++ This article is also written in French. To read that version, click here. ++
Aaricia Lemaire is a Belgian actress whose career is constantly developing. Since her first appearance in the French series ‘Ici Tout Commence’ on TF1 a year ago, the actress who embodies Carla Furiani’s character has quickly found her place in the hearts of the public, by creating an intergenerational bond between viewers and her character.
Last March, I wrote an article for this magazine looking at the relationship between Lemaire’s character Carla and Bérénice Leblond (portrayed by Bérénice Tannenberg). After a few months and several lovely conversations with the RTR team, I had the privilege of speaking with Aaricia Lemaire during a phone call when we discussed her role as well as her future projects.
From her beginnings as an actress, to her hopes for Carla Furiani in the future, Aaricia very generously takes us into the heart of her thoughts and needless to say, it was a joy for us to listen to her.
We hope you like reading it as much as we did speaking to her.
Candice Dupire: When and how did your journey into acting begin?
Aaricia Lemaire: So I'm originally from Belgium, I left after the baccalaureate and the equivalent of the final year in Belgium. I went to Paris to take some classes at the Cours Florent (a renowned theatre school). I completed my three years of study, I stayed in Paris for a little while to work and I met my agent, Kartal Temel. I was able to appear in a few plays and also a TV series for M6 called “L’homme De Nos Vies” where I played Agathe. Then, the ITC adventure began. I was able to start playing the role of Carla Furiani and it’s been a year now that Carla has taken up a lot of space in my life with a lot of happiness.
CD: Playing in a daily TV serial allows you to touch upon several emotions, if not all emotions and sometimes even go beyond your limits. What is most rewarding for you for your first major role?
AL: Many things enrich me with this role. The fact that we can hold this over such a long period of time, we can actually create an extremely rich palette of expressions. We bring into existence a complete character who will have to experience a lot of things. It’s almost a second life that we’re portraying and it’s very enriching to develop this palette.
The daily rhythm is still quite sustained and enriching since we shoot the equivalent of one episode per day, it requires a form of adaptability and a force of reaction to have this rhythm. We learn quickly to have to juggle all these emotions and meet our character very quickly. That’s also the richness of a daily show, as for me, as an actress it’s quite enormous and varied.
We saw it with the summer plot where there are strong emotions, totally extreme situations that are presented to us.
It is fair enough to say that we are going beyond some of our limits since this is pure composition. In any case, for me, it has never happened to me to be stalked in the woods. (laughs)
CD: Do you have a ritual before filming that helps you prepare to get into character?
AL: At the beginning of each day, we have some preparation time which serves as a ritual for me because Carla's wardrobe and her beauty treatment are very different from mine. Just putting on her clothes, applying her blow-dry and her make-up is already a great time of concentration and, I would say, getting into character. So yes, there are also little reflexes to get into the role, like in terms of vocal changes for example. I don't express myself the same way, I know that the tone of my voice changes slightly when I portray her. It's the little things that really separate me from Carla and that bring me completely into her life and into her skin.
CD: Carla has evolved a lot in one year. What do you think has been the most important aspect of her growth so far and how would you like to see her evolve in the future?
AL: I think that the most important evolution, even if she retains a strong character, is her relationships with others and her encounters. I would say that’s what changed everything for her. This is the most important metamorphosis in Carla, whether with this baby that she will never have met, her mother that she met despite herself - her biological mother, also Bérénice, Souleymane who remains a faithful and important friend to her story. She finally managed to open up, something she had never done before the Institute, or during her high school etc. At least that's what I told myself.
What is quite obvious in her story and in her character is that she managed to break through her shell a little and even towards her adoptive parents. She finally let her guard down quite a few times and above all she understood why she had this shell in the first place. I think she learned to know herself much better thanks to these meetings and these relationships. As well as hiding certain ideas, perhaps even stopping the ideas she had about herself, about others and discovering the strength she has as a woman.
I would like for her to become more of a woman in the future while keeping her character but we feel that at the age of 19, she has abandoned a lot of adolescent traits in favour of a more assertive adult character.
That’s what I would like to see in her, that she obviously keeps her qualities, her flaws and the personality that we adore, her outspokenness, her discernment too, because she is smart. She has good instincts, we have seen it quite a few times with the things and people around her. I would like her to continue to cultivate the fact that she is nuanced and complex because I think that she is but maybe a little less adolescent and a little more womanly.
CD: The relationship between Bérénice and Carla quickly became important within the LGBTQIA+ community all over the world. One of the reasons for this is that it is so easy to relate to the characters. Is the impact of the character’s relationship something you're aware of when you're filming?
