Perhaps the son of two of Quebec’s most famous actors, Henri Picard has always wanted to do things his way and forge his own path. After rising quickly in the artistic world, the 21-year-old comedian took on the biggest challenge of his young career: starring in the drama The pistonone of the most anticipated Quebec movies of the year.
Henri Picard did not steal this first major role in the cinema. Since appearing on the big screen in 2017’s The Mongol Kings, directed by his father Luc Picard, the young actor has made his merry way on film sets, chaining roles at the cinema (Anyone Who Doesn’t Read Me, Mafia Inc ., Maria Chapdelaine) and on TV (Jenny, Les Bracelets Rouges, Cerebrum).
Some would say he’s following in the footsteps of his parents, actors Isabel Richer and Luc Picard. Henri Picard prefers to say he goes his own way.
“It is certain that I do not hesitate if I want to ask my parents for advice,” confides Henri Picard in an interview with the Journal. Often they even do it without my having to ask them. But in general I try to do my own thing and learn on my own. My parents don’t really train me. I do it alone »
His first chance
The fact remains that Henri Picard, having spent a lot of time with his parents on film sets as a young boy, was able to walk away with a head start over other actors his age.
“When I got to my first shoot, I had a little better idea of what to expect because I knew how it worked,” he notes. I think that took some of the stress off of me at first. »
Henri Picard says he was “about 10 or 11 years old” when he became seriously interested in acting. Already fascinated by the performances of certain actors, he nurtured his interest by watching the DVD inserts , in which his actors were most keen talked about their working methods.
“I was interested in the game, but at the time my parents thought I was too young to start in this environment. In retrospect, I think that’s a good thing. I’ve been waiting and can’t wait for it to work. »
Paradoxically, Henri Picard made his screen debut in one of his father’s films, Mongol Kings. But again he had to convince his father to get that first chance.
“My father was hesitant at first,” he recalls. I even asked him if I could audition because the character was my age. He told me you can, but there are a lot of people auditioning and you’re not what I’m looking for at the moment. I did the audition, it was my first. Nathalie Boutrie and Emmanuelle Beaugrand-Champagne, who were in charge of casting the film, said to my father: Listen Luc, our first choice right now is Henri. They gave me another audition and after that they said I got the part. »
Valuable advice
Although he always prefers to study alone, certain advice from his parents often comes to mind when he’s not sure how to approach a scene. For example, his father has already told him to try to find another way if he doesn’t feel the emotions he needs to play.
“He told me: Say what you think, think what you say, but don’t give what you don’t have,” he says. This is advice I often follow, especially for the teardrop scenes, which are always very stressful to play. Sometimes you no longer think about the scene, but only about crying. And that’s not possible. At the time, my father suggested that I just let things happen and try to find another way to find the emotion. Maybe you won’t cry, but in the end the scene gets better than if you forced yourself to cry and it sounds wrong. »
The piston, Theatrical release on February 24th.
The stars have aligned
Henri Picard would have been too young to play the title role in The Diver if it had been filmed a few years ago as originally planned. The project’s delay allowed the young actor to reach the character’s age but also acquire the experience and maturity needed to face this new challenge.
“I think I lacked a bit of maturity when I first auditioned for the role in 2018,” admits Henri Picard. I was also a bit embarrassed in the middle compared to before. Looking back, I think it’s good that filming was delayed. I was definitely more ready for this challenge today than I was four years ago. »
Directed by Francis Leclerc (The Time Snatcher, A Summer Without Point or Sure), The Diver is an adaptation of the novel of the same name by author Stéphane Larue, winner of the 2017 Prix des Libraires du Québec.
The film tells the story of Stéphane, a 19-year-old graphic design student who is addicted to slot machines. To pay off his gambling debts, he takes a job washing dishes at a Montreal restaurant just before the holidays.
inwardness
Henri Picard not only read the screenplay for the film — co-written by Eric K. Boulianne and Francis Leclerc — to immerse himself in the character of Stéphane. Reading Stéphane Larue’s autobiographical book also provided him with material for the role.
“Preparing for the shoot helped me a lot,” confirms Henri Picard. Because the novel is written in ‘I’, I was able to really explore the character’s inwardness and immerse myself in his universe. It is a book in which there are long descriptive scenes. The diver character is an observer. He is like the eyes and ears of the restaurant and he witnesses the harassment of the kitchen. We discover this universe through his eyes. »
“But it’s also a film about addiction and lies,” he adds. Stéphane’s character gets a little lost in it and starts lying to everyone. Until his cousin Malik, who is a bit like his guardian angel, manages to help him out of this situation. »