The actress and singer, Elsa Esnoult, plays the character of Fanny Greyson in The Mysteries of Love since 2011. She is surrounded by historical characters from the sitcom Helene and the boys like Hélène, Nicolas, Bénédicte or even Laly. This Sunday, December 10, 2023, fans will have a very nice Christmas present, because veterans of AB productions will give the voice. There will be Mallaury Nataf from Honey and beesMagalie Madison who played Annette in First kisses and Camille Raymond who played Justine. The girls next door also a head will pass as well as Tom Delorme the director of Camping Paradise.
franceinfo: How will it go? Will each and everyone play the role that he or she had in their initial series?
Elsa Esnoult: Yes exactly. There is a wink with these series that people know. And the producer, Jean-Luc Azoulay, wanted to give a little surprise for Christmas to all those who have been watching us for all these years now, to all these faithful, by bringing together all the tapes.
How did you become Fanny 12 years ago?
Initially, it was not planned to be for this role because it did not yet exist. It was when I was casting that Ariane Carletti, Dorothée’s sidekick, spotted me and asked me to introduce myself. As in all castings, we often say what we do and I said that I was an actress and singer. “Ah good, you sing! Go ahead and sing us something” and it was after this that I was called back for the role of Fanny Greyson, the little singer. Singing is something that probably predated acting for me, because I don’t even remember what age I started singing. Music has definitely always been a part of my life.
So you are more of a singer and musician than an actress?
I am both today, for my greatest happiness because they are truly my two passions. Professionally, I really dreamed of doing comedy and singing.
You won five gold records. You tour all over the world like Hélène Rollès before you, and you will notably be on the stage of the Folies-Bergère on January 20. If I tell you that you are the Helen of today, how do you take the comparison?
I can’t take it badly since I have a lot of admiration for Hélène anyway. So that’s a compliment. When I came to this series The Mysteries of Lovealthough it is Helene and the boys, I had roughly the same pattern, that is to say that I was seen starting, in this series, in a hangar, making music with musicians. We can say that the concept was the same, so it’s really normal that we can be compared. Afterwards, I always point out that we don’t really make the same music, that is to say that we both sing about love, but I also have my genre and my style of music. I compose. I am an author, composer.
“I write my music which I sometimes find darker than Hélène’s, so we are not the same on this point.”
Elsa Esnoultat franceinfo
You were watching Helene and the boys when you were little?
I was looking Helene and the boys when I was little. I even looked The Holiday of Loveso I know this team very well.
Do you know who’s watching today The Mysteries of Love ? Are these former teenagers who watched Hélène and the boys?
Quite. As I do a lot of signing sessions, I meet the public, I see the people, they are in front of me, they talk to me. Indeed, these are people who say that they watched it at the time and today, they pass it on to their children.
“Very often, I meet lots of little ones and their parents tell me: ‘You’re their first singer’. It’s so cute. And I tell myself that the story continues because for me, it’s Hélène, my first singer.”
Elsa Esnoultat franceinfo
You have just had a pretty incredible experience in the United States since you starred in a few episodes of the cult soap opera: Love glory and beauty. How did you get into this?
So to tell you the truth, it’s a series that is broadcast on TF1. They asked them: “Could you give us some names of the rising French stars?” TF1 therefore released everything it had in its drawers. As we are part of the group, at TMC, and I also did Dance with the stars, they also offered me. Apparently, their choice was made very quickly, they “set their sights” on me. “Ah, actress, singer, we really want to have this girl” and when I was told the news, I couldn’t believe my ears, I said to myself: “No, that’s not true, that’s not possible, that’s unbelievable!” I always dreamed of being able to go and work there occasionally. And there, to be in a series that I know, that I watched with my grandmother, it was almost untouchable. So that the United States is interested in me, Elsa Esnoult, I said to myself: “Wow, the dream continues.”
Did the filming go well? Is it very different from a French shoot?
Marvelously well. It’s such a welcoming, kind, heartfelt team. From my experience, it’s different. When I got there, I found it so square and precise. People don’t even talk on set, which means there’s enormous respect. You arrive, you start at a specific time and you really finish at the scheduled time. Everyone knows his text by heart. There is no hesitation.
Will there be some scenes that you shot for Love glory and beauty which will appear in The Mysteries of Love ?
There will perhaps be a winking image, because it still remains a series apart. What is certain is that our production would like to bring the actors to come and say hello to me in the series. That would be great.