It was on the boards that Joëlle Lanctôt revealed herself to the public in 2016, defending the role of Mary Poppins in the musical of the same name. However, before living unforgettable moments in show, she was transported by the small screen.
Joëlle, which youth TV show has made a lasting impression on you?
Around the age of 4, I was freaking out on Enfanforme. I was mesmerized by the big fruit decor... I was so excited for them to use the famous cherry trapeze, but it never happened. I still resent Joël Legendre and Élyse Marquis a lot for the false hopes... (laughs)
What childhood TV memories are among your fondest?
Saturday mornings were cereal bowl and Bouledogue Bazar. It was the best moment of my week. The best cartoons were there, one after the other, and the animators really made me laugh.
Did you watch a lot of TV when you were very young?
Too much. My mother even had to intervene! (laughs)
Is there a character who influenced you?
All the characters from Télé-Pirate [played by Guy Jodoin, Élyse Marquis and Christian Bégin, Ed]! I loved their nonsense. This show completely marked my generation. Today, it's still very much my kind of humor... and I admit to secretly dreaming that one day, I'll be asked to play in such a crazy television project.
Is there still a song from a show that sticks in your mind today?
"The beauuuu Andyyy loves another than me... Ah yes, I'm going to cry all night long" [clip from Bouledogue Bazar, NDLR]. Greetings to France Parent, idol of the 10-year-old Joëlle Lanctôt.
Is there a character that you would have liked to play for children?
All the shows with sketches of the Tele-Pirate type and company must be a formidable playground for an actor. But at 4 years old, if I had been offered to play the mailbox in Nathalie's Village, I probably would have felt like I had reached the pinnacle of my career.
What TV universe would you like children to discover?
My friends Pascal Morrissette, Pascal Barriault, Marilou Morin and Valérie Chevalier do an incredible job on Cochon dingue. I think I would have been very proud if my children grew up tripping on them!
What do you think of today's youth TV?
Growing up in front of beautiful characters, who teach us things, who accompany us in our psychosocial development and who stimulate the imagination, is super important. We must continue to shine the creativity and the talent that we have here, in Quebec, both at the level of the scriptwriters and the actors, by pushing crazy projects, which come out of the box.
Like Lunou Zucchini, Rémi Chassé, Tommy Joubert and Manuel Tadros, Joëlle Lanctôt shines on stage for the musical Rock of Ages, a work put on by Joël Legendre and presented on the Capitole de Québec stage until August 7.
