Hard Roy

It’s at the Beverly Hills Prescot Hotel, just next to the 20^th Century Fox studios, that Roy Dupuis has chosen to stay during his trip to Hollywood. Roy has come to meet the press in Los Angeles to introduce the series Nikita.

Roy, you seem to be as much in demand as a Hollywood star. How’s your timetable these days?

My timetable is very full. I’m in California on a flying visit to promote Nikita.

Did you expect Nikita to be such a success?

I hadn’t thought about it. It’s best not to get carried away; it’s always difficult to know how the viewers will take to a series or a film. The public is very often unpredictable.

When did you decide to go into acting?

I began working in the theatre straight from the National Theatre School, ten years ago. I was 24 then. The circumstances of my admission are quite unusual. Michelle Lamonte, a classmate at secondary school, asked me one day to play opposite her in an audition for this school. Two days earlier she had brought me the application form of one of her friends who didn’t feel ready to take the audition. So she said to me, “Why don’t you go in his place?” That’s what I did, and with no regrets, because I was chosen out of 2,000 candidates.

What would you have done if you hadn’t gone into the theatre?

I haven’t the faintest idea. I was studying science, and I have to admit I was a bit lost at that time. I went to see the film Molière by Ariane Mnouchkine, and I had a revelation. It all began from there.

What are the major stages in your career?

I did a lot of amateur theatre – plays like Romeo and Juliet and Harold and Maude – before coming to television. I was lucky enough to be hired for Les filles de Caleb, opposite Marina Orsini. It was my first major role, and it earned me a Golden Rose for Actor of the Year. It’s certainly the most important stage in my career.  Then I was in the films Being at Home with Claude and Screamers. The latter made me better known in the United States.

What happened with the audition for Nikita? Were the producers looking for a Quebecois or a French-speaker to play the part of Michael?

No. The first thing the producers of the series asked me to do was to lose my accent for this character. I had to insist on keeping it. I think it’s natural for me to fight for my roots. I think that my accent even brings a certain appeal, a plus point to the series. It gives the character of Michael an interesting side. Ever since the early episodes found favour with the audience, the producers now totally agree with me; I would even say they love my pronunciation.

What are the down sides of the job?

Being far from my land and my house, in the countryside around Montreal; that’s what’s most difficult. I have an apartment in Toronto, as that’s the city where the episodes of Nikita are filmed, but I go home every weekend because I miss the Montreal life terribly. I feel a bit far from home at certain times of the year, mainly during the Holidays.

How do you get on with your partner, Peta Wilson, alias Nikita?

We have a good time on the set; the atmosphere is very relaxed. We got on well from the start. It has to be said that I’m very good natured. (laughs). Peta is Australian. She has a strong personality which perfectly suits the character of Nikita. There’s no romance between us, even though I think my character, Michael, is secretly in love with Nikita. Maybe this will be developed in future episodes.