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METHOD ACTOR

David La Haye is already a superstar in Quebec. Is he mad to be taking minor roles overseas?

Text: EMMANUELLE GARNAUD

1 | 2 | 3 | JUN '04

You walk into Montreal’s landmark Brasserie Chez Lévêque, secretly hoping that he’ll live up to everything you’ve heard about him: that mysterious aura, that devastating charm, those looks that say sweet innocence but whisper trouble.

Yet today, the man seated across from you is playing interview subject, not screen heartthrob. He’s upfront, with a determination as dangerous as his passion for motorcycle racing. Ensconced in a booth, he’s sporting a just-out-of-bed do and an impish grin. Actor David La Haye is part man, part boy; never serious, but not quite cavalier.

These days, he can almost afford to be. With buzz surrounding his new film Head in the Clouds (starring Penélope Cruz and Charlize Theron) and a role in the eagerly awaited Gérard Depardieu epic New France, 2004 could be La Haye’s breakthrough year on the international scene — in both English and French cinema. He already has as solid a resumé as any Canadian actor: best actor Genie (for his star turn as a mentally challenged man in L’enfant d’eau); multiple Gémeaux and Jutra nominations (for roles in French-language TV and cinema like Omertà II and Full Blast). From Méchant party to Un crabe dans la tête, La Haye has been a mainstay of Quebec cinema for a decade. He’s on the A-list. But in 2000, he resolved to raise his international profile, committing himself to a string of auditions in London, Paris and New York. Slowly, this strategy is paying off. One day, David La Haye will be as big a star internationally as he is in Quebec. At least that’s the plan.

With the Quebec film industry surfing a current wave of popularity thanks to the success of critical darlings like Denys Arcand (consider that the majority of nominees in the major categories in last month’s Genie Awards hailed from La Belle Province), cynics might say La Haye made the wrong career decision. "I set my sights on foreign markets because I knew there’d be no shortage of projects," he counters. "And having a pool of Canadian actors with experience abroad is good for cross-market financing." With the success of films like The Red Violin, ambitious international co-productions are still the rage. The subject of New France — romantic intrigue against the backdrop of France’s abandonment of its colony — seems tailor-made for its English/French/Canadian cast and crew. La Haye plays François Le Gardeur, who he describes as "a fur trapper, intellectual, lover, conqueror and committed patriot." A backwoodsman who’s smart enough to defend the colony’s interests in Europe; a rebel with a cause. Sounds like La Haye himself.

The turning-his-back-on-Quebec-cinema question has to be asked, but you will pay the price. La Haye’s gaze turns on you like a laser. "It’s exactly the opposite," he shoots back. "I’m not leaving Quebec cinema behind; I’m taking it along in my luggage. My love for the filmmakers here is well known." Indeed, in his role as the spokesperson for a festival of emerging directors, he’s helped jump-start the Nouvelle Vague québécoise of young talent like André Turpin (Un crabe dans la tête), Denis Villeneuve (Maelström) and Éric Tessier (Sur le seuil). "With all these American and European shoots in our backyard, we have to consider ourselves a major player," La Haye explains. "Quebec and Canadian cinema can and should go international. Why shouldn’t we dream big?"

1 | 2 | 3 | JUN '04