INTERVIEW│ Guillaume Gallienne on 'Guillaume, the Boy Genius': Director, Writer, and Star
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INTERVIEW│ Guillaume Gallienne on 'Guillaume, the Boy Genius': Director, Writer, and Star

Guillaume Gallienne, who directed, scripted, and starred as both Guillaume and his mother in this film, masterfully handled four roles.
“The project I’d been nurturing for years… was about a boy who, confused about his sexuality, was thought to be a girl, or gay, and who, through various adventures, sought to forge his own destiny.”
© 2013 LGM FILMS, RECTANGLE PRODUCTIONS, DON’T BE SHY PRODUCTIONS, GAUMONT, FRANCE 3 CINEMA, NEXUS FACTORY AND UFILM
© 2013 LGM FILMS, RECTANGLE PRODUCTIONS, DON’T BE SHY PRODUCTIONS, GAUMONT, FRANCE 3 CINEMA, NEXUS FACTORY AND UFILM
“What I wanted to depict wasn’t a common truth, but my own truth. So it’s allowed to be subjective. From childhood to the present, I wanted to jump from one place to another, shifting between male and female roles. I wanted to portray it as cinematic fiction, not as a documentary.”
“The play received an astonishingly strong response. The audience’s laughter was immense, and the number of people who visited my dressing room after the performance was also incredible. I thought, ‘Maybe I can take this a bit further.’ I wondered about adapting it into a film.”
© 2013 LGM FILMS, RECTANGLE PRODUCTIONS, DON’T BE SHY PRODUCTIONS, GAUMONT, FRANCE 3 CINEMA, NEXUS FACTORY AND UFILM
© 2013 LGM FILMS, RECTANGLE PRODUCTIONS, DON’T BE SHY PRODUCTIONS, GAUMONT, FRANCE 3 CINEMA, NEXUS FACTORY AND UFILM
© 2013 LGM FILMS, RECTANGLE PRODUCTIONS, DON’T BE SHY PRODUCTIONS, GAUMONT, FRANCE 3 CINEMA, NEXUS FACTORY AND UFILM
“In film, you have to completely surrender yourself. It’s about trusting the director and following them. You have far less control than in theater. In theater, you rehearse with the director beforehand, but once the curtain rises and you’re on stage, you’re on your own. Ultimately, you have to trust yourself to perform.”
© 2013 LGM FILMS, RECTANGLE PRODUCTIONS, DON’T BE SHY PRODUCTIONS, GAUMONT, FRANCE 3 CINEMA, NEXUS FACTORY AND UFILM
© 2013 LGM FILMS, RECTANGLE PRODUCTIONS, DON’T BE SHY PRODUCTIONS, GAUMONT, FRANCE 3 CINEMA, NEXUS FACTORY AND UFILM
“The crew seemed bewildered by my playing two roles. Especially when I was playing the mother. I wouldn’t show my face to the staff until I was 100% immersed in the character. I didn’t want them to think it was just a costume. I never felt like I was in costume; I embodied the mother completely.”
“I wasn’t anxious about revealing myself. I think I revealed more of myself when I played Pierre Bergé in ‘Yves Saint Laurent’ (2014) or when I played ‘Le Dindon’ (the fool) at the Comédie-Française.”
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INTERVIEW | Guillaume Gallienne on ‘Me, Myself and Mum’ Director, Scriptwriter, and Star

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