The Dionne family : Elzire (Céline Bonnier) and Oliva (Roy Dupuis) surrounded by the famous quintuplets and their six other children.

The saga of the Dionne father and daughters begins. In his role as Oliva, the quintuplets’ father, Roy Dupuis picks up his passport for the USA.

This week sees a great premiere on English language TV. The Canadian channel CBC and the American channel CBS are broadcasting simultaneously across the whole country the true story of the Dionne quins. The two episodes, each two hours long, was made in Quebec at a cost of ten million dollars.

The incredible account of the Dionne family highlights the bigotry of the Ontario government who pocketed five hundred million dollars, while giving guardianship of the quintuplets to the doctor who brought them into the world. Thanks to public donations, he built a lavish hospital opposite the farm owned by the little girls’ father, who became the laughing-stock of hundreds of thousands of inquisitive people. Roy Dupuis plays Oliva Dionne, the father of the quintuplets.

Ovila Pronovost made you famous in Quebec, and Oliva Dionne stands to make you well-known in the United States. How did you react when you were offered this prestigious role?
I laughed and paused a little when I noticed that the man was called Oliva. But all similarities with Ovila Pronovost stop there. It’s nothing like the story of Filles de Caleb. Oliva Dionne was a good father. But he was subjected to enormous prejudice because he was a small French Canadian farmer with no money. The story is faithful to the truth. All the Dionnes became victims of how the phenomenon was handled by the media. The writer Suzette Couture worked out what really happened. She uncovered things that had never been spoken about.

After Ovila Pronovost, aren’t you afraid of being identified once again with a character who gradually loses his sense of values?
It’s too bad if anyone can’t see further than that. The reality is much more complex. As an actor, I want to show why the quins’ father tried to exploit the commercial potential of his daughters. First he wanted to protect them, then to make them happy, all while trying to redeem himself in the eyes of the world. Unfortunately what I saw in the film archives in Hollywood showed the opposite. It was horrible. I don’t know how I would have dealt with it if I had been in his shoes.

Tell us a story about the filming …
The film crew completely changed roles when the two groups of triplets who played the quins appeared on the set. Everybody wanted to be photographed with them. You would have thought that the same phenomenon of sixty years ago had recurred. There was a very peculiar atmosphere. If the series gets good ratings all the talk shows will want them as guests.

After this high-profile series, where do you think your career will head?
I’m quite simply going to carry on working to the best of my ability. I’m not aiming particularly at the United States. I get as many offers from Europe as from here. I’m quite happy. We’ll see what happens after the series is broadcast. I’m confident, because this series is well made. It’s the biggest production I’ve been involved in.