Marina Fois, her brother who died in a plane crash at 31: “I have a very precise image in mind”

At 53, Marina Foïs has achieved everything in her life. The former star of Robin Hood has become an actress that directors are eager for. She was notably rewarded with the best actress prize for the film Polishdirected by Maïwenn, at the Crystal Globes in 2012 and the Molière for actress in a public theater show in 2019 for the play The idols. And the projects continue to come. In 2022, Marina Foïs starred in no less than five films including This summerdirected by her ex Eric Lartigau, father of her two sons Lazare and Georges.

But life has not always been kind to Marina Foïs. The actress has indeed seen her journey punctuated by trials and drama. In addition to the touching she suffered by her babysitter at the age of 8, Marina Foïs lost her older brother Fabio in 1999 when he was only 31 years old. The latter died in a plane crash. He was then going to an aerobatic demonstration. She will never forget this tragedy. In any case, this is what she made clear in an interview with the magazine Psychologies.

“His passing was catastrophic in many ways. There was my own pain, of course. But I also worried about my parents’ life, which was unbearable. I might die if I see my parents crying. Physically, I can’t stand it“, she declares. Marina Foïs therefore managed her mourning as best she could: “The road was very long, for example I stopped going to Italy, the country of our family’s origins for 10 years. It was our childhood vacation spot. Going back there, thinking about childhood, was too painful. At this time, I don’t really understand what’s happening to me. I don’t always understand that well.“

Family and friends or nothing

Marina Foïs is a woman of group, of tribe. In any case, it is with others that she feels stronger. An observation that she made at her brother’s funeral: “I have a very specific image in mind. At my brother’s funeral, my friends were all there. When I got out of the car, I had the physical feeling of being carried from one arm to the other to the grave, like in those music concerts where the fans pass from arm to arm. Like they were all taking me where I needed to go. Basically, it’s the image of my life.”

The actress says it, life from now on is with those close to us or nothing: “I always had this feeling: ‘I am not alone’. I always have a safety net. My family: with my sisters [Elena et Giulia, ndlr]. We are here for each other. My friends too. For example, I am very close to the actor Laurent Lafitte [avec qui elle partage l’affiche des films Papa ou maman, ndlr]. 10 years ago, we made a promise to each other that we would spend every New Year together… Even if we were angry. It’s an absurd promise, but it’s the one we made to ourselves.” They still hold on to it today!