François Létourneau or the art of writing cult series
François Létourneau as Gaétan
D-Day has arrived! The first six episodes of the sequel to C’est comme ça que je t’aime are available this Thursday on ICI Tou.tv’s Extra. A look back at this television phenomenon with its author, François Létourneau, who also plays the character of Gaétan.
How do you live with the fact that each of your television creations (Les Invincibles, Black Series and That's how I love you) become cult?
F.L.: There are still young people who talk to me about Invincibles and Black Series. It really makes me happy, because it says that the work has stood the test of time and is still good. But when we did The Invincibles, we didn't have amazing ratings. Ditto for Dark Series. It was afterwards that I said to myself: “Ah well, that worked well!” (Laughs.) For That's how I love you, the success was instantaneous. We premiered it at the Berlinale, the reviews were good, a lot of people listened to it… I really experienced that as a big success.
This success will tell you did he put pressure when writing season 2?
F.L.: Yes. I had doubts: should I write a season 2? Do I still have enough to say? My doubts lasted for a few months, then when I found the story I wanted to tell, I immersed myself in the pleasure of writing and it went well. The pressure returned to filming and editing, because we did not want to disappoint the expectations of the public.
By collecting one of the many Gemini awards won for the first season of the series, producer Joanne Forgues described you as “such a nice being, but with such a twisted imagination”. Do you see yourself that way?
F.L.: (Laughs.) I think I'm pretty nice. In fact, I am very introverted, but when I write, something happens. As if writing was a way to let off steam. When I was doing theatre, my friends would say to me, “You don’t think you wrote the play!” But that's really me, I'm just allowing myself to come out of my shell. Writing is an outlet.
What relationship do you have with Gaétan, the character you wrote for yourself?
F.L.: People think that because I play Gaétan, it's me. But there is more of me in Huguette than in Gaétan. She is my main character. In Gaétan, there is a bit of me, a bit of my father… I mix everything up, in fact.
People always say that I play losers, that Gaétan is really cheeky, but I don't see it. Me, I love Gaétan.
François Létourneau
What part of you is there of you in Huguette then?
FL: I have the same need as Huguette to express myself, to find myself… She has an emotional journey that joins me. Like her, I am nice in life, but I have a darker side. I also want to express my doubts, my flaws… This is where I recognize myself in Huguette.
