Catherine de Montsalvy Fansite

 

Interview with Pierre-Marie Escourrou



Mistral: Bonjour Pierre-Marie, what was your first reaction when you learned about our Catherine de Montsalvy Website?

Pierre-Marie: Very nice souvenirs

Mistral: Had you heard of “Catherine, Il suffit d’un amour” by Juliette Benzoni and how important the role of Arnaud de Montsalvy” would be – especially for the female audience ;-)?

Pierre-Marie: I did not know the book

Mistral: Do you remember how you got your role as Arnaud de Montsalvy – playing the heroine Catherine’s Love of her life? 

Pierre-Marie: after a long casting

Mistral: Now that some time has gone by, do you remember what your feelings were? Partaking in that most awaited tv-production directed by Marion Sarraut after the bestseller “Catherine, il suffit d’un amour” by author Juliette Benzoni?

Pierre-Marie: the impression of a beautiful and great adventure

Mistral: Do you have any special fond memories from acting together with the beautiful Claudine Ancelot (as Catherine) Gérard Chambre (as Jean de Xaintrailles), Jean-François Poron (as Duke Philippe), Corinne Touzet (as Princess Zobeida), Isabelle Guiard (as Jeanne d’Arc), Pierre Deny (as Count de Dunois) to mention a few?

Pierre-Marie: pleasant souvenirs of a big artistic fraternity

Mistral: Do you remember the reaction of the public, press and critics – after “Catherine il suffit d’un amour” which consisted of sixty episodes aired in on March 1986?

Pierre-Marie: very good

Mistral: Did you ever have the chance to meet your colleagues from that period again? (Apart from Corinne Touzet, with whom you played very successfully together in that marvellous serie “Une femme d’honneur) Be it in a film, play or tv-series?

Pierre-Marie: with Philippe Clay, unfortunately deceased now.

Mistral: We all agree, you did NOT play Arnaud de Montsalvy ! YOU WERE ARNAUD DE MONTSALVY
 the proud and valiant knight of King Charles VII trusted chevalier. Tell us your opinion:
Did Arnaud de Montsalvy stay forever at Montsalvy with Catherine and their children as we see in the last episode? Or could he not resist the call of his friends “Xaintrailles and La Hire to join them in the war campaign against the English?

Pierre-Marie: good question, but alas without an answer

Mistral: Did you know that the Catherine books are still as popular as they used to be all over the world? – that fans of the TV-series Catherine, go to EBAY and pay thrice as much the price as it would cost at France Loisier (the company who sells the five DVD’s) knowing full well, that there are no specials, interviews, subtitles or at least English to choose from? 

Pierre-Marie: I do not have the DVDs from France-Loisirs and I am pleasantly surprised that the success of this series continues, I am very proud of it.

Mistral: In your long career, you acted in many TV productions and international movies. Lent your terrific voice to Sylvain in the fantastic science fiction Gandahar – acted as a narrator in many acclaimed audio books. Is there still a part you wished to play or direct and have never been asked or there was never the right moment for it?

Pierre-Marie: I would like to play the leading part of Joseph Kessel's novel "le tour du malheur ".
 

Mistral: What are your plans in the near future? Can we expect to see you soon in another television production, see you on stage in a play or direct a new play?

 
Pierre-Marie: I have written a very beautiful story (script) about abandonment ...... which I would like to direct if I find a producer worthy of the name.
 I am directing and playing "exercices de style" with the company I have created, maybe the Swiss will welcome me, but I have no contacts. I am going to be part of the next movie of Jean-Claude Missian
 

Mistral: If you had a wish free, which of the fictive characters you played so far or which personality would you like to be for a day?

Pierre-Marie: without any doubt, ARNAUD DE MONTSALVY

 

We would like to give our sincere thanks and gratefulness to Pierre-Marie Escourrou who played Arnaud de Montsalvy in our beloved series "Catherine de Montsalvy".  Pierre-Marie has done us the great honor to give us also an exclusive interview.

After all Pierre-Marie Escourrou is our Arnaud de Montsalvy :-)
 so this is another extraordinary, amazing moment for our small website!
We send Pierre-Marie our best wishes and great success for his future career.

Thank you very much Pierre-Marie

"...the more than perfect Arnaud de Montsalvy for all of us..
"...le plus que parfait Arnaud de Montsalvy ... pour nous tous..."

 

Copyright © by Webmistress Mistral 10 September 2009

I would like to give my sincere thanks to Frédérique, who translated my guestions to Pierre-Marie Escourrou into French. And vice versa, translating Pierre-Marie's answers into English.
 http://seriesbenzoni.unblog.fr/




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