This year, Louise Turco will be on our screens like never before. At 78, the actress says she’s overwhelmed by the variety of roles she’s had to play in film and television lately.
“As we get older, we are often offered the roles of women lying in a hospital bed or suffering from Alzheimer’s disease,” she laments. But there the characters that I was offered for some time are very diverse. To the cinema Our Lady of Monckton [qui prend l’affiche la semaine prochaine], I play the role of a very active and fit woman who takes responsibility for her life. It’s really interesting.”
In addition to this role in Our Lady of MoncktonLouise Turcot recently took on the role of an elderly woman who was the victim of sexual assault in the series’ second season. Reasonable Doubtreleased this winter. We’ll also find her later this year in a movie. one daylight saving timeLouise Archambault, but also in Willnew dramatic comedy by Denis Arcana.
Although she is currently going through a period of stimulation in her career, Louise Turcot is well aware that in a year or two, the situation can change a lot. The fact is that in this profession, which she has been engaged in for more than 50 years, “old age is often synonymous with not having a job,” she recalls.
“That’s the downside of our profession,” she says. As we get older, we have a lot of experience and know-how that we want to share, but unfortunately during this period we become less interesting for the people who write. Television and cinema belong to the youngest, and that’s okay. But I think we could have both. We could have a lot of roles for characters in their 20s and 30s, but there would also be a few roles for older people. Because they exist in society. It would be interesting if they were presented. This is my little personal battle!”
“Benevolent Film”
Louise Turco fell in love with the script Our Lady of Monckton, the second feature film directed by Denise Bouchard. The film follows an unexpected meeting between a young woman (Laurie Gagne) who is preparing to be reunited with her son she was due to give up for adoption 20 years ago, and an older woman (Louise Turco) who has just lost her husband.
“What I liked the most about this script is that it’s a benevolent film, she gets into it. This is a movie that feels good. People who saw it told us: God, it’s nice to watch a film about mutual aid, to see people who sympathize and help each other in life. This is a really beautiful theme. These are two women, each of which has a key moment in life. Instead of rebelling against each other, they will work together to improve their lives. That’s the beauty of the film.”
The actress was also thrilled to travel and spend a few weeks in Moncton in the spring of 2022 to shoot a film with a team mostly from New Brunswick. His wife, Gilles Reno, was by his side as he also plays a role in the feature film.
“We always like to play together, Gilles and I, but this happens very rarely with us,” she notes. In this case, he plays my husband, but unfortunately he dies in the first half hour of the film (laughs). We like to work together because we have the same view of the game and work.
Our Lady of Moncton in theaters March 24.
