 |
The women
behind the stars Behind every artist there’s an agent to keep them happy. In Quebec, four very special agents share the majority of the stars. Who are they? Hélène Mailloux – the iron lady .. in velvet Hélène Mailloux values her anonymity, but she fights like a lioness so that her protégées can become well known. Her years as a press attaché and a television researcher have contributed to her versatility. However, she would never have thought about becoming an agent had chance not made her lend a hand to a friend in the business. “I turned up one day to put his office in order and I never left. The agence Premier rôle (the Leading Role Agency) was founded six years ago with the aim of offering an individual service which meets the needs of each artiste.” Being an agent requires an iron hand in a velvet glove. “You invest a lot of time and energy negotiating. In addition to having good general knowledge, you have to know the specifics of various collective agreements associated with each field.” The agent must also counterbalance their clients’ insecurities by keeping up their morale. “You are called upon to share the good times and the deep sorrows. It’s great to establish a personal relationship with an actor or to tell him that he’s just landed a coveted role. But it’s always sad not being able to find work for people who deserve it and to know that their wonderful talents haven’t yet made it.” Some of the artistes who use the agency : Robert Brouillette, Roy Dupuis, Antoine Durand, Louisette Dussault, Valérie Gagné, Nathalie Gascon, Andrée Lachapelle, Sylvie Léonard, Jean Pagé, Danielle Proulx. << And Céline Bonnier, of course! – viv >> |