Jean-François Pronovost finds as much pleasure playing in version 2.0 of “Passe-Partout” as in the annual series “Les moments parfaits”, two characters that make him grow as a performer.
Ten years after leaving the National Theater School of Canada with his diploma in his pocket, the actor has made his place in the scene at an accelerated pace since he camped Passe-Montagne. Filming for the fifth season has just gotten under way, as well as the show tour with his friends Gabrielle Fontaine (Passe-Carreau) and Élodie Grenier (Passe-Partout) with whom he has great fun filming and sharing the stage in front of jubilant young people – and parents.
And since he is in “Les moments parfaits”, at TVA, Jean-François advances as a human.
“There is something about me that evolves with my character. In the aspect of respecting yourself, learning to be more assertive, there were some confronting things for me to play out, like when Philippe put the racist lady in her place, that’s something I wouldn’t have not allowed to do. I learned at the same time as the character to do that.
It’s the first time he’s had a recurring role in an annual series, a turning point in his young career, and he notices that adults, and not just children, recognize him on the street.
Son Philippe is “clearly a lost guy, who is not on his X” when we met him at the start of the series. “He is lost in love, his career is more on hold, he is caught in a slump from which he is having a lot of difficulty getting out. It’s not so much that he doesn’t have the spring to get out of it, it’s more that it’s his heart that guides him.
He laughs, pointing out that “people who know me well are able to say, ‘it’s you when you’re lost in love'”.
Ambition
His whole Thomas family is doing business and Philippe works in a call center with a rather unpleasant boss, thank you.
“We don’t really know his ambitions, even if he has already talked about his dream of having a sports store,” recalled Jean-François, who is preparing at the end of the month to start filming the second “Perfect Moments” season.
For now, Philippe is concentrating on resuming his relationship with Nadia (Nadia Khouda), who has already broken his heart and with whom he wishes to live together. The former freestyle skier preferred her to Geneviève (Mounia Zahzam), who had just moved in with him.
Philippe is often in tow compared to the rest of the Thomas clan. “His relatives say he will eventually catch up with the group. For me, it’s an interesting comic spring to play. Sometimes I have more answers in what the other characters say about him, I have a lot of fun trying to sort those things out,” he said.
Like all his playmates, Jean-François has received half of the texts for the next season. “Philippe will start to come out of his shell and assert himself more,” revealed the actor.
“He’s going to learn to choose himself more, because all the decisions he makes are based on the girls he falls in love with, it seems like he forgets himself all the time. I can’t wait to shoot, because there are enjoyable things coming and my character is moving forward.
There are only two episodes left, including this Wednesday’s, before the end of the first season produced by Encore Television.