LE POING J MAY 25, 99

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0 height="100%"><tr> <td valign="top" width=130 BGCOLOR="#000000" TEXT="#F7F7FF"> <div> <IMG SRC="4da76cd0.gif" border=0 width="118" height="205" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> </td> <td valign="top" BGCOLOR="#000000" TEXT="#F7F7FF"> <div> LE POING J  MAY 25, 99</div> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <IMG SRC="30122da0.jpg" border=0 width="290" height="218" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"><IMG SRC="3032a300.jpg" border=0 width="298" height="304" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>RD INTERVIEW IN LE POING J May 25,1999</B><FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#9900CC" FACE="Arial" ><B> </B></FONT></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>Here's a transcript of the "Le Poing J" interview that aired on May 25th. </B></div> <bR> <div> <B>"Le Poing J" is a daily talk show, airing in French on Montréal's TVA network. It is hosted by Julie Snyder. The show's title can be translated into "The J Spot", "J" standing for Julie (!). Though guests are normally invited into the studio and interviewed live, Roy's interview was pre-recorded from the set of LFN in Toronto. </B></div> <bR> <div> <B>~*~*~*~*~*~*~*</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>JS: We're in Toronto, on the set of LFN. Roy, what's a typical day like ? </B></div> <bR> <div> <B>RD: It starts with a phone call from my driver 15 minutes before he comes to pick me up. I jump in the shower, I get dressed, I go downstairs, he picks me up. I have a cigarette and a capuccino in the car. Then I arrive on the set. I drink another cup of coffee. Then it's makeup. Then we rehearse the first scene... and so on... the days ends 12 hours later, sometimes 18 hours later. </B></div> <bR> <div> <B>JS: And on the weekend, you fly out of here. </B></div> <bR> <div> <B>RD: Yes, every friday. Like today - it's friday. I'll do the final scene, then I'll take the first plane to Montréal. Then I get into my pickup and I drive to my farmhouse. </B></div> <bR> <div> <B>JS: Aren't you tired of that routine ? </B></div> <bR> <div> <B>RD: It's difficult to leave home sometimes. I just bought my house - it took me 6 years to find it. But once I'm on the set, it's ok. It's better to be here, than to stay home and have nothing to do. I love the people I work with, that helps too. </B></div> <bR> <div> <B>JS: Do you have friends in Toronto ? I know you like to hang out, have fun, and party, but Toronto is a little boring, isn't it ? (note from translator - I decline responsability for that statement!) </B></div> <bR> <div> <B>RD: (in a funny voice) "He" used to like to party. "He" doesn't like it all that much anymore. </B></div> <bR> <div> <B>JS: "He" doesn't ? (laughter) </B></div> <bR> <div> <B>RD: "He" has fun at home, now (laughter) </B></div> <bR> <div> <B>JS: But "he" used to be a party animal, right ? </B></div> <bR> <div> <B>RD: Yes... </B></div> <bR> <div> <B>JS: "He" was quite a performer, right ? </B></div> <bR> <div> <B>RD: Yes... </B></div> <bR> <div> <B>JS: Is it true that "he" once arrived on the set without his costume ? </B></div> <bR> <div> <B>RD: (laughter)... what is that about ? Oh, I remember. I arrived at the theatre without my costume. I think I left it in a garbage can, or something. I think I wanted to get it cleaned. I'm confused. Anyway, I entered my dressing room, and the costume wasn't there. The play was about to start. </B></div> <bR> <div> <B>JS: What did you do ? </B></div> <bR> <div> <B>RD: We found the costume. </B></div> <bR> <div> <B>JS: In a garbage can ? Did you think the garbage can was a washing machine ? </B></div> <bR> <div> <B>RD: (laughter) "He" doesn't remember...! </B></div> <bR> <div> <B>(the two break into laughter) </B></div> <bR> <div> <B>JS: Ok, let me get this straight, is that when you decided to stop drinking ? </B></div> <bR> <div> <B>RD: (laughter) No. Oh no... </B></div> <bR> <div> <B>JS: Why did you stop drinking ? </B></div> <bR> <div> <B>RD: (silence)... It wasn't fun anymore. I'm a curious man, and I had fun for a while. That's all. It's good to be straight, and lucid. Well, I was lucid some of the time... but not over long periods of time ! </B></div> <bR> <div> <B>JS: And you simply stopped... do you think you would fall back into your old habits if you had a drink today ? </B></div> <bR> <div> <B>RD: No. It's a choice I made. I drink maybe once a year. On New Year's day. </B></div> <bR> <div> <B>JS: Did you get help to stop drinking ? </B></div> <bR> <div> <B>RD: No. I did it on my own. But nightlife was such a big part of who I was - who I used to be. And when you stop suddenly, you find yourself... boring. Then, it gets more difficult. The day I thought that life was too boring, I went to see a therapist. It was wonderful. That's the best trip I've ever been on. </B></div> <bR> <div> <B>JS: Did you fix a lot of problems ? </B></div> <bR> <div> <B>RD: Oh yes... actually, I'd say I discovered a lot of things... not necessarily fixed them. I remembered stuff hidden deep down inside. </B></div> <bR> <div> <B>JS: You're becoming more and more famous. You get fan mail from around the world. You were even featured in a Playboy article. Did you buy that issue of Playboy ? </B></div> <bR> <div> <B>RD: No. </B></div> <bR> <div> <B>JS: No? Playboy talks about you, and you don't buy the issue ? </B></div> <bR> <div> <B>RD: (laughter) No. </B></div> <bR> <div> <B>JS: