“I love the south of France. I love my fans. SO. Being back in Cannes and on the Côte d’Azur is very pleasant.”
Eternal Brandon from the cult 90s teen series
Beverly Hills
, Jason Priestley appreciates France, and the French spectators repay him. They were there on Sunday at Canneséries to discover the new role of the Canadian actor.
To discover
TV program this evening: our selection of the day
The fifty-year-old with the beard which is starting to turn gray is in the credits of the police comedy
Wild Cards.
This series, which has not yet been purchased by a broadcaster here, follows the quest for redemption and the not necessarily in-depth investigations of a disgraced police officer and a young con artist so observant that she becomes his assistant. The first is played by ex-
Grey's Anatomy
intern Giacomo Gianniotti. The pillar of
Riverdale
Vanessa Morgan lends her features to the second, the prodigious and twirling Max. Jason Priestley, seen a few months ago in the French TV film
Mort sur la piste
, plays the young woman's convict father. A small role. But central. Explanations.
TV MAGAZINE - In this series you play the role of the heroine's father. A small-time scammer behind bars. What attracted you to this supporting role?
Jason PRIESTLEY. -
I had worked on my two previous series with the producers of
Wild Cards
. As good friends, they had me read the script in advance. I found the storyline charming with a perfect balance between mystery and action, romance and comedy. Everything that's missing from today's television. So when they asked me to play George, I didn't hesitate. It was an extraordinarily fun experience.
What if you had to paint a portrait of George?
George is a crook, pure and simple, that's all he knows how to do. Moreover, he operated in tandem with his wife. Their daughter Max grew up in this environment and followed in her parents' footsteps. Like all scammers, George is affable, talkative and a great storyteller. He knows how to put his interlocutors at ease. It’s a very nice role to play because there are no limits, there are no rules. What touched me was that George adores his daughter. Max is no stranger to the fact that he is in prison.
Your scenes take place in George's cell. You didn't feel too alone in the world?
No way. I loved coming to work with the same costume in the same setting, it's very liberating. I felt like I was in
Star Trek!
In my world !
For French viewers, you are inseparable from the
Beverly Hills series.
Are you surprised that the series is still mentioned so much by the public?
I am very pleasantly surprised. This shows that, despite all its detractors, this series was made to stand in time. It's amazing how many people still watch the episodes and enjoy them like the first day.
Beverly Hills
filled a void. Back in the 70s, 80s when I was a kid, you watched whatever your parents watched on TV. There were no programs aimed at young people aged 13 to 24.
21 Jump Street
had started to shake things up but everyone knew that these police officers, infiltrated in a high school, were played by adult actors.
Beverly Hills
spoke directly to young people and said, "We understand the problems you're going through, we're going to put them on screen." Maybe you can find something relevant in there. It worked incredibly well.
Was the series a good learning ground?
It was an excellent education. Being the lead actor and having your name on the call sheet teaches you to become responsible: arrive on time, know your lines, make sure your partners and guest actors feel comfortable. It was on the sets of
Beverly Hills
that I learned the basics of directing and directing actors. One thing led to another and I became executive producer.
Beverly Hills
was my film school.
Beverly Hills
lasted a decade. Was this a source of freedom for your following projects or on the contrary an obstacle?
At the end of the series, I wanted to multiply my experiences: I directed, I did a play in London, I acted in films and I took my time before returning to series, with
True Calling
,
Private Eyes
and
Fitz
. For a long time, I wanted to know everything that the success of the series had not given me time to do. This summer and until the end of the year, I will be directing new episodes of the Netflix series,
My Life with the Walter Boys
. I also hope very quickly for good news on a possible season 2 of
Wild Cards.