Every day, a personality invites itself into the world of Élodie Suigo. Wednesday January 3, 2024: the actor, Vincent Elbaz. He plays a cheated husband in Caroline Vignal’s latest film, alongside Laure Calamy.
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Initially, for Vincent Elbaz, there were the Florent classes and a certain attraction to comedy and especially to theater. He obtains his first major role, that of Alain in the film Young danger in 1994 by Cédric Klapisch, then films that boosted notoriety and colossal success followed: The hikers by Philippe Harrel (1997) and obviously, The truth if I lie ! By Thomas Gilou (1997). He likes to be funny, of course, but he also likes to play the roles of a gangster or even a father; in short, he likes to play and touch everything. Wednesday January 3, he is showing in the film Iris and men by Caroline Vignal, alongside Laure Calamy, the story of a couple who became lost over the years and for years.
franceinfo: In this film, you play the “ideal man”, the wonderful husband and father, often blinded by his work. Through this film, we discover to what extent work can become omnipresent to the point of ultimately avoiding an entire family.
Vincent Elbaz: It’s teleworking. I think that in fact, my character boils down to teleworking and it’s a huge trap because he’s not in pajamas, but it’s still close. And yes, he takes care of his children a lot. There it is, he is present, but there is no more sex, there is no more sexuality, there is no more desire. So, she breaks down and will find multiple and difficult paths to find desire, love. Ultimately, there is no wrong way. Her path is this: register on a dating application, try to reconnect a little with her desire to the detriment of her husband whom she loves. He loves it too, but he’s teleworking, he’s behind the computer!
What this film also shows is to what extent nothing is ever taken for granted. Everything is so fragile. Should we be vigilant or not?
Relationships are complicated. We are in civilizations where there is an injunction to live in a small apartment with the other, who is still always a stranger deep down. There is a part of the other that constantly escapes us, which is the unknown, otherness.
“The couple is a territory where we confront ourselves, where we learn truths about ourselves which are sometimes unbearable to hear, but which help us progress.”
Vincent Elbazat franceinfo
But there is something beautiful, a beautiful adventure in the couple too. And then there is in human beings, this capacity for invention. In this case, she invents in a way that is perhaps sometimes hurtful to my character, but it is also a way of inventing, of tinkering with something that will work, where we find pleasure and amusement. And then love! There is no wrong path to finding love or regaining love.
When did you want to embrace this profession of actor because it happened very early?
One morning, I knew what I wanted to do in life. I must have been 12-13 years old. I knew I wanted to be an actor. I didn’t know how yet, so I went to acting classes. For me, it was a profession that had to be learned.
“As soon as I knew I wanted to be an actor, I never had any doubts about it.”
Vincent Elbazat franceinfo
I never stopped taking classes until I managed to make a living from this job.
We feel this attachment to the theater. Is it special for you, the theater, to tread the boards?
I always thought I would be a theater actor and it was the casting of Klapisch with The Young Peril which surprised me and which meant that I missed the big conservatory competitions like Strasbourg, rue Blanche, the major theater schools. That year, I failed all the competitions, but I made The young peril so this surprise happened in my little life as a beginner actor. I found myself in front of a camera. I didn’t think I was going to like it. And then finally, I liked it.
The question we ask ourselves every time is who is Vincent Elbaz? What do you answer?
It depends on who we’re talking about. There, I’m there as an actor to talk about my work so there’s something that doesn’t really concern me. Being an actor is a way of getting to know yourself. It’s an interesting job. The arts, artistic education or in any case artistic practice, it feels good.
Does being an actor heal you?
It saved me. Theater classes saved me. It was a refuge. Once a week, one hour a week.
“The theater was that place where I felt completely safe and where I had no temptation to do stupid things.”
Vincent Elbazat franceinfo
Theater classes really saved me from an adolescence that could have been catastrophic.
Is the teenager you were proud of the man he has become?
Let’s say I overcame what I wanted to overcome. I recognize that. There are plenty of gaps. I would have done certain things differently, probably when I was a little younger adult or when I started in the business. Maybe I lacked maturity in terms of success and all that… My goal has always been to improve either as an actor or as a human being.
We have the feeling that you are an eternal student, that you have this thirst for learning.
When you have to prepare, gather information, read books or meet people, lives, I find it fascinating. I could prepare for roles for months and months, just for the pleasure of meeting people. It’s learning. I take a lot of pleasure in my work, it’s really something vital for me.