Laurence Lebœuf was able to act in French in Transplant. The actress shot these sequences with Mylène Mackay, who plays her sister in the second season of the CTV medical drama, which lands in the United States Sunday night on NBC.
Updated yesterday at 11:53 a.m.
Laurence Leboeuf was delighted to be able to express the quebecitude of Magalie Leblanc, alias Mags, her character as an emergency doctor at York Memorial Hospital in Toronto.
“Magalie is from Quebec, but it’s something that we didn’t really exploit in the first season, raises the actress in an interview Zoom. We didn’t focus on that. So talking in French with Mylène was really fun. »
The integration of French is in line with the spirit of Transplant, a series that promotes diversity. The action is largely articulated around the character of Bashir Hamed (Hamza Haq), a Syrian refugee who manages to pursue his career in medicine in Canada. In several episodes, he can be heard speaking his mother tongue, Arabic.
It reflects what Canada is. In the series, we have Bash’s Arabic accent, we have my Québécois accent, we have John Hannah’s Scottish accent… There’s all this diversity. This is Canada. I find it rich.
Laurence Leboeuf
Of course, the viewers who will follow Transplantedthe French dubbed version of Transplant on Noovo, will not have the opportunity to hear these different tones. However, they will notice the presence of several Quebec actors in the credits, including Ayisha Issa (Unit 9) and Charlotte Legault (District 31), who will reprise the roles they held in 2020. This sequel also counts on the contribution of Juliette Gosselin (The breakaway, Brittle) in the first episode, and Sophie Nélisse (Yellowjackets, Tomorrow of men) at the second.
PHOTO YAN TURCOTTE, PROVIDED BY CTV
The distribution of Transplant
As for Laurence Lebœuf, her Mags refuses to slow down and gets involved – more than ever – with the patients she treats. “Like Hermione Granger in Harry Potter, she’s the first in class, she’s the one who knows everything, who wants to do everything, sums up the actress. The hospital is his boyfriend. »
Speaking of love story, can we expect to see reconciliations between Mags and Bash during the new episodes? The first season had ended in a way that hinted at the beginning of a romance…until a mysterious woman from Bash’s past appeared out of nowhere, seconds before the final credits played.
Kept silent, Laurence Leboeuf welcomes our question with a smile. “It is clear that [Mags et Bash] like each other, but it’s a very long process. He’s got stuff to deal with, and she’s not super socially adept…”
A long wait
Produced by Sphere Media (Cerebrum, The honorable) and tour in MontrealTransplant did not return to the air until last January in English Canada, nearly two years after leaving it. Due to a certain global pandemic, his shoots have often been postponed.
Despite the time that had passed, Laurence Lebœuf claims to have found his Mags without great difficulty. Adjusting to the coronaviral filming conditions, however, proved to be more complicated.
“We had been shooting for two months and I felt like I was still fragile, looking for my bearings, looking for a feeling of confidence…”
It’s hard to create a group dynamic when everyone is wearing a mask, when we are not allowed to eat together, to be longer than 15 minutes within a meter or to be together outside the board.
Laurence Leboeuf
Laurence Lebœuf believes she will be a lot less disoriented when she starts filming the third season in a few weeks. Followed by 1,100,000 viewers on CTV and distributed in the United Kingdom, Australia, Spain, Germany and the Netherlands, the series has indeed just obtained an early renewal from CTV.
“We are all triple vaccinated. The rules are going to have changed a bit. It’s encouraging, ”said the actress.
More good news about Transplant : the series garnered nine nominations for the Canadian Screen Awards, including a mention for Laurence Lebœuf as best actress. “I am really flattered, says the one who will know the result of the vote in April. It’s fun when your peers tell you, “We see what you’re doing, and it’s good. “It promises to be very festive as a filming atmosphere to start season 3! »
A beautiful tornado
Laurence Lebœuf is also very enthusiastic about the agreement she recently signed with Gordon Gilbertson and Michael Borden, of the American management agency Gilbertson Entertainment. The actress talks about a perfect match with the Californian company, which respects her new vision of the profession.
“It’s a beautiful tornado,” she says. They are the ones who came to me. And several times. We have discussed. I was clear about who I was, and more importantly, what I was not ready to do. I don’t want to move to Los Angeles. I’m no longer in it. I don’t want to stun myself by going through a million auditions. They heard me, and they went, “OK. Let’s go! ” I am very happy. They bring a positive dynamic. It’s very encouraging. »
Laurence Lebœuf continues to be represented by KL Benzakein Talent, a firm located in Montreal. Gilbertson Entertainment comes to improve its team. At 36, the one who has had an acting career for a quarter of a century no longer has the same ambitions as before.
“I no longer want what I wanted when I was younger. I searched a lot. And that’s very correct. Today, I assume myself more. I am able to say things better. »
Noovo presents the second season of Transplanted from Tuesday, March 8 at 8 p.m. All episodes will drop on Crave on March 29.