This issue of 24 Images contains a special feature on Actors and the Cinema of Quebec. Two articles (by Marco de Blois and Robert Lévesque) contain seemingly favourable references to Roy Dupuis, and extracts from these are found below. In addition, 48 actors and actresses appear in an A-Z directory of some of the most famous faces, contributed by 6 critics.

The entry for Roy Dupuis was written by André Roy, and unsurprisingly caused some outrage amongst the fan base. It was thought necessary to ensure that 24 Images was made aware of this response. Accordingly, the two open letters published here have been sent to the 24 Images offices in Montreal. They have been translated into French to ensure that M. Roy is left in no doubt as to the reaction the tone of his writing provoked. Some verbal comments from the editor of 24 Images have also been included.

For an analysis (from a native of Montreal) of the attitude of the people of Quebec towards their famous sons and daughters visit RD Characters.

Extract from : A short history of actors in Quebec cinema

By Marco de Blois

Quebecois cinema doesn’t like actors, It’s a fact. It favours directors. : Jean-Claude Germain 1984

…. Then, almost simultaneously in 1986, a new product of television saw the light of day. Lance et compte, directed by Jean-Claude Lord and produced by Claude Héroux. It was a memorable date in the history of Quebec TV ….. because it signalled the beginning of a confusion between the nature of cinema and that of television. Unlike the TV soap, the drama series is broadcast over a relatively short period (a few months), it doesn’t have a long flowing narrative that takes years to run dry, it normally concludes at the end of one season, and, especially, it adopts the language of the cinema. While the soap is filmed like theatre (the scenes are shot without interruption), the series is shot like a film …. elaborate sets, out-of-sequence shooting, hierarchical technical crew etc. ….. Lance et compte was a huge success, then several other similarly made series followed, from Scoop to Emma by way of Urgence, Les filles de Caleb and Marguerite Volant.

The ratings spoke for themselves, the money followed. The greedy stomach that was the drama series needed to be fed. The casting industry took off almost at the same time, with its circle of agents and casting directors. Stars primed for the drama series were discovered: Macha Grenon, Marina Orsini. Although he had a theatrical training Roy Dupuis became an actor who was made for this type of production. Stage actors found in them an excellent market while the theatre schools were turning down more applicants than they were accepting ….. It was now possible to stay in work without the aid of an agent who knew how to keep a diary full. For, as well as theatre (not profitable) the work was divided between the cinema (once every five years), TV dramas, advertising, a voice-over here and some dubbing there. The proliferation of soaps and series gave actors more exposure. They therefore became more active in TV than in cinema. So much so that the expression ‘film actor’ makes little sense these days – perhaps we need to invent a term such as ‘audiovisual actor’.

……. If the Quebecois audiovisual medium does not like actors, it has nevertheless agreed a settlement with them, like a couple in a divorce. So actors will never be more favourably placed than in a television drama series. Indeed, the public remembers Roy Dupuis more for Les filles de Caleb than for Cap Tourmente…..

Extract from : Actors of the stage and screen, for better and for worse

By Robert Lévesque

(The article from which this is extracted is a comparison of stage and screen actors)

…..First and foremost it’s a question of the talent (innate, practised, disciplined, refined, intensified) of each actor, both in the theatre and the cinema; then it’s a case of each actor’s will power, a desire to surpass oneself, a generosity of spirit, a calling, or else a craving to succeed, a thirst for glory. Added to this there’s an intuition for one’s art and some skill in making choices, because not everyone finds his perfect director; and perhaps is it not also the result of luck, of unpredictable circumstances; might it sometimes be just a matter of pure chance?

Extract from : An A to Z of the actors of Quebecois Cinema

Entry for Roy Dupuis by André Roy

"The beautiful Roy" as people like to call him, is currently pursuing an amazing career on American television (in the series La Femme Nikita), and is a huge hit with the girls who have formed a fan club with the outdated name of ‘The Royettes’, dedicated less to his life and works than to his large chin and piercing eyes. Before this explosion of fame he had a chequered career in the cinema of Quebec (in French), and Canada (in English), beginning with small roles (How to make Love to a Negro, Jesus of Montreal). These gave him excellent exposure and allowed him to become a star of both TV and cinema without, however, managing to dispel the lasting impression that his talents as an actor are limited. Only in Cap Tourmente, where he was kept in check by an impassioned role, full of tension, does he avoid macho banality.* But what will become of him now that he is immersed up to his neck in the American machine, where his image may well lead him to becoming a screen idol, dependent only on his appearance?

Open Letter to André Roy’s editor from Roy Dupuis Online

Dear Sirs,

Hearty congratulations to M. André Roy for his skill in condensing so much indiscriminate malice into so few words (Vol 107-108, Petit abécédaire… entry 'Roy Dupuis'). A veritable haiku of uninformed invective! This less talented writer will be more verbose in addressing all M. Roy’s points, disadvantaged by a lack of understanding of his bewildering terms of reference.

If we strip away the spitefulness, xenophobia, elitism and condescension of M. Roy's piece, we are left with very little in the way of intelligent analysis. What constructive criticism might he have made in the context of Roy's film career? He could have mentioned that after leaving the culturally safe hands of Beaudin, Binamé and Langlois he has made some exceptionally questionable choices of material and direction (Hemoglobin, Passage des Hommes Libres etc.), giving him relatively little scope to shine compared with the superb early vehicles of Being at Home with Claude, C'était le douze du douze et Chili avait les blues, and Cap Tourmente. But M. Roy appears to be too motivated by his own uncharitable agenda to do anything more constructive than to praise, obliquely, Michel Langlois' screenplay.

