“The world of television is the ball of ego”

At 58, Stéphane Bern is starting a new life. The host, who co-presents this Tuesday evening with an original “Let yourself be guided” with Lorànt Deutsch on the Gallo-Romans, has just left Paris to settle in Perche. At the same time, he continued his career as an actor. After starring in a few movies and starring in Murders in Lorraine on France 3, he will soon become a recurring hero of France 2. He has, in fact, turned the pilot of an upcoming series called Bellefond in which he plays the main role and plays a public prosecutor. However, he does not forget his shows and will present in particular the evening of December 31.

TV MAGAZINE. – What did you want to show in the program “Let yourself be guided in the time of the Gallo-Romans”?
Stéphane BERN. – There are plenty of received ideas about Gallo-Roman France and the Gauls and we are trying to wring their necks out. We also bring to life the high places of our history which have disappeared with spectacular images of Nîmes, Arles, Lyon. The evening will also continue around Vercingétorix and the battle of Gergovie. I find that very interesting because we present the Gauls as ruddy people and little cultured, yet they already had art and culture. I was very impressed.

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What did you find out?
In the show, we offer an immersion in the comic strip of Asterix and Obelix because it is true that Gallo-Roman Gaul is conveyed by these albums. However, we realize that everything was not as Uderzo and Goscinny tell it, that they did not eat wild boars and that there were not necessarily banquets. We had a moving moment when we met Uderzo’s daughter in Nîmes. I loved Arles and Nîmes. I found that we were well aware of the cult devoted to the emperors and what Augustus had brought. What I like about this program is that we cultivate ourselves while having fun.

Are there any other shows planned?
We shot one in Belle Époque France a few weeks ago. We are reviving monuments that have completely disappeared, such as the Palace of Electricity or the great circus near the Place de Clichy where Buffalo Bill performed. We also discover the Montmartre and the Pigalle of the Belle Époque.

What link do you have with Lorànt Deutsch?
We were already friends in life before the show but it’s true that it brought us closer. There is competition between us and we have the same sense of humor. We are very different but we are enriched by our differences. What brings us together is our love of history. We never claimed to be historians. We have a passion and we try, in our own way, to transcribe it.

Viewers will spend the end of the year with you on December 31 and January 1 …
On December 31, I present a festive and musical evening from the Château de Chambord. I want to showcase heritage places that have suffered from the pandemic. And then, I find that there is not the same magic in doing a program in a studio in the Plaine Saint-Denis as in a historic place. I receive singers from all generations, from Nicoletta to Julien Doré, including Clara Luciani or Tayc. On January 1, at 1:55 p.m., I propose a Viennese getaway in which we will notably discover the French Embassy, ​​a historic art deco monument, which opens its doors to us.

What are your holiday season like?
I am in the Perche where I chose to settle and I unpack my moving boxes. I decided to leave Paris for good because it no longer looks like the city I used to love even though I still appreciate it and I am going back to work. I thought a lot during both lockdowns and felt much more at peace and happy with myself here in the countryside. I sold my accommodation in Paris and, instead of moving all the furniture, I am auctioning it off at the Hôtel Drouot on January 25. I turn a page. I am 58 years old and this is the last time that I can decide on a real change of life without suffering too much and I admit that I have no regrets.

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You turned Bellefond, a pilot for a series for France 2. How would you describe your character?
At first he is quite loathsome. Bellefond is an always self-confident public prosecutor who one day makes a miscarriage of justice. He is responsible for the death of a man so he blames himself in the face and then wants to right his wrongs. It will reveal itself and show more of its fragility and its flaws. This therefore obliges us to look for things within ourselves. I find that he is a character to which we become attached. I am very well surrounded by Mélanie Robert, Anne Caillon, Alexandra Vandernoot, wonderful actresses.

When will it be on the air?
Soon, because fiction was very popular with the channel. It will be presented at the Luchon Festival in February. The shooting of a second episode is already planned this summer.

What does acting comedy mean to you?
It was my dream. I enjoy being another and being on vacation by myself! Let’s be honest, the world of television is the ego ball. What I like when I shoot is to be at the service of others: of a story, of the director, of my acting colleagues. I can’t imagine myself at 80, continuing to present programs on television. On the other hand, acting and writing can be done at any age. I am very friends with Line Renaud and when I see her turn at 93, I find it incredible. And then, when I play, I doubt everything and I’m afraid. I work like crazy, much more than presenting a show. I’m learning and it makes me feel good. After that, I have an instinct, something that makes me print the film. I also have a sensitivity, I think I was made for that and that’s why I wanted to try. I also played in the unit For the honor of a son on jihadism.

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