We find him at coffee time, in the Parisian hotel where he usually stays when he is in Paris. Considerate. Available. Of rare elegance in an environment where politeness and decorum are not always there. Jean Reno is in a joyful mood after discussing with big names in publishing: he will publish his first novel in May. A romantic story between Quiberon and Oman. For now, he tells us about his participation in the second part of Retirement home with Kev Adams. A retired role that really doesn’t suit him. Interview with a great actor who continues on his way with the amazed eyes of his beginnings. A definitely endearing man.
GALA: After having been a freediver, hitman, secret agent, here you are in the shoes of Lorenzo, a retiree. It’s an astonishing choice of role, isn’t it?
JEAN RENO : Does this surprise you? Do you know my year of birth? [Rires] I’m not going to make a newlywed film at my age! [Rires]. We cannot be and have been! We have to face reality. And the reality is that I was born in 1948. Even though my body is fine, my mind is there, I’m my age and, believe me, I’m not afraid to play with my image. I’m not afraid to step out of my comfort zone, to surprise. It’s probably stupid, but my job is to interpret. I’m not an idiot, I could do like Schwarzenegger and become a product, earn “trillions of dollars” with a license… I have often been offered vigilante roles, “hands down”, but I I didn’t choose this path. I don’t fit into any box.
GALA: But what did he tell you Kev Adams to convince you?
J.R. : I met him for the first time in Paris. I had heard about him, particularly from Gad Elmaleh, who has been a friend for twenty-five years. In fact, since then, I’ve called him Kev Elmaleh, which amuses him a lot! I knew he was a lively, intelligent boy, but I hadn’t seen the first part of Retirement Home. It’s a beautiful subject. You know, I was elected to the cultural council in Baux-de-Provence and I know the issues related to retirement homes. And then, Kev had a very specific idea of my character who invents lives to forget his own. And that spoke to me, because all my life I’ve played roles rather than talking about myself. I have long been very quiet.
“When I receive love, I only think about one thing: giving it back”
GALA: Where does this taciturn side come from?
J.R. : Of my father. My mother was very open. Very sunny. She kept saying to me, “Look, look.” She opened my eyes to the world. I miss them very much. It’s an impossible mourning.
GALA: In the film, there is a little nod to all your cult roles. Did this plot discovery flatter you?
J.R. : No, I wasn’t for that, I found it too egocentric. I was embarrassed, but Kev had the idea, he convinced me and I was very proud of it. When I receive love, all I think about is giving it back. It’s my only driving force in life. I always wonder why I receive such affection. It’s like that. I’ll tell you one thing: you’ll never see me bragging about what I’ve done, about my successful films. My father didn’t pass that on to me. Never.
GALA: Your dad, an Andalusian, absolutely wanted you to “not tarnish your family name”…
J.R. : Yes, and that’s my road map. Just like the value of work, compassion, curiosity. This is what I in turn pass on to my children [Il en a 6, ndlr]. I often say to each of them: “Listen more than you speak!” »
GALA: You are one of the rare French actors to have a career in the USA and you live a large part of the year in New York: what led to this desire to realize this American dream?
J.R. : I have lived there for twenty years, I met my wife there [Zofia Borucka qu’il a épousée en 2006 et avec qui il a eu deux enfants, Ciela en 2009 et Dean, en 2011, ndlr]. My wife is Franco-British. I first met her in New York when she was a model for Ralph Lauren. At the time, nothing happened: she was married and so was I. We just hit it off. And fourteen years later, we met again. I was filming The Pink Panther in New York. And then, we never left each other. As Claude Nougaro said, she is “the woman of my death”.
GALA: Why not choose to live in Los Angeles?
J.R. : New York is not the United States, it is a city apart. It is a bridgehead of Europe. 97,000 French people are settled there. My neighbors are Marc Levy and Robert De Niro. Robert is 80 years old and I have great tenderness for him. He inspires me a lot, because he is the perfect example of a career that lasts. But to get back to our subject, I could never have lived in Los Angeles. I recently spoke about it to Laeticia Hallyday. This city is the apology of solitude. In Manatthan, I know my neighbors, the doorman greets me. And then, New York is also an eminently cultural city. When you go to MoMa, the Museum of Modern Art, you realize that they are not only American, but very open to other cultures.
GALA: Where do you see yourself in ten years?
J.R. : I hope that I will work less and that I will be able to stay longer in my South of France: in Baux-de-Provence. My kids will have grown up and I can see myself still writing. Tell stories, develop characters.
GALA: You often say that you have always felt like a bridge between certain countries, certain communities…
J.R. : Yes, a sentence hurt me when I did my military service in Germany. A chief sergeant addressed me when I arrived and said: “Ah, are you from Casablanca? There are lions in the street there! » Why so much contempt? But from there, I understood that we must never stop explaining, talking because human beings are always afraid of what they do not know. Ignorance is responsible for many of our ills.
“With Johnny, I want to tell you that we really loved each other”
GALA: A word to end on the Johnny Hallyday exhibition, in Paris, for which you provide the voice-over. What object, what part of this exhibition touched you the most?
J.R. : His office in Marnes-la-Coquette! It was in this room that he took his last breath, it was there that I saw him last. That I took his hand. A hand that is both fragile and warm. You might think I’m a fan, but I want to tell you that we really loved each other. We chose each other.
GALA: How did you meet?
J.R. : 35-40 years ago in a gym at Porte Maillot. We each trained with a coach: he came up to me and said: “What are you doing this lunch?” Come eat at home. » Arrived there, I found myself in the middle of 20 guests, but he wanted to place me in front of him. And the scanning began. He formed his opinion of me and it was the start of a very beautiful friendship. You know, if we talk about him too much, I’ll start crying. I miss him a lot.
GALA: We feel that you miss many people who have passed away terribly: you know this phrase: “don’t shake me, I’m full of tears”…
J.R. : That’s it ! [Il baisse les yeux.] And there is also that of Brel: “There are some whose hearts are so large that they enter without knocking. »
GALA : Thank you Jean for this wonderful meeting.
This article could be found in Gala N°1601, available on newsstands on February 15. The new issue of Gala comes out this Thursday, February 22, 2024. Enjoy reading.
Photo credits: COADIC GUIREC / BESTIMAGE