While season 3 of “I promise you” continues this evening on TF1, Narcisse Mame confided in the microphone of Allociné on this new burst of episodes, the evolution of Mathis and the storm he is preparing to cross with Agnès.
Tonight, TF1 is broadcasting two new episodes of I promise you. For the occasion, Narcisse Mame, the interpreter of Mathis, confided in the microphone of Allociné on this new burst of episodes and more particularly on the evolution of his character, his love story with Agnès (Léonie Simaga) and the couple crisis he is about to go through. What announce a season full of twists and turns.
Allociné: Mathis has changed a lot since the first episode of I promise you. How do you view its development?
Mame Narcissus : Mathis becomes a much more responsible man. He has managed over the seasons to find his place and heal his wounds. Behind this development, however, there are small wounds that are not fully healed and that cause big problems. It affects him enormously but he is someone who does not give up. He always manages to overcome things and move on.
What touches you the most at Mathis?
His sincerity. Mathis is an honest, transparent and whole person. When he decides to invest himself in something, he puts his whole soul and his whole person into it. It’s really that side that I like about him.
I promise you is a series that addresses themes that affect everyone. In your opinion, is this what makes the success of the series?
It is a choral series with different types of characters. There are enough different stories for the audience to identify with one. For me, that’s what makes this series so successful.
At the end of season 2 of I promise you, Mathis and Agnès (Leonie Simaga) made the decision to adopt Rose (Sandy Afiuni). What can you tell us about how this plot will evolve?
Mathis and Agnès have decided to adopt Rose but there will be twists and turns since adoption is never easy. Stories from the past will resurface and take up a lot of space in the present and even become problematic. It’s going to cause problems in some places where we didn’t expect it.
Rose and Mathis have developed a very good relationship over the seasons. How will it evolve during the next episodes?
Mathis understands Rose’s injuries and sorrows. He knows he’s going to have to stay alert. He won’t have a choice because things will get complicated at some point. Rose will be faced with difficult situations and luckily Mathis will be there for her. He will therefore be vigilant not to leave her alone during these times.
This season, Mathis is embarking on a new professional project by creating a nautical racing team to sponsor a young sailor. How is this going to happen?
Mathis begins this adventure in resonance with his own history, that of his father and La Rochelle. For him, there is no coincidence. If he found himself in this place, at this time, it was because he had to do it. But this racing stable is several kilometers from his place of residence and this will create problems within his family. Problems that will give the impression that no way out is possible. There will be a lot of journeys but it will be a great adventure. Mathis will come to the aid of Emile (Adil Dehbi), a young navigator who needs a helping hand to live his dream and become a champion.
At the same time, Agnès experiences some professional setbacks that will push her to realize her own dream. What create some tension within the couple Mathis-Agnès. Can we fear the worst?
Absolutely ! Agnès has put her life aside for a long time so that Mathis can flourish and she is at a point in her life where she wants to realize her dreams. As Mathis has embarked on a racing stable project, there will end up being big confrontations which will not be easy for their couple. Mathis will even think that their marriage is over.
What is interesting this year is that we are starting to get into the intimacy of Agnès. We will understand where she comes from and what her dreams were since her childhood. We’re going to meet his mother and his cousin. That’s what I find so brilliant for this character and which will allow us to understand the twists and turns in which Mathis and Agnès will be caught up.
In this new season, we indeed explore much more the couple of Agnès and Mathis, whether in the past or the present. If until now they had the image of a balanced couple, many flaws will emerge. Did you like to tarnish the image of this perfect couple a little?
Yes ! We all know that the perfect couple does not exist. On the surface, you may think that everything is fine and that they are perfectly balanced, but when you scratch a little bit, you realize that they are not. In a couple, from the moment one of them makes more concessions than the other, there is bound to be turbulence. They will therefore have to find a certain balance but Agnès and Mathis are not going to want to let go of certain things. They will call on external solutions which are not necessarily the right ones. And then, it will call a lot of things into question. It’s super interesting. I really loved it and that’s what really pleased me in this season 3.
Michael (Guillaume Labbe) will investigate Paul’s mysterious past. What impact will his discoveries have on Mathis and the rest of the Gallo family?
What is quite paradoxical is that Michaël is the only one who wants to explore Paul’s past. This is not totally surprising either since it is the one who has been the most affected by his disappearance. He investigates to understand who was this father with whom he was constantly in conflict during his adolescence. It’s really important for Michaël to investigate Paul’s past. What he will discover will shake him more than Maud (Marilou Berry) and Mathis.
In recent seasons, I promise you tackled the subject of burnout quite head-on. Today, the series deals with depression through the character of Tanguy. What moreover gave a very beautiful scene between Mathis, Tanguy and Émile. Is it important for you to address such important subjects on television?
It is important yes. This is also what makes the general public recognize themselves in this series. We don’t cheat. We don’t try to pretend that everything is beautiful and rosy. It’s wrong. Even if adoption is a very beautiful thing in itself, we also tell you about all the problems that go with it. Having brothers and sisters is wonderful, but there are also problems. Having a mother who would have liked to become a great singer and who was not, we also address all the issues that go with it.
And then, let’s not lie to ourselves, we are in a society that goes 100 an hour. Sometimes, we don’t even take the time to ask news from those around us. It’s just “it’s okay” and then we spend our days on social networks. However, people sometimes go very badly, there are burn-outs and depressions. The fact of talking about it, of opening the subject like that, I think that will allow some people to speak freely. Its very important.
It is approached in a rather light tone but which concerns deep things. And then, it’s transgenerational. No matter how old we are, we go through it. Tanguy who takes the subject while Emile has also been there. For his part, Mathis does not really know where to place himself but knows the symptoms. It makes for a pretty funny scene but one that is filled with depth.
The season begins and ends with a flashforward to the year 2040. Did you enjoy dressing up for the scenes?
Yes. The challenge was quite interesting to take up. You still had to wonder what these characters would look like 40 years later. It was pretty cool. Anyway, we liked it. Afterwards, it was a bit long in terms of preparation but in the end we quickly get into the characters. And then to see the children of our grown-up characters is quite surprising. Anyway, what was quite pleasant is to see that Maud, Mathis and Michaël have kept these links. We have the impression that each time there are confusions in this family it is the end but when we find them at that age, we realize that it remains a family. Even if there are fights, they stay together. That’s what was beautiful.
What is your best shooting memory to date or the scene that was particularly difficult to shoot?
It’s the death of Mathis’ biological father. It was strong enough. With Bass Dhem, who plays Amidou, we had built a fairly close relationship. We had really exchanged and built something very strong. Knowing that his death also marked his disappearance from the series, it was quite intense. There was something quite inexplicable about this season. This scene was so strong and sincere that it remains a very special moment for me.
You told us in a previous interview that you had not watched This is us. Have you done it since?
Always not. It is in anticipation. I haven’t had the chance to watch This is us yet because I don’t allow myself to. I’ll wait until I promise you is definitely over to take a look at what they did in the United States.
While waiting for season 4 of I promise you, do you have any other projects you can tell us about?
I shot a series for France 2 which is called Ouija and which should be released soon. I share the poster with Bruno Solo. It’s a very nice meeting.