Serious, reflective, Céline Bonnier weighs her words. This actress who can portray a mother (in Million Dollar Babies) just as well as a whore (in Blanche) is not the type to engage in small-talk. Between the fluttering of her eyelashes, her big green eyes seem to be looking for the right phrase. Hidden inside this frail body is a fierce determination: to remain genuine.

It’s said that you don’t like to be recognised in the street ….

There’s an advantage in anonymity. I don’t want to hear, “Hey, I saw you on TV last night!” but it’s never unpleasant when someone comes up and says that they appreciate what you do. There’s a big difference.  It’s comforting that the critics rate my work  I don’t wish to be more famous than I am at the moment. I don’t see the point of it. I practice my craft from within myself, for what brings to me. Public recognition comes later.

You come from a family of artistes …

Let’s say that we all had artistic temperaments in our family. We all flirted with music and theatre at some point in our lives. But only my two brothers and I made a career out of it. One is dead and the other, an excellent blues musician, has chosen to move on to other things. With eight children we formed a clan of which I was the baby. After staying in Montreal we went to live in Lévis. There our way of life stood out from everyone else’s: our mealtimes, the style of our clothes, the fact that we went barefoot in the summer …. Culture occupied a big part of our home life, while the neighbours had a more conventional lifestyle. But as two big families living next door to each other, we formed teams on a huge playground.

Did everyone play an instrument?

Guitar, trumpet, trombone, I played the flute, my mother plays the piano and my father sings. It was always party time, but not just because of the music. Simply because we got on well together. Everyday things became a cause for celebration. Even going to the supermarket was a thrill! At home, watching TV was like a group activity. Certainly eight teenagers one after the other was hard on our parents, but we had a good relationship with one another in spite of everything. I appreciate my childhood a lot. I wish everyone could have such a family atmosphere. As for me, at the age of 34 it has become difficult to hope to have eight children! I can’t imagine having an only child; maybe I’ll get as far as three.

Did this eccentric childhood make you what you are?

Inevitably. Everything is dependent on your foundation. The respect, equality and harmony between my father and mother started me off on the right foot. There was no chauvinism in our house. And my parents were receptive to imagination. All their values were sound and they still are today; they have never let go. I have fewer issues to settle regarding my childhood than a lot of people… I have other problems, of course, but I saved a lot of time on that score.

Are you interested in painting?

I draw easily enough, but painting is a different matter. It’s been a good while since I’ve had the opportunity. Instinctively, I paint feelings through figures. Their state of mind matches my own. They generally have a painful element, but not so much as to make the picture depressing. I have to say I think all the time. My mind never stops; it’s exhausting. I think about my life and those of the people I love. I have to externalise these thoughts.

Do the thoughts of other artists call out to you?

I sometimes say that, in an art gallery, I feel at home. The artists send out messages and emotions.  The eye doesn’t always pick them up, it’s not necessarily obvious; you have to imagine them. So you take part in this communication. It’s like reading a very absorbing novel; you feel as though you’re in communion with the author. Even when I don’t like the concept of the work, for example a white circle in a white square, I’m always interested because the artist is speaking to me. Fortunately there are people who create. This is very comforting. Being an artist is a way of looking at life.

For someone as intense as you, how do you unwind?

I’m not that intense. Truth matters more to me than intensity. Having said that, I go outdoors as much as possible. I walk, I cycle and I skate; I take the car only when I really have to. Because in a car I feel confined which does nothing for me. In Montreal you have to feel the atmosphere, make the most of the smells and colours.

You’re fond of Montreal?

I’ve been to a few large cities abroad, and Montreal seems to be one of the most pleasant ones to live in. Paris and London have a buzz, but for everyday life, Montreal is unbeatable. You can come and go easily, get home quickly in the evening, find reasonably priced accommodation, eat everything, meet simple folks. Everything here is understandable, you can have stability.

Where might your versatility take you?

I would like to make a documentary about the people that no-one sees. Deep in Turkey I met a man who showed me amazing things. At 27 he had so much wealth in him! I wanted to film him. I like people who have the imprints of life in their faces … and an old soul.

This autumn you play a troubled mother in the series Tag …

Yes, a mother of three, who is monitored by the Child Protection Agency because she drinks a bit and runs off from time to time. Tag is a story about gangs. One of my character’s children is caught up in one of these gangs. It’s a tough situation, the script is realistic. I loved playing this role because the series was well done, and honest because there was thought behind it. I swear that scene after scene I would find the storyline hard to bear, but the team were so determined and interested in the project that I gave my all.

And apart from this, what’s in the pipeline?

Two films, first The Orphan Muses, taken from the play of the same name and directed by Robert Favreau, which comes out in October. I worked with Marina Orsini, Stéphane Demers and Louise Portal. And The Sky Overhead, co-directed by Geneviève Lefebvre and André Melançon, which was shot in August on l’Île d’Orléans <<near Quebec City - viv>>. It should be released in spring 2001. On stage at the C Factory in April I’ll take part in a co-production between Pigeon International and Portugal, Green, Man, Blue. Let’s say it’s going rather well!

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