Yeah, right ! (laughter) </B></div> <bR> <div> <B>RD: What ? You don't believe me ? </B></div> <bR> <div> <B>JS: Hmmm... did you ever buy a Playboy ? </B></div> <bR> <div> <B>RD: Nope... but my uncle had a few of them... </B></div> <bR> <div> <B>JS: And none of your friends bought the issue, to show it to you ? </B></div> <bR> <div> <B>RD: No... wait, is there a drawing of me in that article ? </B></div> <bR> <div> <B>JS: No. It's a picture. Anyway, this article says that "Michael" wears "Body body" underwear, but that Roy Dupuis goes "au naturel"... is is true ? </B></div> <bR> <div> <B>RD: (laughter) Is that a real question ? </B></div> <bR> <div> <B>JS: Yes ! you want me to rephrase it ? When you're at home, at your farm, do you go "au naturel" ? </B></div> <bR> <div> <B>RD: (laughter) Sometimes I put on underwear... </B></div> <bR> <div> <B>JS: Okay ! Moving on... a friend of yours said we should ask about the beast in the woods. </B></div> <bR> <div> <B>RD: The what...? Oh, yeah ! (laughter). In the woods behind my farmhouse, you can hear an animal scream late at night. It's very scary. In the summertime, when I travel, I ask a friend of mine to keep the house. I warned him about the scream. And it's REAL scary. When you hear it, all you want to do is lock all the doors and hide in a closet. </B></div> <bR> <div> <B>JS: Roy, you like danger. You skydive... you ride a motorcycle... do you still enjoy big thrills like that ? </B></div> <bR> <div> <B>RD: Yes... the biggest scare I ever got was in Turkey. I was visiting the "capalos" (?) with my girlfriend. They're villages built like labyrinths inside mountains. You need a guide to enter those labyrinths or you can get lost and die there. So we hired a guide, and we started the tour. The guide had a small flashlight. That flashlight died after 20 minutes. We were underground, in total darkness. I started to panic, thinking the guide would simply leave us there to die. I was trying to stay in control - I did't want to panic if front of my girlfriend ! The guide was having fun at our expense. He pretended he didn't have a spare flashlight ! But eventually, he turned the light back on, and we were able to come out of the labyrinths ! </B></div> <bR> <div> <B>JS: Do you do your own stunts ? </B></div> <bR> <div> <B>RD Not all of them. Just some. </B></div> <bR> <div> <B>JS: What was the most dangerous one ? </B></div> <bR> <div> <B>RD: They're all pretty safe. There's no point in putting myself in danger. But in "Emily", a few years back, I did a very thrilling stunt... </B></div> <bR> <div> <B>JS: What was it ? </B></div> <bR> <div> <B>RD: Towards the end of "Emily", Ovila (Roy's character) has to pick up blankets left on the shore of the Shawinigan river, and put them in a boat. There's rapids, and a waterfall near by. Ovila then crosses the river on his boat, but the current is very strong. The director was supposed to film me abord a motorboat to make things safer. But the motorboat wouldn't start. So I got tired of waiting, and I started to row. It was dangerous, but I made it across the river, a little exhausted. The cameras just kept rolling through it all ! It was such a great scene, the director made me do it again, just to get different camera angles! </B></div> <bR> <div> <B>JS: You've recently played the role of Maurice Richard, in a documentary. Did you get a chance to meet the legendary hockey player ? </B></div> <bR> <div> <B>RD: Yes. He came once on the set near the end of the filming. But I also played Maurice Richard in a "minute du patrimoine" (that's a short TV segment that airs randomly between commercials, celebrating the canadian heritage). When we were filming that, he was on the set almost everyday. Before I met him, the producer warned me that Mr. Richard was a discrete man and that he probably would not talk much. </B></div> <bR> <div> <B>JS: Being rather discrete yourself, you probably got along with him great ! </B></div> <bR> <div> <B>RD: Yeah, that's exactly what happened. We got along wonderfully. We talked a lot. I got to know him more than I thought I ever would. That allowed me to "capture" something about him that I put into my portrayal of him. </B></div> <bR> <div> <B>JS: You said this about Michael : "the only way he can do his work is by remaining a mystery to everyone around him.". Does that apply to Roy Dupuis as well ? </B></div> <bR> <div> <B>RD: (laughter - and he gives Julie a funny look that says "you little...") I used to think like that. The less people know about me, the more they're able to believe the characters I play. But I'm not like Michael in real life! The people close to me know who I am... </B></div> <bR> <div> <B>JS: Do you know who you are ? </B></div> <bR> <div> <B>RD: At least in part. But it takes time to get to really know yourself. </B></div> <bR> <div> <B>JS: Roy, thank you for allowing us to know you a little bit better ! </B></div> <bR> <div> <B>RD: It was a pleasure. </B></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div>                <IMG SRC="304f42a0.jpg" border=0 width="500" height="42" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>ECHO VEDETTES JUNE 1999                                        </B><A HREF="id84.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="ECHO VEDETTES JUNE 1999"><U><B><IMG SRC="1ba54240.jpg" border=0 width="84" height="36" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A><B> </B></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>