Quebec actor and singer Frédérick De Grandpré was born in Saint-Nicolas, now Lévis. He never would have thought that one day he would play the role of Kevin Costner in The Bodyguards or that of Claude Poirier. Allow me to add that, as a fan of musicals, the interpretations of Whitney Houston by Jennifer-Lee Dupuy and Kevin Costner by Frédérick De Grandpré thrilled me.
Your parents taught you the values of life.
My father, Pierre, and my mother, Colette, taught us the values of life and the importance of a good family life. Profanity was not allowed in the vocabulary of my brothers – Alex and Max – and me. We had to find a compromise in order to avoid battles between brothers.
There were lots of family activities.
The three boys accompanied our parents to various ski centers in Quebec. Without forgetting that summer was about discovering the outdoors.
Wild camping with your dad.
Dad is a former scout, so from the age of 10, I found myself with my two brothers doing wild camping with him. The day before our trip, we prepared the food, not to mention our clothes, our equipment and the sanitary products.
Meet at the 18 km identification panel: direction Parc de la Jacques-Cartier.
We disembarked from the famous station–wagon of my father who was left behind in the parking lot.
You unloaded the car and walked to the edge of the lake.
It was wild camping and not luxury camping. I was 10, my brothers 8 and 6, when we were on our way to the outdoors.
Were you afraid at night?
No. We went fishing, hiking and climbing mountains. We were so tired that at the end of the day we fell asleep quickly.
Your last trip was overwhelming.
It was a first for Grandpa. It was an exciting adventure, as the bad weather conditions awaited us.
The lake water overflowed.
The sound of water rapids was so loud during the night that it woke us up. The water had dug into the edge of our tents so we had to move them. The next morning we saw that there had been landslides in the valley.
Exit 18 km is closed.
We packed up all our stuff and headed back to the 18km exit to find it was closed. My dad asked the wildlife reps to contact my mom to let her know that we would be delayed for a few days.
A life lesson.
We returned to the woods. My father delegated to each of us a different task, either to cut wood, to prepare a fire, to go fishing for our meal or to maintain the surroundings of the tent. Dad described our adventure as a life lesson.
You were a Nords fan.
Peter Stasny didn’t live far from me. Besides, I have an autographed stick from goaltender Daniel Bouchard that my father always has at home.
You were often the laughingstock of your class.
In elementary school, I had great difficulty reading and writing. My confidence was continually tested. However, my parents kept telling me that I had to turn the negative into a positive. At the age of 11, I understood.
Martial arts have rebuilt your confidence.
At the age of 11, it was the beginning of a new life for me, because martial arts allowed me to regain my self-confidence. I worked very hard and today I am a black belt in taekwondo.
You participated in the Pan American Games.
The Pan American Games committee never believed I was 17, as I was just over 6 feet tall and weighed 200 lbs. The committee registered me in the adult category of my discipline, but against all odds I finished in fourth place.
You discovered improv in high school.
Improv opened the door to my career choice that I love today. At Cégep de Sainte-Foy, I studied industrial design before turning to arts and letters.
What is your first job?
I was 12 when I made my debut as a monitor in parks and day camps, which allowed me to realize that I liked to sing. One summer, I decided to go work on a farm. After a week, I asked my old boss if he wanted to rehire me as an instructor.
You sang a lot at home.
Mom loved music, rock’n’roll, especially the voice of Elvis Presley. The three guys accompanied her and we had fun dancing with her under the gaze of my father.
Your parents taught you two important aspects of life.
When I was three years old, my father lent me his hammer so that we could build a game out of styrofoam. While my mother taught me the art of cooking.
Your grandmother found your first car.
(A laugh.) A used powder blue Datsun GX 310. Then I had my mother’s car, a less used Chevrolet.
You have always loved French cinema
I would have liked to play with Gérard Depardieu. The comedian, Widemir Normil, with whom I share the stage in the musical The Bodyguardsis a man I admire.
Your two daughters are your pride and joy in life.
Stella, 12, and Mélina, 10, are without a doubt my pride and joy in life. When we have visitors with us, they participate in many conversations and are very comfortable expressing their thoughts.
Your spouse is from Drummondville.
My spouse, Annie Verrier, a native of Drummondville, is a savvy businesswoman whom I met 16 years ago. She is always so exceptional and there to support us in difficult times.
