Roy Dupuis’ Family Life

For the first time, Roy Dupuis lifts the veil on his private life by introducing us to his family.

At 32 years old, Roy Dupuis shows a newly acquired maturity. His recent break from work has permitted him to step back and make some wise choices in his life. Since then, he’s adjusted to the demands of everyday life with a new serenity, where happiness reveals itself in complete simplicity. And this balance has its origins in his childhood, where it first began. Thanks to the love of his family, he built the man of tranquil assurance that he is today. Paradoxically, he is now turning himself into a psychpath for the new tv series Urgence [Emergency] that Fabienne Larouche et Rejean Tremblay have signed up to do for the CBC and which will air in January.

Roy, in the beginning, you were offered one of the starring roles in Urgence, weren’t you?

That’s true. But I wasn’t able to accept that offer because of previous professional commitments. As it is, I’ve just finished two films. In Venezuela, in Luis Armando Roche’s film Aire Libre, I played the role of Bonpland, a botanist. This film is presently being edited. I also had a role in Screamers, directed by Christian Duguay, the character I’m playing is fairly mysterious, let’s say that he’s a cool customer. It’s a science-fiction film where the action takes place light-years from Earth, and it’s supposed to be out in January.

What character are you playing in Urgence?

That of Barrette, a psychopath. He must be related to Michel [Gagné I assume].

What’s his background?

I don’t really know. He could be an actor who failed to get any interesting roles…An actor who’s dead broke! And he’s depressed! In the episode you’ll see, he’s in the middle of a crisis. He might also be, very simply, a plumber or an electrician who has always been fascinated by the Middle Ages and when he goes through a crisis, takes refuge in that imaginary world.

During his crises, does he really think he’s living in that world?

Yes, if you like. He may also want to believe that he’s living in another era because he’s a little sick of the banality of today’s society, of the lack of honour, of the lack of greatness.

Is it difficult to play madness?

Not really…Everyone is a little on the edge of madness when you want to be. We all have some craziness hidden in the closet.

Is this character especially interesting to play?

Yes, because it lets me put more into it, to free up a little more craziness. It lets me push my imagination a little farther.

Have you always had an active imagination, even as a child?

I’ve always made up stories. And actually, these stories often took place in the Middle Ages, with knights and mysterious castles. The magic of that period has always fascinated me, to this day. Not because I find that we’re not living in a exciting time. On the contrary, I think that the period in which we’re living is the most important. Moreover, only the present exists. In a manner of speaking, today, we’re all a little bit like kings. In our houses, we have access to more services than Louis XIV could find in all his kingdom. We don’t have as many servants, but we can eat foods that come from the four corners of the world. We can drink wines from anywhere. We can have the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra and Pink Floyd in our living rooms. Maybe not live, but with CD’s, we’re not far off.

When you were a child, were your parents well off?

Let’s say middle class. My father was a traveling salesman, he covered an enormous territory around Abitibi selling meat to village stores. He had just taken his retirement when the company he’d worked for asked him to come back. The woman who’d replaced him in that territory burned out after a few months. Until they find someone to replace him, he’s still working as far as I know.

What’s his first name?

Roy. His parents gave him this first time because he was born on the Feast of Kings. Thank goodness they didn’t call him Epiphany! (laughs)

How would you describe your childhood?

I had a pretty full childhood. In Catholic school, I studied cellos quite intensively, nearly five days a week. I did tons of sports: hockey, swimming. I spent the rest of my time in the woods, playing knight and building tree-forts. At our house, in Amos, the forest was right outside.

Do you have brothers and sisters?

I have one sister, Roxanne, one year older, and a brother, Rodrick, one year younger. So it was Roy, my father, Ryna my mother, Roxanne my sister, Rodrick my brother and me, Roy. All first names that start with R – by chance…

What kind of upbringing did you receive?

My mother’s love was exceptional. It’s a “mommy” love, very immediate and very, very generous. My father was pretty authoritarian, but also very giving. My mother immersed herself in a musical environment – she teaches piano. My father preferred sports. He wanted to make me into a hockey player; he taught me to skate when I was 3 years old. At the same age he taught me to swim.

Can you give us a more detailed picture of your parents?

My mother comes from a harmonious family. My grandfather Yvanneau, and my grandmother, granny Liane, were exceptional people. I didn’t really know them because they died when I was seven. But I’ve heard a lot about them from my mother, her brothers and her sister. My grandparents were very colorful, very proud, although they weren’t rich. My grandfather was a cook, and my grandmother fixed toasters. Not just toasters, but anything she put her hand to. She could take a radio apart, put it back together, and it would work! She was also a great musician, she could play nearly any instrument. My mother has always had great nobility and pride. As for my father, he comes from a less advantaged background, a little harder. He succeeded in lifting himself out of it.

