You probably know her as “Pénélope”, Sophie Marceau’s best friend in “La Boum”. Forty years later, Sheila O’Connor confided in her new life in TPMP and facing Faustine Bollaert. What becomes of her? How did she experience success? Secrets of the unforgettable redhead…
Remember, she was camping PenelopeVic’s girlfriend (played by Sophie Marceau), in The party. After this mythical role, the actress appeared less on the big screen, but became scriptwriter and wrote some children’s books such as Nicolas’ Hundred Sweaters Where The Mystery of Queen Amaya. But even more than 40 years after the film’s resounding success, Sheila O’Connor continues to be recognized on the streets and sign autographs. What do you know about the 80s star, now 55? the after Boomthe “holidays“, alcoholism, death threats, odd jobs… Discover the secrets of the flamboyant redhead who marked an entire generation.
Sheila O’Connor: childhood and first role
Sheila O’Connor was born to a French mother and an Egyptian father (with an Irish surname). Since her childhood, she dreamed of becoming an actress. With her best friend, when they only have 13 yearsshe puts herself at the head of get a movie rolescans the ads and decides to pass the casting For the movie Happy Summer Camps. Mission accomplished: Sheila O’Connor becomes Caroline in Michel Gérard’s feature film.
Sheila O’Connor was to play Vic in The party
After this first step into the universe of the seventh art, the teenager is presented to Claude Pinoteauwho is preparing his film The party. In the beginning, it’s Sheila O’Connor who is chosen to play the main role of the feature film, that of Vic. But Sophie Marceau is spotted a few weeks before the shooting and changes the situation. It is finally she who becomes the heroine of the film, while the flamboyant redhead camps her best friend, Penelope.
Despite this (significant) last-minute change, Sheila O’Connor feels no bitterness. “The movie probably had all this success because everyone was in their placeand me, I wasn’t ready to be a star“, she confided to the French press in the 90s.
Sheila O’Connor, mocked because of her fame
But if the actress is delighted with this success, she must suffer the consequences on her personal life. In high school, she is constantly mocked, even by teachers. “I had worked well on my national science test (…) I had finished before the others, I was very calmly waiting for it to ring and the teacher, while we were in control: ‘Sheila, are you dreaming of your next movie poster?‘, and in front of everyone“, she remembered on February 25, in Faustine Bollaert’s show, It starts today.
Sheila O’Connor, threatened with death
Worse, this experience also earned him death threats. “In the mailboxes, we received threatening letters with skulls (…) the former social networks were the mailbox (…) we manage strangely, we say to ourselves ‘why am I triggering this? It’s a nice movie“, she was surprised in the issuance of France 2.
Sheila O’Connor: her salary in La Boum (and that of Sophie Marceau)
Sheila O’Connor, a guest on the TPMP People show on March 12, revealed the salary she had received in the two films of The party. “10,000 francs and 30,000 francs, grossladies and gentlemen“, she let go. As for Sophie Marceau, she would have received 30,000 francs for the first part and 70,000 francs for the second, Sheila O’Connor believes.
“We have to bring that back in constant francs“, however, specified the host Matthieu Delormeau, also a graduate in economics. According to estimates, the interpreter of Penelope would therefore have been paid the equivalent of 5,000 then 10,000 euros. As for her former playmate, she would have received approximately 13,000 euros, then 24,500 euros for the second part of the film.
Sheila O’Connor was addicted to alcohol
But for Sheila O’Connor, fame has certain perks. “Yes I underage entered places that were forbidden to minors. And I even had unforgettable evenings at the Palace. It was the party. And I admit that a little later, I took advantage a little, drink too many shots. I partied a little too much“, she recalled in It starts today.
For some time, the young woman even developed an addiction to alcohol: “Between 17 and 22, I was addicted, but really. I drank a lot of alcohol. And besides, me, I needed a lot to start feeling an effect. Therefore, I was drinking triple the normal. Besides, I surprised some of them.
Sheila O’Connor “did stupid things” in “full AIDS period”
Sheila O’Connor spends her early youth on a dangerous slope and spends her time “do stupid things“, according to his confidences to Faustine Bollaert. And to explain: “We wake up next to a stranger while we are in the middle of AIDS periodbut we haven’t heard of it yet.“. Fortunately, the actress manages to get out of the rut without burning her wings: “I’ve always been saved by the bell“.
Sheila O’Connor toured with Luchini and Bruel
After the shooting of The partyin 1980, then The Boom 2in 1982, Sheila O’Connor landed the role of Maud in P.R.O.F.S., by Patrick Schulmann, alongside Patrick Bruel and Fabrice Luchini. Then, she turns again with the director of The partyClaude Pinoteau, the time of a small role in snow and firein 1991.
Sheila O’Connor: why The party was a “poisoned gift”
Despite a few roles on television, the flamboyant redhead does not manage to pull out of the game. Her experience in the famous film by Claude Pinoteau was pleasant, but she stuck a label difficult (if not impossible) to remove. “It was a bit of a Poisoned gift (…) It opened other doors for me, in the sense that from the public (…) I receive a lot of tenderness. But on the work side I really had to roll up my sleeves“, she regretted on February 25, in the program presented by Faustine Bollaert.
Sheila O’Connor dreamed of an “Isabelle Huppert career”
However, Sheila O’Connor did not lack ambition. “I was only offered Penelope roles while I was dreaming of Isabelle Huppert career. I really liked those actresses. I really liked women like Sandrine Bonnaire, Juliette Binoche… I love to make people laugh, but after a while you get tired“, she explained in It starts today.
What becomes of Sheila O’Connor?
After her short-lived success in the cinema, Sheila O’Connor had a few jobs, such as secretary or hostessthen decides to launch as short film directorsuch as Margaretin 1995, Abdel has an appointment, in 2000, or Duoin 2012.
equally screenwriter and storytellerthe interpreter of Penelope in The party knew how to reinvent itself. Recently, she co-wrote with Christian Monnier the screenplay for Ça Tourne A Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelonwith Céline Mauge, Philippe Rebbot, Jules Sitruk, which is due out in theaters in May 2022.
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