For an actor, getting to work around an icon of Quebec comedy like Bruno Blanchet is already a gift. Stepping directly into his creative universe was something else entirely. It was wonderfully strange, generous and, at times, completely unpredictable.
The absurd and touching world of La Mélancolite
For anyone who has not seen it, La Mélancolite (available on ICI Tou.tv) reunites Bruno with his longtime partner in comedy, Guy Jodoin. Guy suffers from “mélancolite,” an acute nostalgia for the good old days. Bruno returns from far away to lift his spirits, then pulls him — along with Guy’s nephew, played by FouKi — into a slightly mad journey through Quebec meant to prove that the present is still worth living too.
On set, I heard an actor ask Bruno whether writing the series was partly a way to bring his old characters back to life and reconnect with the wonderfully absurd work he used to create with Guy Jodoin. His answer was immediate: “Exactly.”
When the past walks onto the present-day set
One of the great pleasures of taking part in the series was seeing Bruno’s cult characters return from only a few feet away. They were not there only as fan service. In the script, they are essentially the ghosts of his past catching up with him. Seeing Tite-Dent, Madame Totonski or the P’tit bonhomme pas de cou suddenly walk onto the set felt like watching several eras of Quebec comedy collide in the same room. It was also a reminder of how long some comic creations can remain alive in the public imagination.
Behind the scenes: adaptation and spontaneous creativity
What audiences do not always see are the compromises behind a production. Between takes, Bruno told me that the original script really did imagine a broader “race across Quebec.” Budget realities eventually concentrated much of the filming on Montreal’s South Shore. I find that part of filmmaking fascinating: the creative idea has to bend around practical limits without losing its spirit.
My favourite memory came one afternoon while we were waiting to shoot. To pass the time — and probably entertain everybody in the room — Bruno launched into a complete improvisation as a new character created specifically for the series and not yet known to the public. Watching that creativity appear in real time, with no visible safety net, was a privilege. That is a big part of the Bruno Blanchet magic for me: the sense that another character might arrive at any moment.
Working with Bruno: passion with room for madness
Beyond the performer, I discovered a passionate, generous and deeply committed collaborator. His energy on set was contagious. You could feel the same appetite for creative risk he has spoken about publicly — that desire to remain just a little more foolish, curious and alive.
That spirit made the work feel playful without making it careless. There was room for absurdity, but there was also real attention to the story and to the people making it.
And, as usual, new actor friends
Beyond the privilege of working with Bruno, a shoot is always a human adventure. La Mélancolite gave me the chance to meet several actors I genuinely enjoyed spending time with:
- Rémi (Will) Nicolas: an actor with UDA and ACTRA experience, but also an entrepreneur and police instructor with the Sûreté du Québec. A fascinating mix of worlds and a genuinely interesting person to talk with.
- Jeff Lemay: an extremely active actor and director with contagious energy, whose work has appeared across a long list of Quebec television series and short films. Sharing scenes with someone that engaged and generous was a pleasure.
- Kev (Kevork) Igidbashian: simply a great guy. We had the kind of conversations between takes that remind me that sometimes the relationships formed while waiting are as valuable as the work done once the camera rolls.
Those encounters enriched the experience and helped create the easy chemistry I remember from the set. That is another kind of magic in this profession: a project ends, but sometimes the people remain. I would happily work with all of them again.
