Dany Turcotte is better. More so, Dany Turcotte is fine. Twenty months after leaving Everybody talks about itthe comedian has regained serenity and, above all, the confidence necessary to return to the arena and begin a new chapter.
Posted at 11:00 a.m.
Dany Turcotte could have made his return to familiar territory, by presenting a one-man show, for example. But the desire was not there. “I was asked, I was met, I was invited to dinner, I was offered teams. They wanted me to host galas at the Just for Laughs festival, at ComediHa!… But I would have felt like I was playing in the same film again, ”says the one who was a member of Blood Group.
Dany Turcotte returns where no one (or almost) expected him: in the world of documentaries on Savoir media, an educational television channel. His first project, On the men’s side, hits the air this week. This is a series by director and producer Jean Roy (Live all together, The science of art) which paints a portrait of modern Quebec men through six themes: sexuality, fatherhood, work, mental health, masculinity and education.
Smiling, Dany Turcotte talks about a great reintroduction into the industry through “the back door”.
It’s so left field. It’s not mainstream. But it is rewarding. This is not nonsense. It’s a beautiful, classic documentary. And I’m proud of it.
Dany Turcotte
Guy A. Lepage’s former jester is right. On the men’s side is not a popcorn series that seeks to entertain first, like those that invade Netflix. Rather, it presents testimonials from specialists without fluff or staging. It talks about performance anxiety, reluctance to consult, undereducation, etc.
“It’s a necessary series, believes Dany Turcotte. Because it is a subject that is not covered in the media. Because we are raising issues of guys who have taken their place over the past few years. Many are looking for each other. They are like in no man’s land. They have no idea how to react. That’s why we need to open the discussion. I’m not saying we’re going to change the world, but it can help someone who is all alone at home in their misery. »
new projects
Like several men portrayed in the documentary, Dany Turcotte has questioned himself in recent years. In an interview, the host says he “was marked” by several dramas. At the top of the list, he cites the disappearance of Dominique Lévesque, his great accomplice and acolyte of the Lévesque-Turcotte tandem, which occurred in 2016. “It made me think. My friend died at 64. I’m 57. Life goes fast. »
The passage of time is also at the heart of another project that occupies him this fall. For Radio-Canada, it will deal with the aging of LGBTQ+ people, more specifically those aged 75 to 80, who have memories of the entry into force, in 1969, of Pierre Elliott Trudeau’s government’s omnibus bill, which decriminalized homosexuality by taking the state out of the bedrooms.
It’s an inspiring generation. The first to come out of the closet. But when they arrive in residence, they have to go back because around them, the others have not evolved at the same pace. So it’s a very sad end of life.
Dany Turcotte
“I want to pay tribute to them, because they worked hard, continues the host. Thanks to them, I can be publicly gay. I can be on TV. My boyfriend can come and sing me a song at Straight from the universe… And it is well received, even if he is 25 years younger than me! »
Dany Turcotte is cooking up other documentaries, including nobody talks about it, a series in which he would meet people leading exceptional lives, far from the spotlight. “I got serious! he laughs. It’s unlike anything I’ve done so far. »
Tempo change
After two decades on stage and almost as many on the small screen, Dany Turcotte likes the change of tempo he imposed on himself when he left Everybody talks about it.
I’m lucky. I worked a lot. I accumulated some money. I can choose my projects.
Dany Turcotte
“When I left Everybody talks about it, I was burned, but I was not burnt out. I was getting so much nonsense on certain cases. It was an endless stream for days. And when it happens to you, you end up believing it, that you’re no good, that you’re rotten. It eventually comes back. It plays in your head. »
PHOTO MARCO CAMPANOZZI, THE PRESS
Dany Turcotte
Since his departure, Dany Turcotte claims to have “conquered his demons”, in particular by returning to the Sunday talk show of Radio-Canada. Satisfied with the result, and now “immune” to hate messages on Twitter and Facebook, he would gladly agree to participate again, sporadically.
“At the end, I turned my tongue 25 times before intervening. I had lost confidence in myself. But quietly not quickly, it came back. Maybe I needed some time to settle down, to get back to real business. »
On the men’s side will be broadcast on Savoir media, starting Tuesday at 10 p.m. The series will also be available online on savoir.media and YouTube.