Comedian Catherine Chabot had tears in her eyes on Wednesday when the details surrounding The candidate, the new series by Isabelle Langlois. Not because of the technical glitches that plagued the conference Zoom of Radio-Canada, but because it is the first leading role she lands on the small screen.
Updated yesterday at 2:46 p.m.
In this unpublished comedy from the author of Rumors, bad karma and Let gothe actress will defend the character of Alix Mongeau, an overwhelmed single mother who, to help an old high school friend (Olivier Gervais-Courchesne) who has become a political adviser, agrees to run for the provincial elections in a riding where – supposedly – she has no chance of winning.
But against all odds, the nail technician wins the ballot.
Rushed into the political arena under the banner of the PPDQ (Parti Progrès et Démocratie du Québec), the poor girl must suddenly learn the basics of a job she knows nothing about and for which she has no interest.
Directed by Sébastien Gagné (Let go, Sleepless night) and produced by Groupe Encore (The beautiful discomforts, Runaway), The candidate will be premiered on ICI Tou.tv Extra in the spring of 2023. It will then land on ICI Télé, confirms the broadcaster. The first season will have 10 one-hour episodes. Filming will begin on Monday.
Everyone wants to play Isabelle’s words [Langlois]. She is one of the greatest, if not the greatest dialogist in Quebec. I’ve been a fan of her ever since Fripe and Puglia. I have admired him for a long time.
Catherine Chabot
The actress, whom we saw at the cinema last summer in Vanishing lines – which she co-wrote and co-directed – is particularly moved to appear at the top of the credits of a series by Isabelle Langlois. And yet, her resume has another set of the seasoned author: Let go. However, we are talking about another category of role: a silent role that she had won a few years after leaving the Conservatoire d’art dramatique de Montréal. His mandate was essentially to “throw tomatoes at Emmanuel Schwartz”, but his shot lacked precision and one of them had hit the assistant director in the face.
“I was very stressed and impressed! remembers the actress. In Sebastian’s team [Gagné], I am known as the girl who had garroche the tomato! »
The candidate will also star Noé Lira (who will play Alix’s best hairdresser friend), Inès Talbi (who will play the political party whip in charge of supporting Alix), Christian Bégin, Éric Bernier, Geneviève Brouillette, Hugo Dubé, Isabelle Vincent, Louis Champagne, Geneviève Alarie and Patrick-Emmanuel Abellard. It should be noted that former PQ minister Maka Kotto will also play a role.
Inspired by Ruth Ellen Brosseau
Isabelle Langlois does not hide it: The candidate is “partly” inspired by the career of Ruth Ellen Brosseau, this famous NDP post candidate, former assistant bar manager, whom the irresistible orange wave had propelled to Parliament during the 2011 federal election. a short political career, the young woman who barely spoke French managed to shine in Ottawa. During her career, she inherited several important titles, including that of National Caucus Chair.
PHOTO DAVID BOILY, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
Screenwriter Isabelle Langlois
The author remembers an interview between Ruth Ellen Brosseau and Jean-René Dufort at Infoman in 2019, after his defeat in Berthier-Maskinongé.
“I found his journey great and I found that there was something to tell. But I created a story, I wrote characters, I created a journey, ”insists the screenwriter, who reveals that she was also inspired by two documentaries: Our elected officialsa recent Télé-Québec series that painted the portrait of backbenchers, and Dear votersa 2008 feature film by Manuel Foglia.
Isabelle Langlois wrote The candidate without ever coming into contact with Ruth Ellen Brosseau. According to her own words, the author did not want to “contaminate her creative process”. “I would have been afraid that I would be given intentions of mockery, when that’s not it at all. I found his journey really great”.
For her part, Catherine Chabot describes Alix Mongeau as an intelligent, but uneducated woman (street-smart) with an ox forehead.
“Something about her speaks to me a lot. I know who she is. I like it with my guts. I feel that I will live a memorable initiatory journey. »