Taking a look at upcoming film and tv talent in Quebec means looking at two distinct markets.

On the French side, an adored and ever-growing star system still reigns over a healthy market of series, sitcoms and feature film production. Over in the English world, an increase in American film shoots and international tv series production is performing the unforeseen feat of keeping local anglo talent both here, and busy here. And in between the two, an interesting pool of actors is taking advantage of the choice, and working both markets.

The French front

Growth has been the buzzword in Quebec television and film this year. ‘There’s a huge increase in French production,’ says Suzanne Cadorette, one of five agents at Agence artistique Pleiades. ‘More production means more work, and the more actors work, the better they become.’

Cadorette hopes this boom will help break out some of her talent, among them, Henri Pardo. A series regular in Radio-Canada’s now-defunct La Part des Anges, Pardo is returning for a second season in Motion International’s (sda) primetime street drama Tag. He’ll also be guest starring in Gypsies (Michel Gauthier Productions), a new teleroman scripted by one of Quebec’s most adapted-for-tv novelists, Arlette Cousture of Les filles de Caleb fame.

Another addition to this season’s roster is Bloom Films’ four-part miniseries Quadra. Directed by veteran Jean-Claude Lord and featuring Brigitte Paquette (Omerta, Diva), the series headlines newcomer Frederick De Grandpre, playing a young man seeking forgiveness after a foiled holdup leaves his victim a quadriplegic.

According to his agent, Maxime Vanasse (Agence artistique Maxime Vanasse), De Grandpre’s career hasn’t taken off quite as quickly as expected, but he is clearly destined for stardom.

Vanasse also reps Daniel Thomas, whose first audition out of school landed him the lead in the upcoming series 2 Freres (Les Productions 2 Freres).

Noemie Godin-Vigneau has a similar success story. Two years ago, she walked out of a first audition with a lead role in Reseau tva’s hit fashion-world series Diva. She’s also caught a little anglo attention with an episode of Filmline International’s The Secret Adventures of Jules Verne. She’ll be returning for a third season of Diva, where she shares the spotlight with Jacynthe Rene, another up-and-comer.

Rene, too, will be back in fashion in Diva, and will also cross over to the big screen alongside Louise Portal (Le Declin de l’empire americain), and Pascale Bussieres (Un 32 aout sur terre, Eldorado) in Jean Beaudin’s new feature, Souvenir Intime (Productions du Regard).

Young talent has some room to maneuver this season, partly because of new trends affecting French tv production. Increasingly, digital video is getting the upper hand on film as the medium of choice. It costs about half the price, and the final product still offers broadcasters the same chance of grabbing ratings.

But this transition has both up- and downsides, Vanasse explains.

‘There’s more production, but less money.’ More production means more roles; but at times, less money means lower pay scales for the talent.

‘Actors who are starting out may be more inclined than recognized actors to accept lower rates. It’s becoming a way of getting ahead,’ says Vanasse.

The upside is more spiriting.

Agent Jean-Jacques Desjardins of the self-titled agency says he has noticed a real push for fresh faces in the coming season, a move he views positively. ‘At a certain point, we see the same actors a lot, sometimes so much so that even the audience starts to wonder what show they’re watching.’

Typically in Quebec’s concentrated French market, popular actors like Luc Picard, Isabel Richer or Sophie Lorain can appear in more than one series in the same season, not to speak of coinciding feature film or theatrical appearances. The result can be dizzying for both viewers and actors alike.

But such high visibility, and ability to work various outlets is not the domain of actors only. Rene-Richard Cyr, one of Quebec’s premier theatre directors, has been making forays into the broadcast world of late.

Returning as host of Tele-Quebec’s Sunday night variety show Le Plaisir, Cyr recently directed Pixcom Productions’ tv version of Serge Boucher’s hit play, Motel Helene, also slated for pubcaster Tele-Quebec. Cyr directed the 1997/98 stage play, and keeps that cast intact, including Stephane Gagnon (Marguerite Volant), who made his mark in the milieu with this performance. Watch for him on Tele-Quebec, as his fall is booked back on stage.

Crossing over

Breaking into the English market is proving to be an interesting option for bilingual French actors. Maxim Roy, best known as a hip teacher in src’s early prime teleroman Virginie, and seen in the box office hit Les Boys, will be sharing the lead with two Americans this fall in Telescene Film Group’s sitcom series Misguided Angel (Fox).

Sonia Vigneault is also reaping the benefits of bilingualism. She’s known to French audiences for her roles in src’s Bouscotte, and in top tv director Andre Melancon’s Gemeaux-winning Cher Olivier (Avanti Cine Video).

