Gildor Roy did not sleep a wink overnight from Thursday to Friday. Because he knew that in the morning it would be the last day of shooting District 31, and that he would never again have the chance to put on Commander Chiasson’s uniform. “I sat on my couch staring into space. I looked at my text. I didn’t really know what I was reading. It affects me more than I thought. »
Posted at 8:13 p.m.
Met in the sets of the show during the lunch hour, Gildor Roy was, in his own words, “burnt”. The lack of sleep had something to do with it… as did the emotional charge of ending such a significant adventure.
“It’s silly! Chris, I’m 61! I act like a teenager! the actor chimed in, seated behind the beloved police commander’s desk.
Gildor Roy was not the only one on edge during our visit to the MELS studios in Saint-Hubert, where District 31 has been filming since its second season. When addressing the actors in front of the horde of journalists present for the event, Luc Dionne, his throat tied with emotion, had to take a break to avoid cracking. “You don’t know how much you influenced me in my writing… Some people were there for a day and stayed for years. I will never forget what you have done for me. »
PHOTO MARCO CAMPANOZZI, PRESS ARCHIVES
Press photographers not having been admitted to the set of District 31, we publish photos from our archives. Here, the actors Patrick Labbé and Gildor Roy during a visit to the set on the occasion of the launch of the series, in 2016.
In front of the author, leaning against the wall that separates the investigators’ room from the office occupied in turn by Lieutenants Nadine Legrand (Magalie Lépine-Blondeau), Jeff Morin (Luc Picard), Gabrielle Simard (Geneviève Brouillette) and Mélanie Charron (Ève Landry), the actors of the popular detective drama threw knowing smiles at each other. Because despite the end of the adventure, during the dinner break, good humor reigned.
“I feel serene, I feel good, told us Vincent-Guillaume Otis. I really have the feeling of accomplishment. I feel like I’ve gone all the way. I’m sad it’s over, but I’m glad it’s over like this. There is something beautiful. »
The interpreter of Detective Sergeant Patrick Bissonnette, who had to learn 75 to 90 pages of texts each week since 2016, said he was curious to rediscover his daily life after District 31.
“It’s a way of life that I leave. I will have to change ways, trajectories, routines… All my life, in fact. »
Sitting at the office of Florence Guindon (Catherine Proulx-Lemay), Michel Charette also seemed zen. Happy that Luc Dionne, producers Fabienne Larouche and Michel Trudeau, and Radio-Canada “had the intelligence to stop at the right time”, the actor with a thousand post-District (the continuation of Happiness at TVA, a one-man show, a theater production, the writing of a TV series) was filled with gratitude.
“I had beautiful roles in my life. Projects that worked: radio hell, The Boys, ladies night. Bruno Gagné is a role that marked me and that marked the collective imagination. It’s probably the role of my life so far. Because Luc made me play in areas where I was not used to going. I was trained in comedy. People rediscovered me through this character. »
PHOTO MARCO CAMPANOZZI, PRESS ARCHIVES
Press photographers not having been admitted to the set of District 31, we publish photos from our archives. Here, actors Vincent-Guillaume Otis and Magalie Lépine-Blondeau with author Luc Dionne, photographed in 2016.
A family
The actors of District 31 know that it is a cliché expression, but nevertheless: several of them spoke of “family” on this final day of filming. After 720 episodes and a few thousand hours working side by side, everyone will forgive them for the cliché.
“It was a good gang, a damn good gang, insisted Gildor Roy. Often, after filming, we hear: “We were like a family.” It’s not always true. But here it is. »
“As an actor, we are trained to live with bereavement, declared Hugo Dubé (Carl St-Denis). It’s part of our job to break up the family. But this time it’s special. Because it is a unique project. »
“When I arrived this morning, I wanted to hug everyone,” said Catherine St-Laurent (Noélie St-Hilaire). I am full of love. »
Proof of the group’s spirit of solidarity, some actors who had shot their last scenes a few days earlier had nevertheless come to highlight the culmination of six years of work, especially since in the evening, a party Closing ceremony for the team was scheduled at Maggia, a restaurant in Vieux-Longueuil that also served as a filming location. Among them were Jeff Boudreault (Jean Brière) and Cynthia Wu-Maheux. One of the few to appear in the credits of the popular soap since it went on the air, the interpreter of analyst Da-Xia Bernard had delivered his last lines on Tuesday, at the end of a day full of emotions (and tears) .
PHOTO HUGO-SEBASTIEN AUBERT, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
Press photographers not having been admitted to the set of District 31, we publish photos from our archives. Here, actress Cynthia Wu-Maheux, who has played analyst Da-Xia Bernard since the start of the series.
“I bawled like a baby,” the actress said. My last scene was with Gildor [Roy]. I was feverish. He took my hand and said, “It’s going to be fine.” I had to work hard to retain the emotion, because for the characters, between them, it’s only a goodbye. But for me with Da-Xia, it was a farewell. »
Interpreter for François, the receptionist policeman, Ralph Prosper had found a very personal way of immortalizing this pivotal stage. “I filmed the entrance. I went around the whole space: every room, every place. I took one last long walk. To never forget it,” he shared.
As for Catherine Proulx-Lemay, who joined the television phenomenon in 2019 to compensate for the departure of Hélène Bourgeois-Leclerc, her day had started surprisingly aboard the taxi that brought her to the studios. (She didn’t want to take her car, because she knew she was going to “party” in the evening.)
“The driver was listening to 98.5 FM, and when we arrived in front of the District gate, at 5:30 a.m., Paul Arcand said: “And we will remember that today, the District 31 closes its doors forever.” I had chills ! exclaimed the actress.
Special programming
The decorations of District 31 will be defeated on Monday, confirmed Fabienne Larouche, who would like to keep a police badge as a souvenir, as she did when Fortier ended in 2004.
True to form, Luc Dionne was stingy with comments when discussing the latest episode, which will be presented on ICI Télé in less than a month. The author gave only one clue to this final half-hour of intrigue: “There are people who have gone elsewhere. We’ll go see where they are. »
All bets are off on what this statement means.
One thing is certain, Radio-Canada will pull out all the stops to mark the final of District 31. After the broadcast of the episode, on Thursday April 21, Jean-René Dufort, MC Gilles and Chantal Lamarre will offer a special one-hour edition ofInfoman, in which they will offer 30 minutes of content related to the show. Then, at 8:30 p.m., Jean-Philippe Wauthier will lead a Good evening ! of 90 minutes with several members of the police drama team.
Then, on Sunday, April 24 at 7:30 p.m., just before Everybody talks about ita documentary exposing behind the scenes of the set of District 31 will be presented.