Yann Moix’s first feature film, “Podium” was a great success thanks in particular to the talent of Benoît Poelvoorde. However, to prepare the role of the double of Claude François, it was not an easy task.
Podium : Alexandria, Alexandra
Before becoming the controversial columnist of‘We are not in bed, Yann Moix was, in 2004, a prodigy writer. Revealed by his first novel entitled Jubilations to the sky, he decides to diversify by going through the cinema box. For this, he adapts his own book, Podium. The film follows Bernard Frédéric, an ordinary banker whose second profession is to be the double of the famous singer Claude François. His dream is to win the contest for the “Night of lookalikes”, much to the chagrin of his wife Vero. Torn between his wife and his fantasy of glory, he will have to choose.
For his first feature film, Podium is a great commercial success with more than 3 million admissions. He finds himself nominated above all in five categories. A glory that Yann Moix will unfortunately not find again since, 5 years later, his second film Cineman will be a real flop on all fronts. This famous criticism of Nanarland.
An unfortunate allergy
To play the role of Bernard Frédéric in Podium, Yann Moix did not hesitate to hire the earthy Belgian actor Benoît Poelvoorde. However, playing the Cloclo lookalike meant dancing too. And in this area, the actor is not the most comfortable in the world. So he had to spend 3 months alongside dancer and choreographer Mia Frye, well known for staging the famous dance. Macarena. The latter would have made him drool so much during training, that, in revenge, he improvised the line in which his character calls out to him in a more than disrespectful way. His on-screen surprise is real.
For another 3 months he also trained in vocals, with the help of vocal advisor Richard Cross (whom fans of Popstars and star Academy have known well). Moreover, he himself performs all the pieces that his character sings in Podium.
The greatest difficulty was undoubtedly wearing her wig. Indeed, so that it can hold firmly on its head, we had to hold it with glue. Problem: the actor has developed a serious allergy to it, to the point that his face turns purple at the end of the shoot.
This long preparation was however a bad for a good since Poelvoorde received only praise following his performance. He will also resume his role two years later, for film purposes Jean Philippe, with Johnny Hallyday and Fabrice Luchini.
Nevertheless, he will not reincarnate Bernard Frédéric, on the occasion of an aborted sequel to Podium.