But Vigneault is also market-hopping, most recently with a two-episode guest star appearance in The Secret Adventures of Jules Verne, directed by Jean-Marc Vallee of Liste Noire fame.

Speaking of which, Romano Orzari, who played the lead in the third installment of Omerta: Le dernier des hommes d’honneur (sda), will be seen opposite Ben Gazzara in Cinequest’s The List, the u.s. adaptation of Liste Noire, sold to Moonstone Entertainment of l.a. Interestingly enough, Sylvain Guy, who wrote the original script, has not only revised it for the u.s. version, but is also directing this time around.

Orzari represents a good example of the benefits of working both markets. ‘He was well known in the English milieu for his role in the film Burnt Eden, [he] won prizes for it. But when he did Omerta, no one knew him in French. He was noticed, and now people are asking for him everywhere,’ says Desjardins.

Stephane Archambault will be playing in both official languages this season on both national public networks. On src, he returns in the runaway hit teleroman 4 et demi; on cbc, he’ll be laying down the law in Justice, a two-hour tv movie/ pilot and series. Archambault is also a series regular in Jules Verne, and makes an appearance as a composer in The Audrey Hepburn Story (abc).

‘He’s got his craft down pat, and has a lot of charisma,’ says Rosina Bucci, casting director at Elite Productions, one of Montreal’s two major English casting agencies.

The English side

Bucci cast Audrey Hepburn for California’s Robert Greenwald Productions, and found Adam MacDonald to play a London west-end musical star. MacDonald also appears opposite Spelling Television bad girl Shannen Doherty in abc’s mow Satan’s School for Girls, and in the upcoming Yves Simoneau miniseries Nuremberg (Alliance Atlantis/Productions La Fete).

International television series and mows, produced locally by the likes of Telescene, Cinar and Filmline, are transforming the English market. ‘In the last two or three years, they’ve kept us busy,’ says Bucci. ‘They’re constantly in production, and they hire local people in the major roles, so it’s been great for everybody.’

Great for Jay Baruchel as well. Just back from l.a. where he got a big break with a small part in Cameron Crowe’s (Jerry Maguire) next feature, 17-year-old Baruchel will remain forever young as he discovers the fountain of youth in Telescene’s pilot Blackheart (aka Monster Smasher).

Blackheart is proving to be an opportunity for many locals, among them the film’s director, Eric Canuel, who is moving his craft from videoclips and commercials to movies. Blackheart also features Jayne Heitmeyer, noticed last year playing a distraction in a red dress in Brian de Palma’s Snake Eyes.

These days, Heitmeyer is involved in more local and millennial projects. After wrapping up on Denys Arcand’s 15 Moments (Cinemaginaire/Serendipity Point Films), she has turned her time over to Arto Paragamian’s Two Thousand and None (Galafilm). ‘It’s an extremely unique project, a wonderful script. I think he really makes an impression,’ says casting agent Andrea Kenyon (Andrea Kenyon Casting) of Paragamian.

The $4.8-million feature, starring John Turturro, may well propel the Montreal writer/director beyond his already acquired local renown.

On the American feature front, John Travolta’s production Battlefield: Earth has enlisted quite a few Quebecers. Typically, American features come with stars in tow, and do a little casting padding here.

But according to Kenyon, size isn’t all that matters: ‘Whether the role is small or large, they’ll get the exposure if they handle it properly.’

Among recruits, Kenyon mentions Marie-Josee Croze, also appearing in an episode of Telescene’s The Hunger.

Writers and directors

Boucher, Canuel, Guy and Paragamian have company in the up-and-coming director category. Pierre Seguin made his mark with La Petite Vie, the most popular sitcom in Quebec television history. He’ll be making it even bigger this year as the director of Un Gars, Une Fille, Guy A. Lepage’s off-the-wall sitcom. The recent sale of its format rights to as many as a dozen countries by exporter Distraction Format is a testament to its success, and a good sign for Seguin Alain Desrochers, who also lucked out when distrib Christian Larouche of Lions Gate Films picked up his first-time feature film script and decided to produce La Bouteille (YUL Films).

Other names to keep watching are Denis Villeneuve (Un 32 aout sur terre), now working on his next feature, and Manon Briand. Acclaimed for her 1998 award-winning bike-courier feature 2 Secondes, Briand is treading new terrain directing the tv drama Heart: The Marilyn Bell Story (32-Mile Productions).