, because we work specifically on a project and not a career,” he says. He therefore ensures that he meets their needs in close collaboration with the creative team, particularly on logistics. “When there is success, it is fun to be involved! » he enthuses.
Always higher
For her part, Emmanuelle Girard makes a point of promoting Beyries and Alexandra Stréliski. Development, when it comes to making it known to those who have never heard of it, is his hobby. “So that my artists can concentrate on their work, which is composition and performance, I coordinate with all the teams — record labels, show production, press officers, etc. “, she also emphasizes. According to the agent, for the little details to count, she must know the musicians inside out. “Once the broad outlines are clear, it’s easier to make the right decisions,” she explains. Regardless, I am in constant communication with them. We’re really close. »
Very present with her actors during filming, among others, Cha Cha Da Vinci also likes to maintain a strong link with all the actors in the field. His flamboyance and determination earned Montrealer Moe Jeudy-Lamour the role of soccer goalkeeper Thierry Zoreaux in the series. Ted Lasso.
“He had just played in a X-Menwhere he wore this big wig, when he auditioned for Breed [10 secondes de liberté]. They wanted him to let his hair grow, except that he suffers from alopecia…” says the agent with enthusiasm.
Cha Cha Da Vinci intervenes narrowly and avoids drama. “When I heard someone say to her ‘too bad, we’ll find someone else’, I asked them for four hours, she continues. With Moe Jeudy-Lamour, we ran out to buy a $100 wig and asked the hairdresser on the set of X-Men to help us. There you go, he had hair! » And a role in 10 seconds of freedom.
“That’s how he met Jason Sudeikis [tête d’affiche de Ted Lasso], also from the film’s cast, and they hit it off. » Some time later, the Quebec actor was hired to Ted Lasso. According to her, problem solving is essential to avoid missing opportunities. “I serve people and they like that,” she says. “It’s a big responsibility, it’s their life. So I do my best too. »