Very present in our cinematographic and television landscape for more than fifteen years, Suzanne Clément comments here on some of the works that have marked her career as an actress.
The ups and downs of Sophie Paquin (2006 to 2009)
Texts: Richard Blaimert
Directed by: François Bouvier, Claude Desrosiers, Richard Lahaie
In this series where she holds the title role, Suzanne Clément plays a young thirty-year-old inheriting her father’s artistic agency.
“This memory evokes a lot of pleasure. I really liked the humor in this series. As I hadn’t done much comedy yet, I went to see Danielle Fichaud to prepare for my auditions at the time. I continued to work with her afterwards because Danielle masters the workings of comedy so well that she is able to give very clear leads. This role was a turning point for me. It’s the kind of thing where, when it happens, you say to yourself: “OK, that’s true”. A role on TV also changes things in terms of notoriety, but I lived it quite well because I always kept a fairly low profile. »
Dusk (2007)
Script and production: Fernand Dansereau
PHOTO ROBERT MAILLOUX, PRESS ARCHIVES
Meeting between Monique Mercure and Suzanne Clément on the set of Duska film by Fernand Dansereau
A woman suffering from Alzheimer’s disease makes the rounds of those she loves one last time in the company of a young musician she meets by chance.
“I had previously had the opportunity to play in The hearing, of which I have fond memories. Luc Picard is a formidable director of actors. When I think of Dusk, I am thinking above all of a significant meeting with Monique Mercure, who was an extraordinary character. She first reminded me of a reading we had done together – which I didn’t remember! – telling myself that I had been hard on her. As we had an emotional scene to shoot, I put all my insecurity into it. But afterwards, we formed a formidable duo throughout the shoot and our complicity was really beautiful. And then, I had the chance, thanks to this film, to shoot with Fernand Dansereau, one of the great figures of our cinema. »
It’s not me, I swear ! (2008)
Script and production: Philippe Falardeau
PHOTO IVANOH DEMERS, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
Philippe Falardeau, Suzanne Clément and Daniel Brière during a press meeting organized on the sidelines of the release of It’s not me, I swear !
Inspired by the novels of Bruno Hébert, this film recounts the breakup of a family in 1968, when the mother, played by Suzanne Clément, decides to leave everything and go to Greece to start a new life.
« Il s’agit de ma toute première collaboration avec Philippe Falardeau [ils se retrouveront plus tard pour Guibord s’en va-t-en-guerre]. With Philippe, the collaboration is fruitful. He’s funny, smart. My role in It’s not me, I swear ! is relatively short, but this mother character is still very present in the story. The image of this woman stuck in a marriage where she feels completely extinguished is very strong. In Quebec, the destiny of women who free themselves is a very rich subject, especially when we talk about those who have done so in the past. »
Laurence Anyways (2012)
Screenplay and production: Xavier Dolan
PHOTO PROVIDED BY ALLIANCE VIVAFILM
Suzanne Clement in Laurence Anyways. Her performance in this film by Xavier Dolan earned the actress the interpretation prize in the Un certain regard section of the Cannes Film Festival.
In this third feature film by Xavier Dolan, Suzanne Clément portrays the lover of a man who wishes to become a woman. Thanks to her performance, the actress won the interpretation prize in the Un certain regard section at the Cannes Film Festival.
« Laurence Anyways constitue assurément un tournant dans ma carrière et dans ma vie. La rencontre avec Xavier avait déjà eu lieu sur J’ai tué ma mère, mais le projet de Laurence Anyways fut une grande aventure au cours de laquelle il a choisi une façon de me filmer et de me mettre en lumière qui n’est pas fortuite. Elle m’a permis de m’épanouir dans ses films d’une façon nouvelle. Je lui dois aussi bien d’autres choses moins tangibles aux yeux extérieurs, une inspiration de tous les instants dans le travail. Xavier a, en plus, généré toute cette ouverture à l’étranger, et je l’en remercie mille fois. »
Unité 9 (2012-2013)
Textes : Danielle Trottier
Réalisation : Jean-Philippe Duval
PHOTO LAWRENCE ARCOUETTE, FOURNIE PAR ICI RADIO-CANADA TÉLÉ
Le temps d’une saison d’Unité 9, Suzanne Clément a adoré se glisser dans la peau de la flamboyante détenue Shandy.
Au cours de la première saison de cette série passée à l’histoire, Suzanne Clément a interprété Shandy Galarneau, détenue flamboyante de la prison de Lietteville. Ce rôle a été repris par Catherine-Anne Toupin dans les saisons subséquentes.