Will André Roy, in twelve months’ time, be asked to contribute 24 images' review of Un homme et son péché? As the lack of foreign involvement may precipitate writer’s block, let us help him out.

"A simple, straightforward tale (too accessible), directed by Charles Binamé (tainted by television), featuring Roy Dupuis as the romantic hero (purely on the basis of his appearance). A worthless film, which will be enjoyed only by the low-browed masses who don't subscribe to this magazine."

Expect to receive our invoice at the end of the month.

Roydupuis-online

Open Letter to André Roy from The Royettes

Mr. Roy,

I am writing to you in response to comments you recently expressed in the Autumn 2001 Issue of 24 Images. In your section of the Article " The ABC's of Actors of Quebecois Cinema" you write about Roy Dupuis and made a reference to a group of his supporters known as Les Royettes.

My name is Debra Hensley and I am the head of this group. I'd like to enlighten you a bit as to who the Royettes really are and help you understand our perception of  Roy Dupuis. Your description of  the Royettes as "the girls who have formed a fan club with the outdated name of 'The Royettes', dedicated less to his life and works than to his large chin and piercing eyes" is extremely inaccurate. Granted, the name may be "outdated" in your opinion  but it is our name, which we carry proudly and we stand by it.

I am sure you are familiar with the nature of "fans" as your generalized reference indicates. They can be a strange lot with little hold on reality when it comes to the object of their admiration and have even less of a real life than normal to fall back on to balance that admiration. In my five years at the head of the Royettes I have encountered all kinds of people and all levels of admiration. In all that time, I have found Roy Dupuis' fans to be a unique group, not the typical devotee.. On my email list of over 500 I have members from all over the world- Germany, Romania, Japan, Brazil, Canada and the US just to name a few places. We have doctors, lawyers, writers, teachers, a pilot, a missionary, people working in public relations and social services, photographers, designers, homemakers and just about everything in between. In working with this diverse ensemble I have never come across a more unified, generous, kind or giving group of women. Your words referred to us as shallow  "girls" only appreciative of the outward appeal of Mr. Dupuis. I beg to differ.....Yes, Roy Dupuis is handsome. There is no denying that.  However, Mr. Dupuis' appeal goes well beyond his outward appearance and is rooted in his quiet dignity in life and his devotion to   his craft.  He has inspired his admirers in many ways that go beyond his art and helped to endow in each of us a need to expand our sheltered existences and reach out in a bond of international friendship and service to people we would never have known otherwise. Through our shared admiration we have become an international family that support and nurture each other beyond our common interest, a precious gift we greatly appreciate.

In addition, a large part of who we are as a group has developed as a result of Roy's dedication to Foundation Mira, a Montreal based charity Roy supports exclusively, which raises and trains seeing eye and service dogs and is the only such organization in the world that provides these dogs to children. As a group we have been involved with a tremendous amount of charity work in honor of Roy and his wishes that his fans give to charity instead of to him for occasions such as his birthday or Christmas.   Over the years, Mr. Dupuis' fans, not only the Royettes, have donated thousands of dollars  in  support of Foundation MIRA and continue to actively be involved with efforts to bring attention and support to their work in every way.  We have also donated significantly to the National Theatre School of Canada and other Canadian based charitable organizations  and will continue to do so in honor of our admiration and support of Roy Dupuis.

In your article you made the comment that "his talents as an actor are limited" and asked "what will become of him now that he is immersed up to his neck in the American machine, where his image may well lead him to becoming a screen idol, dependent only on his appearance?" I must assume that you are not familiar with Roy's body of work. As an actor, he is so far beyond the idea of being   a "screen idol" dependent on his appearance. You mentioned Cap Tourment but overlooked such incredible performances as in Being at Home with Claude and in the series Les Filles de Caleb and Nikita. Roy's work needs no defense. It speaks for itself. Each role is portrayed with an honesty and truth that reaches the viewer's  soul and touches each on an emotional level. His fans globally wait with bated breath his current roles in "The Last Chapter" and "Un homme et son Peche'" Language is no barrier- Roy communicates more with his eyes and expressions then most actors can with pages of dialogue. In watching his work over the years, Roy Dupuis' audience has been educated in the true nature of excellence in the artform of acting. His work has been an honor to his craft and a delight to his audience.

As for being caught in the American machine.. nothing could be so far from the truth. Roy is completely loyal to his country and his heritage and has chosen to return to work in Montreal in his native language since the end of Nikita. I have no doubt Roy's career could skyrocket if he chose to capitalize on his growing popularity in the United States and abroad but his actions indicate his heart belongs to his country and   is very happy to be working at home - not caught up in the "star " machine...

I hope that my comments to you, Mr. Roy, have helped you come to understand that there is much more depth to Roy Dupuis and those who support him, especially the Royettes. Through his dedication to his excellence in his craft, honesty in performance and truth in emotion Roy Dupuis has shown us the invisible.. what is inside his characters and what is inside each of us. I know I speak for many when I say that we feel a debt of gratitude to Roy Dupuis that cannot easily be expressed for bonding us in friendship and unity and helping inspire us to be better people, more aware of nature, our fellow man, the world outside our communities and making us cognizant of what we have as individuals to contribute to the global tapestry of life.

Debra Hensley
Royette's List Owner and Moderator

A telephone response from the editor of 24 Images as reported to Joyce Wolf

Following is a paraphrased version of Mr. Claude Racine's remarks