Actor Jéremie Renier stars in the new film The Enemy by Stephan Streker since January 26, 2022. Accustomed to physical transformations because of his job, he confided in The Team about the role of sport in his life and the relationship he has with his body.
The Belgian actor, seen recently at the funeral of Gaspard Ulliel, is well aware that his body is his work tool and that the psychology of his characters is always linked directly or indirectly to their physique. Also, he says:When I get a script, I always wonder what the character’s body looks like. I am a blank page. The hair, the beard, the mustache participate in this research. I changed my face a lot.“
In his new film, the actor plays Louis Durieux, a politician who has a toxic relationship with a woman. After briefly considering a strong enough character, he finally agrees with director Stephan Streker, “the director first asked me to gain weight, and then we said to ourselves: ‘No, the character must be dry, the hair very pulled back’“, he explained. And to continue with a touch of humor: “As a result, I had to quickly lose the pounds I had just put on. I yo-yoed a lot with my body, I hope I didn’t torture it too much. Between two shoots, I don’t deprive myself of much because I have a good metabolism. Thank you parents.”
The actor and father of 3 children remembered for our colleagues his most extreme transformation, which occurred in 2012 on a film by Éric Guirado: “The worst was gaining 25 kg for Possessions. I stuffed myself. I had to ingest 10,000 to 15,000 calories a day, when I normally consume 2,500. This kind of weight gain has an effect on morale. When I get fat, I get out of breath quickly but I feel quite powerful.”