He could have been a comic book character, halfway between Gaston Lagaffe and Spirou, but Pierre-François Martin-Laval better known under the nickname Phew became an actor and director. A way for him to still keep the bubble of childhood intact. “At the school I wasn’t very happy, they called me a dunce! However, the young man is brilliant. It was only later, at the age of 20, that he found his way to the theater. “Isabelle Nanty re-educated me and allowed me to find my way”. An actor apart whether in Robin Hood or in the saga of Teachers. We meet at the Théâtre de Paris where Pef plays the role of King Arthur in Spamalot, his new adaptation of the musical comedy inspired by the cult Monty Python. Meeting in the mirror with a hard worker who doesn’t take himself seriously.
Nikos Aliagas: What is the first thing you look in the mirror?
Pierre-François Martin-Laval: That I don’t have enough eyebrows (laughs). Seriously ? I see my father more and more in the mirror. I’m in my fifties, my father is gone and I realize that I look more and more like him.
Nikos Aliagas: They say that the eyes are the mirror of the soul, what do yours say?
Pierre-François Martin-Laval: My eyes are more concerned with the future of my children than my own future. And they are worried.
Nikos Aliagas: What do you like least about yourself?
Pierre-François Martin-Laval: My ridiculous anger. But I have less and less. It’s definitely no use…
Nikos Aliagas: What do you like the most?
Pierre-François Martin-Laval: When I was younger, people said that I had the heart of an artichoke, I was a little ashamed of it. Today, I am proud of it, I discovered true love, unconditional love when I became a father (he is the father of three girls, editor’s note).
Nikos Aliagas: What would you change about yourself if you had a magic wand or scalpel?
Pierre-François Martin-Laval: No more hair on the shoulders and back! (laughs)
Nikos Aliagas: What do your hands say about your life?
Pierre-François Martin-Laval: I think they regret not having worked on musical instruments enough. I was too lazy. I liked the bass, the guitar. I remained a huge music lover.
Nikos Aliagas: What part of your face reminds you most of your parents?
Pierre-François Martin-Laval: I actually have my father’s eyes. And my mother’s little nose.
Nikos Aliagas: What does the artist say to himself in the mirror before going on stage?
Pierre-François Martin-Laval: I am very peaceful before going on stage. To my troupe, I say that we have a huge chance to try to make people laugh and have fun with them. There are so many difficult jobs… Even if ours isn’t just fun, it’s still magical. We play !
Nikos Aliagas: What does the artist say to himself in the mirror after the scene, when he takes off his makeup?
Pierre-François Martin-Laval: I hope I’ll still be able to perform tomorrow (laughs) because the show is very physical. I have a pubalgia here, a sprain there. I tell myself that I will quickly recover tonight before leaving for a ride tomorrow.
Nikos Aliagas: What is the danger that your profession presents? What would you say to a young person just starting out?
Pierre-François Martin-Laval: I continue to think that we need to have theater schools and that we need to work on classic and modern. We must also try to uncompromisingly reveal a large part of ourselves, laying ourselves bare so that people really have the impression of knowing us.
Nikos Aliagas: Does the passage of time obsess you or does it slip past you?
Pierre-François Martin-Laval: It doesn’t slip at all (laughs), I’m fifty-five years old. I love life more and more so I want to leave it less. And at the same time, I tell myself that if everything had to stop tomorrow morning (I knock on wood for him), my wife will be able to say to my daughters: “He thought he had succeeded in life.” Because succeeding in life isn’t about success, it’s about making your dreams come true.
Nikos Aliagas: At what period of your life did you make your mirror “blush” the most?
Pierre-François Martin-Laval: I feel more honest today in front of the mirror, I prefer myself now.
Nikos Aliagas: What if you had to ask your mirror a question to finish?
Pierre-François Martin-Laval: Would I one day be able to go on an adventure, to set sail with my wife and my daughters? To go far away and not necessarily come back?
This article could be found in Gala N°1593, available on newsstands on December 21. The new issue of Gala comes out this Thursday, December 28, 2023. Enjoy reading.
Photo credits: COADIC GUIREC / BESTIMAGE