What was his way out?

He’s always worked hard. He’s done mining, then he loaded trucks. He ended up getting a job as a traveling salesman. He came a long way. And he was, from what people say, an excellent hockey player. He was even approached by the Toronto Maple Leafs but nothing came of it. A mystery…

Did you have a big adolescent crisis?

Me? No! My adolescence, furthermore, I didn’t spend here. We moved to Sainte-Rose when I was 14. And I didn’t really live through any teenaged crisis. If I went through one, I didn’t see it go by! (laughs) I had a lot of fun! I let my hair grow, it was the “freak” era. I played guitar and did shows with a little band, we did covers of Harmonium [a Quebec group] and Genesis. In high school I did theatre. It was at this time that I played Le malade imaginaire [The Imaginary Invalid by Moliere] and met a girl who was going to the auditions for the National Theatre School, of which I was completely unaware. It’s because of this series of chance events that I became an actor.

Have you, like your father, had to struggle to succeed?

No, I haven’t really had to defend myself. When I arrived at the National School, I met some very interesting people. I got some “culture” as they say (laughs)

How did you support yourself during your studies?

I got loans and scholarships, and I worked during the summers. I did all kinds of little jobs, but mostly I painted apartments, lots of apartments.

In this period, were you close to your sister and brother?

Pretty close. We were four people in a four-room apartment: my sister, my brother, my mother, me and the 3 cats! (laughs) When my sister left, then we were three, in a 3-room apartment, still with the 3 cats and my mother’s piano students passing through. There were always lots of people around (laughs) I’ve always had a good relationship with my brother and sister. My sister Roxanne was treated like the “big sister” as though she was five years older than me. They say that girls grow up faster than boys. My brother and I, we were treated like twins. We looked a lot alike, to the point that people mixed us up. We did nearly everything together.

What are they doing now?

My sister is bringing up her three kids, and my brother works for Canadair. He’s also very involved in sports. At one point, he coached a hockey team.

What does your family think of you being an actor?

My mother is always very nervous about it, but she’s also very proud. To know what the others think, you’ll have to ask them. I think they’re also proud.

What is your best family memory?

Christmas. Usually, we always had super-beautiful Christmases. And my mother used to organize these unbelievable birthday parties, with treasure hunts and charades and lots of friends. There’s also the cabin we used to have and all the relatives who stopped by.

What are the best times you’ve had with your mother?

My mother and I used to be night-owls. My best times with her? When we used to sit up watching movies till 3 in the morning. I remember seeing Wuthering Heights with her. I also remember watching horror movies, during which she’d always try to frighten me! (laughs)

And with your father?

One of my best memories is when we went fishing together. I was in that wonderful father-son space where he taught me all his tricks.

Do you stay close to your family?

Oh, yes! When I’m in town, I always try to go see them.

Could you describe your family in a few words?

It’s a lovely melting-pot of generosity, of fairly passionate people. It can seems like an Italian family at time – we wave our hands, we talk loud. It’s pretty active, you don’t get bored.

Do you think that your balance comes from your background?

It’s obvious. The balance, and the upsets too.

What upsets?

We all have fears. I’ve already said that it’s our fear that makes us move ahead, but I was wrong. It’s more the act of fighting against them, of understanding our fears that makes us move forward. We’re all a little afraid of being nothing, of dying—that’s why we invented gods and life after death – of being ordinary, of not being useful, of not being irreplaceable.

You seem to be much more assured that you used to be. What do you think?

Yes. I took a step back this year. I traveled. Alone. I crossed Canada and the US on my motorcycle. I rediscovered myself, alone in the desert. That allowed me to come to the point, to understand better what I wanted.

What do you want?

To be proud of myself, with everything that goes along with that. Proud in everything I’m doing, in everything I give.

To arrive at this stage, did you have to make certain changes in yourself?

I realized what I had, what I wanted to keep and other things I didn’t want. These are choices we all have to make, to be responsible for ourselves, to not choose the easy way. And what I put aside, that’s personal… for the moment! (laughs)

Happy?

Not completely, but I’m happy more and more deeply. It’s getting simpler and clearer to know the things that make me happy, I hope. And there are more of them, too.

And your love-life?

That’s going very well….