Planet Women: Guylaine Tremblay

In the light

In 22 years of career as a journalist, as strange as it may seem, I had never met her in an interview context. The only time we spoke was at an event where I complimented her on her hosting of the defunct show. Public benchat Télé-Québec, where she met “ordinary” people who had experienced extraordinary things.

In my opinion, she was the only one to arouse such an opening of the heart in her guests, powerful secrets never uttered, to make them laugh or cry and show them a sincere empathy. I remember that Guylaine then hastened to congratulate me on my own projects. Business so small in comparison to his…

Put the other in the light. Always. It had struck me. This was followed by a remark from me about her sandals which I found magnificent and of which she had boasted to me of their absolute comfort. You have to forgive me for this outburst of superficiality: I had come to forget her star aura, the one she does not cultivate above all – like the greatest -, like a certain Andrée Lachapelle, who was the one of his sources of inspiration.

“Older actresses have taught me a lot. The first time I played with Andrée Lachapelle, I discovered how fine, generous she was. She was a great example for me. She was my friend and I was very lucky that she became one. I often think of her,” says Guylaine, moved, touching and radiant in her vaporous navy blouse. I refrained from asking him for the brand.

“Yeah, I’m very arranged, makeup and all, there. I’m coming out of the photo shoot for the magazine, precisely,” she says, complimenting the professionalism of the team and photographer Andréanne Gauthier. Beyond their talent, when the subject is not fussy, it seems to me that it can only be easier for the work. And fuss, I can’t imagine Guylaine Tremblay doing any. How I wish I had his recipe for absolute kindness! “It’s because people are nice to me! And when it’s not, I’m very, very capable of not being nice,” she admits.

When I tell her that everyone loves her and that in itself is quite amazing, she contradicts my impression: “In general, it’s true, but there have been times when my daughters have told me not to read certain comments on social media, especially back when I was still winning Artis trophies. I have already received a comment from a lady who told me to leave my place to young people. I replied that it wasn’t me who was going to play the runaway (in the TV series of the same name)! I do not take the place of any young person – I am not besides – and I cannot play these roles, come on!

It reminds me that there are so many actresses and actors of her age that we saw a lot and who themselves have almost disappeared from the screen and the stage, often reluctantly. The one who turned 61 last October opines with sincere indignation: “I know it and, often, there are plenty of coincidences that make it happen. I see women my age who no longer work. Not at all. Not knowing how you’re going to pay your rent at 25 is tolerable, but when you’re in your sixties, it’s harder. I have always been very lucky. It also comes a bit from this carelessness that has never left me. I was like, “It’s going to be okay, I’m going to work.” It takes good nerves to be a freelancer, and I couldn’t be anything else, because security bores me.”