Portraits: A Sunny Morning with Mariloup Wolfe
Mariloup Wolfe
March 8, 2016, 11 am.
It was a sunny and cold morning in Montreal. Walking down the street I was thinking about the words and most importantly the questions. I was so curious about the woman I was going to meet. We already crossed path once before for a mini interview and I had a definite feeling this was going to be a joyful moment, and I was so right. So let’s go back shall we?
In a downtown coffee house in the center of Montreal, I an meeting with Mariloup Wolfe. Yes, I know I am so lucky, right?
The sun is already high in the sky but it’s a very cold morning. I’m so happy to have my hat on! When I open the door of the café, I feel instantly better. It’s warm, cosy, and a cute place to hold a serious (will it be?) talk. It feels a little bit like home. I like the spot.
I look around me to see if Mariloup is already there. I see a woman at the end of the counter who is waiting for a hot drink. Yes, she’s here. She wears a cute white hat and a huge smile. Both things suit her well. I go up to her to introduce myself. She welcomes me warmly, looking straight into my eyes as she says hello. She is small, very kind, and has the strange gift of making you comfortable right away. I do not feel any tension at all (sometimes you do when you are about to interview someone). Then a strange thing happens… I feel like we have known each other for a while, like we have already talked quite a lot, like we are instant best friends. Crazy, I know, but true. That is how she makes you feel, like you are welcome, like you are home somehow. It’s one of her gifts I suppose, and a thing that explains why people love her so much. She is so popular in Canada, and I start to understand why.
We take a table, and after taking a sip of my hot chocolate we start to talk. To my surprise she asks if we have met before. I am surprised that she remembered, because, yes we had met before for about three questions at a premiere. It’s kind of her to remember. It was a nice moment back then, and we seem to be heading towards another nice moment now.
I smile.
And then, I am surprised again. She asks me so many questions about what I do and so on that I feel like she is conducting an interview of me! She really cares about the person in front of her (me, at that moment) and it is kind of funny because she is very curious about me and I cannot ask one question about her.
We chat happily about this and that. It feels like solid ground for an interview portrait. And then it is time for the “serious chat”. After all, I have to start somewhere. I let her know about my ideas for this future portrait, what I want to do exactly, and why it’s important to me, and then we dive in.
It does not feel like an interview at all, it feels more like two friends catching up on their lives in front of a hot drink. I swear, no alcohol, people.
We talk about acting, about her choices as an actress, the beginnings of her career, and the things she wants to do in the future. We talk about the challenges of directing a tv show (“Ruptures” was on our screens back then) and on directing fellow actors. We talk about the kind of director she is, her attention to detail, her love for the art, and so many more things. The funny thing is, during the entire time, she keeps asking ME questions about who I AM and what I like. I really was not expecting such an exchange, and I feel so happy about it. Amused too.
The more we talk the more I discover a woman filled with passion and so full of life, someone who is just absolutely kind, and very very dedicated to her art. She is so full of energy and light.
She is bright, funny, and what is so very touching about her is that she is very totally there with you in the moment. When she shares, she shares. She opens her world to me with total honesty, never trying to change subjects or keep an aura of mystery like some actresses can do sometimes.
I do understand why people appreciate her so much.
She entrusts me with a few confidences about her life as a mother and maintaining a balance with her working life. This is a subject that I feel touches her deeply.
When you are dedicated to your work and lucky enough to live doing what you are passionate about, it can be hard to find the right balance between working time and family time, between social life (friends) and social events (premieres). At that moment, I see a shadow passing through her blue eyes, the only one I will see during our chat together. Her trust touches me, I understand how hard it must be for her to forgive herself sometimes for being away from her little ones. It strikes me at that moment that being a working mom is hard whether you are a movie star or a lawyer, a company director or a librarian. It’s filled with culpability and regrets, and trying to forgive oneself. But it’s also exciting and beautiful and it makes you strong. We are all alike, only our lives are different. Being the woman she is, I am sure she is an exceptional woman to have as a mother and a model to grow up with. I secretly hope she can find the balance she seeks, and maybe she has. But I will not ask of course. That is too personal, and not something I want to take away from her. She has given and shared a lot already, and I am forever grateful.
The more I hear her speak, the more I understand how exceptional she is. What an amazing woman she is to cross path with!
An hour has past, and it is time for the bill.
While we ask for it, words start coming to my mind, “She is a rare soul.”
I feel lucky to have been able to do this interview, and actually experience more of a friendly conversation than a “journalistic piece”. This was a real meeting, two people really talking about what matters most, far away from iphones, from computers, and from any other technology that forbids one to really meet another human being.
It’s time to say goodbye, and we keep on talking (like the old friends that we are not) while walking to her car. I smile, this was a very nice, unexpected moment.
I have always been an admirer of great souls, and when those souls have talent, humor, and are genuinely kind, then I am impressed. And more so, I am touched. I feel like this exchange had meaning in the range of time, and it is not one that I will forget.
And to you out there this is what I would say:
Mariloup is not only sweet, kind, funny, and incredibly beautiful (I say that with no jealousy at all), but she is also damn smart.
She is a great listener and a very honest interviewee.
She is a real fashion figure, and a very genuine woman.
She is a damn strong woman and an accomplished artist.
Yes. She is all that and so much more.
Mariloup, thank you for the chat, I am forever grateful to have crossed your path.
And to you, readers, if you finally want to see our words, the interview will come very soon.
Read the original mini interview HERE.