« Unité 9 m’a permis de faire une vraie rencontre avec un personnage. Je ne regrette pas du tout d’être partie au bout d’une saison, parce que d’autres rôles m’appelaient ailleurs et il fallait que je parte à ce moment-là, mais esti que j’ai aimé jouer Shandy ! Incarner cette femme était complètement libérateur. Vraiment, ç’a été un vrai coup de cœur. Il doit y avoir une Shandy quelque part en moi ! »
Mommy (2014)
Scénario et réalisation : Xavier Dolan
PHOTO FOURNIE PAR ALLIANCE VIVAFILM
Dans le rôle discret de l’énigmatique voisine de Mommy, le plus populaire des films de Xavier Dolan, Suzanne Clément a de nouveau marqué les esprits.
À l’opposé de la flamboyance de son personnage dans Laurence Anyways, l’actrice incarne la voisine énigmatique dans le plus populaire des longs métrages de Xavier Dolan.
« Laurence Anyways m’a très clairement ouvert des portes en Europe, mais Mommy m’a fait passer à une autre étape. Il était aussi fascinant de regarder Xavier monter les échelons chaque fois. Sur le tournage de Mommy, je le sentais vraiment en pleine possession de ses moyens. Je crois que sa nouvelle collaboration avec Nancy Grant, devenue sa coproductrice, lui a donné des ailes. Xavier est pour moi un mentor de création. Je mesure ma chance d’avoir pu côtoyer un créateur de sa trempe, de l’avoir vu travailler, se discipliner, se remettre à l’ouvrage, insuffler de l’enthousiasme à ses troupes, aux créateurs qui l’entourent. De près ou de loin, il m’a apporté une inspiration sans fin. »
Early Winter (2015)
Scénario et réalisation : Michael Rowe
PHOTO FOURNIE PAR FILMOPTION INTERNATIONAL
Suzanne Clément et Paul Doucet sont les têtes d’affiche d’Early Winter, un film de Michael Rowe.
Dans cette coproduction entre le Québec et l’Australie, lauréate du prix du meilleur film de la section Venice Days à la Mostra de Venise, Suzanne Clément incarne une femme d’origine russe, mariée à un Québécois, dont le couple bat de l’aile.
« J’en garde le souvenir d’une super belle entreprise cinématographique avec un excellent cinéaste qui travaillait beaucoup en plans séquences. Le tournage a cependant été lourd émotivement. En plus d’être complexe, mon personnage devait s’exprimer avec un fort accent. Et cette relation pourrie entre cette femme et cet homme, qui auraient dû se quitter depuis longtemps, était dure à vivre. Je crois que Paul [Doucet] was happy to go home in the evening. Me, I was on my side, in any case! But it gave an interesting result. »
The meaning of the party (2017)
Script and production: Olivier Nakache and Éric Toledano
PHOTO PROVIDED SPHERE FILMS
Suzanne Clément is part of the imposing cast of the film The meaning of the partyby Olivier Nakache and Éric Toledano.
The organization of a big wedding in a French palace of the XVIIe century. The character played by the Quebec actress is part of the team hired for the organization.
“Honestly, we can’t speak here of a memorable experience for me. That said, it was still beautiful to see. Olivier and Éric are conductors who want to leave room for improvisation, but who can’t really do it, because they lead 70 people. So, we take his place, we deliver his lines and it’s fine like that. And then there was this simple pleasure of rubbing shoulders with Jean-Pierre Bacri. And Vincent Macaigne made me laugh a lot. In fact, I was surrounded by fabulous actors, and as my character was rather discreet, I enjoyed watching them work. »
My mother’s laugh (2018)
Script and production: Pascal Ralite and Colombe Savignac
PHOTO PROVIDED BY K-FILMS AMERICA
Pascal Demolon, Igor Van Dessel and Suzanne Clément in My mother’s laugha film by Pascal Ralite and Colombe Savignac
For her first leading role in a French feature film, Suzanne Clément slips into the skin of a woman in search of intensity, whose shy son does not have an easy life.
“This role was really beautiful and I had a lot of fun playing it. Playing with a French accent is a big challenge though. I might even have had better say that the character was of Quebec origin, so that the accent could have slipped a little. But I loved making this film and I really liked my acting partners. And then, I like to play this kind of very festive personality that I saw in me at times, in others as well. These are women who want the party to never end. »
STAT (2022-2023)
Texts: Marie-Andrée Labbé
Directed by: Danièle Méthot, Chantal Desruisseaux, Jean-Carl Boucher, Jean-Marc Piché
PHOTO PROVIDED BY ICI RADIO-CANADA TÉLÉ
In STATa daily series written by Marie-Andrée Labbé, Suzanne Clément embodies the emergency physician Emmanuelle St-Cyr.
In this series, broadcast daily since the beginning of the fall, Suzanne Clément plays the role of Emmanuelle St-Cyr, head of emergency and emergency physician at St-Vincent Hospital in Montreal.
“I met an author there, Marie-Andrée Labbé. An extraordinary human. And also with a producer, Fabienne Larouche. I wanted to play in a different orchestra, with a different dynamic. I touch here on areas of creation that fulfill me. The discipline is rigorous, but I go to work every morning feeling really happy to go. And I have the opportunity to practice my instrument every day. »