The unforgettable Patrick Chirac of Camping embodies an absent father in his second film, Rumba la vie, in theaters on August 24. Confessions of an anxious actor dad.
Why did you choose ballroom dancing as a setting?
Frank Dubosc: Originally, I wanted to use this decor to make people laugh. To tell the truth, I didn’t care a bit about this environment without knowing it. Then I attended a class, ready to laugh, and after three minutes, I was fascinated. I really wanted to be in the shoes of the dancers!
You were already dancing in Disco; what is your relationship to dance?
I am so modest that you will not make me dance in society. I hate that ! But in the cinema, I like to do things that I would never dare to do in life. I could never wear a skimpy brief or a tank top, like in Camping. And suddenly, on a set, I find myself with a tattoo and a mustache, dancing the rumba!
How was learning rumba with Denitsa Ikonomova? She made you drool a little?
No, she’s nice. We mostly laughed a lot. I contacted her because she’s a friend, and because she knows how to make people dance who, a priori, aren’t good at it. Denitsa is serious in her work but with a lot of lightness and freshness.
You have so far refused to participate in Dance with the stars. Now that you’re a seasoned dancer, you still don’t feel like it?
I was asked from the first edition, but I’m still not ready! Firstly because it’s a very difficult learning process if you’re aiming to win the competition. Then, it’s a stage fright that I don’t want to impose on myself. And I don’t really belong there. As said Michael Youn: “It will depend on the cast.”
So you’re not completely closed to the idea?
With a big cast, it can be fun! But it takes a lot of time… which I don’t have.
Where did this story of a failing father who wants to bond with his abandoned daughter come from?
This film comes from my guilt vis-à-vis my children (Raphaël, 12, and Milhan, 9, editor’s note). I am absent a lot because of filming. I have always been torn between my profession and my role as a father. I constantly have this fear in mind that they will tell me later that I have not been available and attentive enough. I’m a dad hen but strict, because I’m anxious. I’m always afraid that something will happen to them.
Do you take your children on set?
Occasionally. It’s not that I don’t want them to come see me work. It’s basically because they’re not interested! They had a lot of fun taking their first steps as actors in this film because there were also their friends. But it’s not a passion for them. For now, they want to be footballers!
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