Léa Roy has always been attracted to the game and took her time before fully accepting her choice. After graduating from high school in communications and literature, she entered the conservatory and landed a role in the series after leaving The emperor. The actress plays Rosie, a young woman who is sexually abused and ends up hurting herself. A great challenge that she mastered with flying colors!
• Also read: Jean-Philippe Perras was moved to tears during this performance on “Live from the Universe”.
• Also read: Unanimous opinion: Viewers love to hate Jean-Philippe Perras' character in The Emperor.
Léa, you are at the center of a production that is attracting a lot of attention: the series The Emperor. How do you prepare to play a character like Rosie?
It's not an easy role… It's definitely the most difficult narrative I've had to defend so far. I thought twice before accepting the role. I knew he would lead me into problematic areas. I graduated from drama school last year, just before I started filming. At school, a lot of emphasis was placed on the fact that play is not therapy. As much as I invest myself in finding a truth in the game, I keep a certain distance. All of my film scenes included crying and scenes of self-harm. I had no experience in this area. There was a lot of preparation so I could play freely.
You must have left those days behind you exhausted…
Yes, especially physically. Emotionally, I could differentiate between my character and myself. When I got home, I watched TV quietly… (Smile) I wanted to do justice to people who have experienced sexual assault and episodes of self-harm. So I had the opportunity to chat with someone who had had this experience. The director and I also listened to a podcast on the topic. It's very complex. We had to give these gestures full meaning and understand why Rosie hurt herself. At the conservatory I played a character who was a victim of sexual assault. So I had a reference point. I felt safer.
Let's go back to the origins of this passion for acting: when did you want to become an actress?
Honestly, always. I'm an only child. Since I had no brothers and sisters, I imagined friends and invented worlds. I had limitless creativity. I went to university and got a bachelor's degree in communications and literature at Concordia. I was searching for myself a bit.
Did you feel like you weren't quite capable of becoming an actress?
Actually, but I knew it. I really liked school and refused to believe I would go to drama school. I felt like it was too much of a challenge for me, that I would have too much stage fright to perform on stage. Then, at the age of 23, after graduating from high school, I decided to start. I had gained the necessary self-confidence. I had to be ready, and I was.
Does your high school diploma give you a certain inner security?
Yes, and it serves to alleviate the feeling of betrayal that gripped me throughout my youth. I doubted that I would be able to pursue a career as an actor. It's a difficult profession… Many young actors have difficulty finding their place in it.
Did your parents support you in this process?
My parents always suspected that I would play one day. They have no such background at all: my mother is a psychologist, my father works in IT. I am the only one in my family who does this job. They encouraged me to try many things. I loved school and found it easy to learn. They have always supported me. Since I acted as a child and teenager, especially with Tactik, L'Académie, 19-2 and as a voice actor, my mother was very present in my career. With theater training, I would no longer feel like an impostor if I pursued this profession. I wanted to have studied in this area. However, many actors don't go to school and are great. I for one needed this to feel professional.
Sébastien St-Jean / QMI agency
So your parents weren't surprised by your desire to go to conservatory?
NO. We always watched a lot of TV at home. We ate dinner in front of the TV. For us it was an opportunity to discuss what we were seeing. We had rich discussions about the series. Even today, even when I'm in an apartment, I go back to my parents' house to watch series with my mother. It's a tradition we've kept.
Do your parents appreciate that you come home so often?
Yes, especially since I recently moved away from home. I was 25 when I left. When I moved last year, it was an emotional time for all three of us. I cried when I signed the lease…not out of joy or sadness, but out of nostalgia. It was the end of an era. Since I don't have a washer and dryer at home, I regularly go to my parents' house to do my laundry… (smile)
Have you cultivated any passions since your time in this profession?
Yes. I read a lot, watch films, go to the cinema and the theater. I do yoga, ski and also train. I try to keep the instrument in tune. I cook. I love everything second hand: vintage clothing and objects. I see my friends, go to a restaurant and write a little. I'm exploring this side of myself. My job involves very intensive filming phases, followed by months without a contract.
What if you had the opportunity to choose your next mandate?
Cinema is my favorite medium. I would like to have a leading role in the cinema, something far from me, for example a bum, that would allow me to explore the male energy within me. I speak English and audition in English. I would love to get a role in this language one day…
Watch the season two finale The emperor Wednesday, February 28th, at 8 p.m., on Noovo. Léa will be part of the National Arts Center's 2024 cohort in the piece Do good, which will then be presented at the Théâtre du Rideau Vert in the fall. She will appear in the play Two women in gold on tour, where she will once again take on the role of Charlotte Aubin.