On the occasion of the release of the mini-series “Tout pour Agnès” on Paramount+, AlloCiné met Michèle Laroque and director Vincent Garenq. With us, they returned to this project based on the infamous Agnès Le Roux affair…
Before arriving on France 2 soon, Paramount+ is making the mini-series Tout pour Agnès available to its users this Friday, December 1, directed by Vincent Garenq. Here, Michèle Laroque plays the main role in this dark story, adapted from a significant French news item: the Agnès Le Roux affair.
In this fiction, the actress plays Renée Le Roux, a woman running the historic Nice casino with an iron fist, the object of all desire. In the midst of the green carpet war, she stands alone against the mafia and refuses to give in to the intimidation of her main competitor, Jean-Dominique Fratoni.
But at the heart of this fight, his daughter, Agnès, pushed by her lover, the sulphurous lawyer Maurice Agnelet, sells her shares in the family casino to Jean-Dominique Fratoni. A few months later, she mysteriously disappears. A forty-year fight begins until the truth about his disappearance comes to light!
For AlloCiné, Michèle Laroque and Vincent Garenq look back on this project in which the actress transforms into an elderly person…
AlloCiné: What did you find craziest in this story?
Vincent Garenq: What is notable is the time it takes to be resolved and the fact that Maurice Agnelet [le coupable, ndlr] gets away with it all the time. We tell ourselves : “That’s it ! There he is caught!“And no, he still gets away with it. It’s quite astonishing! Then, there is the outcome where he is finally condemned thanks to the testimony of his own son… It’s still a Shakespearean story! Maurice Agnelet is a fascinating character.
How did you prepare for this project?
Michèle Laroque: I read all the books on the subject, I watched the interviews with Renée Le Roux, I also saw a wonderful documentary… There is also an incredible interview with Agnelet in the documentary by one of his son, where we see the full dimension of his madness! I thus formed an opinion, which is obviously mine. In any case, it was good to see all that before filming and then use it to nourish the character.
VG: For my part, I re-adapted the scenario by immersing myself in the books, the training file, letters, etc. The interrogation scenes, for example, are obviously taken from the reports of the time. When Agnolet said that he no longer wanted to do his interrogation orally but in writing, it was in the investigation file! The cops were saying that… I thought it was too bad not to have put it on.
We invented as little as possible and at the last moment. First, I piece everything together. I make little tables with dates, a sort of chronology, and it’s when we have really reconstructed the story that we then say to ourselves that we can finally write a story.
Was there a scene that was more difficult for you to shoot?
VG: No, but Michèle dreaded the ones where she monologued. When Renée does press conferences… And that’s normal because it’s very hard!
LM: I remember very well. Indeed, I had no respondent so it was she who told, who told, who told… And we succeeded! Everything was well written. We were in this truth that I love so much and as a result, I had no problem with the scenes beforehand.
We did readings, we rehearsed together once, we talked about each scene. Then, Vincent did a very good casting. So, it’s much easier for an actor when he has good actors opposite him! Just listen and we respond.
How did your collaboration go with Marie Zabukovec Who plays Agnes?
VG: We saw her at the trials and they were incredible! She did takes several times, she cried, stopped, started again… In fact, she told me that she had just been dumped, or that she had just dumped someone the day before or the day before. day, I don’t know anymore… In any case, she was all in!
LM: Marie gives a sunny side to her character. I find what she did extraordinary for the wedding day scenes: Agnès is friendly with everyone and at the same time, she doesn’t want to do exactly how a wedding is usually done. She makes a little speech and I found Marie incredibly inventive.
VG: Besides, in this scene, Marie arrived and said: “So there you do that“, “You should dance“… She chose an extra and did all the setting up! She spoke for five minutes, it was super funny. I was watching and I approved. It was really good because when the actors are launched with their character, you have to let them do it.
LM: Exactly. She knew what she had to do as Agnes.
In the series, you also appear as a very elderly Renée Le Roux, Michèle. Was being made up like an old lady a help or a discomfort?
LM: The transformation took a very long time (laughs) That, I must say, is not what I liked the most, the four hours of preparation… It’s a lot! But apart from that, it was incredible to tell the story of half a life. There’s a flashback where she’s 38 and we went up to 84! It’s just a crazy opportunity to be able to perform that.
In addition, I know that Vincent has a real eye and that I am completely safe because he really gives a framework to things. Everything is possible this way. The thing that can make me want to make a film the most is the director. And when I’m sure and I have confidence, I can be made to do anything!