AL: At the beginning, no, not when it wasn't broadcast yet, I think I wasn't aware of the scale it was going to have. It was also a very nice surprise, especially to see the good it did to others. Obviously, now I'm very happy about it, we take it much more into consideration. It was a lot of work but at first it overwhelmed me a bit. I had to process the fact that it went international and that we were becoming a certain representation that was necessary.
As the months went by, I was able to get quite a few feedback from people who were touched and happy to be represented and that nourishes me a lot. It’s a wonderful surprise to see the impact it has and the feedback from the public. It’s quite beautiful and important to see that this couple is solid, even in the hearts of the spectators.
Carla, who is basically heterosexual, sees herself falling madly in love with her best friend, and she must also understand what is going on inside her. It's a surprise in her life, and I would say a shake-up. I was very touched to receive so much feedback that was similar to her story. What a joy to see her journey on screen and to have all that feedback from the public.
Even before understanding the impact it was going to have, I was able to work on this relationship as two people who love each other above all. If this could help contribute to the couple’s success, that’s really great! We really treated it as a love story, even before saying it was between two girls. The complementarity of their personalities and this love at first sight was inevitable.
CD: I think that's what was most felt by the viewers, is that it was really treated as a love story and that was felt through your acting and through Bérénice Tannenberg’s acting too.
AL: So much the better because that was also the objective.
CD: Is there any actor or director you would like to work with if the opportunity arises?
AL: I am fond of all types of projects and above all, of as many meetings and partners as possible. Whether in the theater, for other series on TV, on platforms and cinema. I might be young, but I have a great thirst to defend and embody any type of historical role as well as things that do good that make people dream, and make them react.
Obviously for the little anecdote, a director with whom it would still be a dream to work with because I discovered his films quite young and I totally admire his work. I find him totally beyond, so grounded, it’s Tarantino. I love what he does, I think he has unparalleled sensitivity and he knows how to tackle so many universal and magnificent subjects.
I also got to discover Nikita with Anne Parillaud, for me she is a phenomenal actress. It's true that if one day I can work with these kinds of people obviously, that would be great. I think that everyone in art has something to contribute.
Clint Eastwood’s movies are also one of those confort movies for me, where I know that when I watch them, I’ll feel great.
CD: Theatre is also part of your life. Is this something you would like to do more of?
AL: Yes, theatre is something that I absolutely want to keep all my life. It’s the place where I feel like I find sensations that are the strongest for me. For the moment, I'm still young, but the ones I really experienced were on stage. There is a completeness in these moments on stage, which borders on magic. I cherish the relationship theatre has with the public. I think that when we approach these sensations, it's a little bit addictive.
The camera work, on the other hand, also has something completely unique and different. It’s not the same tools, the same purposes nor the same experience for the actors as much as for the spectators.
On stage, there is a connection to the moment which is very precious. It is something of great responsibility and which, for me, provides unparalleled sensations. That’s something I want to continue to cultivate.
I can't talk too much about it yet, but in parallel with Ici Tout Commence, there's going to be a play in which I'm going to be a part of. I am very happy to be able to do both.
CD: Do you have any projects that you would like to achieve before the end of the year?
AL: There are several things. First of all, I would like to succeed in detecting new things in Carla and making her grow. It's a goal before the end of the year, to be able to take another step in my relationship with her.
There is also this play that I am telling you about. I would also like to focus on writing, perhaps writing a short film. I would like to tackle this exercise in the future for sure.
I am also curious about directing. I made my first short film for a festival. It was a test where I understood that it was an extremely difficult exercise and a real profession, but for now it's not one of my priorities.
I would be curious to explore this part a little bit to complete my current experience and explore certain things before the end of the year. And then of course, continue the hectic path of castings. This is also planned, of course.
After this interview, we conclude that Carla Furiani has not finished surprising us.
Her success with viewers is not only due to her character that we adore but also thanks to the undeniable talent of Aaricia Lemaire, who has a career, a range and emotional palette that never stops to evolve.
Learning more about her portrayal of Carla was a real pleasure for us, but it was all the more a privilege for us to discover Aaricia's ambitions, whether in the interpretation of her character or in her future projects.
We can't wait to see where she takes us next.
In the meantime you can find Aaricia Lemaire in Ici Tout Commence airing from Monday to Friday on TF1 and TF1+, at 6:35pm.
Words: Candice Dupire (Elle/she/her)
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