2012 (May) Le Parisien - Interviews 2012-2015 - File Catalog

It seems you have an obsession for Jean-Paul Belmondo. Is it true?
Simon: There was a time when I frequently watched "Pierrot le Fou" and "Le Magnifique"! And even his very first films, when he was very young. I love his confidence, his joie de vivre, his ease before the camera and his sense of humour. One could only fall in love with him. And he was a man who had style without being feminine. A bit like Marcello Mastroianni .

"The Mentalist" is a hit worldwide. Had you anticipated this at the outset?
Simon: No, never. But when we shot the pilot episode, before the network decided to do the series, I showed my wife (note: the actress Rebecca Rigg) who immediately thought that this character could hook the audience. She was right! This is not a revolutionary series, but the character is different. Where Experts solve crimes through science, The Mentalist analyses human nature. And his own story, the need to find the murderer of his wife and daughter, that is part of him.

Do you have your say on scenarios or dialogues?
Simon: Yes, I’m allowed to bring everything I want. That does not mean that I abuse it! Sometimes I improvise. If I feel I can improve the character without diverting attention from the story, I do. I try to keep it fresh.

You signed for three more seasons. Do you already know the end?
Simon: Yes, more-or-less (he smiles). All I can say is that it will be resolved, viewers will have the answers to their questions. We have a duty to the public. Bruno Heller, creator of the series, has said we’re not going to reinvent the wheel or try to get good reviews at any price, but it’s about entertaining people. That is our goal.

Hugh Laurie, who plays "House", is English, you are Australian. Do you have something that the American actors do not?
Simon: I don’t think so, but I play Jane as a character who is both lovable and detestable. Hugh is not afraid to make his character odious. Neither am I. And I think the public like that. American actors prefer their characters to be heroic. Patrick Jane is always himself.

You've lived a long time in the United States. Have you applied for U.S. citizenship?
Simon: No, not yet, but I probably will. I live in the U.S., I pay my taxes there, my children go to school there. And I'd love to have several passports, if I could be Australian, European and American, then I’d say yes.

You play a trader in the movie "Margin Call", released last week in France, which shows the cruel side and cynicism of Wall Street. Would you say that Hollywood is like that?
Simon: (He hesitates) No, not at my level anyway. Perhaps amongst the leaders of the studios, but we can’t be naive: there are always financial interests at stake, I work for a very commercial series, broadcast on a commercial channel, but my interest is creative. And I can also make movies that are not about paying the bills.

Is this true of the movie you’re filming right now in London?
Simon: It’s a romantic comedy called "I Give It a Year", but it goes beyond the genre.

You are in Paris with your family. Do you have the time to enjoy it, just to visit?
Simon: I've stayed here several times before the show, and I could walk around quietly. Now, perhaps I should wear a hat and a moustache, as did Steve McQueen!