CULTURE
The Different Facets of Actress
KARINE
VANASSE
After nearly 20 years in the industry, Karine Vanasse has had a great variety of roles, from French and French-Canadian characters in Canada and in the U.S., and in drama, as well as, in comedy. Despite her alluring lifestyle, with her love of nature and everything minimalist, ethereal, and bucolic, it was only right that we photograph her in a rural, picturesque setting. Get to know the radiant, multi-faceted, and very intuitive woman behind the camera as she talks about her creativity, dualities, and Cardinal.
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Photographer Donat Art Director and Interview by Mayillah Ezekiel
eing one of the rare actresses with the freedom to move back and forth between the English and French worlds, Karine Vanasse has also demonstrated her versatility by colouring outside the lines with her recent fashion collaboration with Elisa C-Rossow and by being the spokesperson for the Contemporary Art Fair “Papier.” This year marks a few firsts, from being in her first comedy movie to the challenge of playing a mother in her latest French film Et au pire on se mariera, and Cardinal, which is her first major English-Canadian TV series. Playing Cardinal’s Lise Delorme is also a new and rare opportunity for the charming and eloquent actress to showcase her Quebec heritage.
You are one of the rare actors able to balance your career in both French and English. You also seem to harmonize gracefully with opposites, whether it be combining high fashion with local designers or keeping yourself grounded with nature while living what would seem like a glamorous life. Have you always been attracted to opposites and does keeping your life balanced come naturally to you? What seems a conscious balance is the genuine trajectory of my life. On a superficial level, there can be pressure to conform. By embracing the “opposite forces” and allowing myself to be enriched by what I am naturally attracted to is something that I didn’t do enough of when I was younger. All of the contrast in my life is a true reflection of myself and what inspires me.
When you work on a new project, whether it be a movie or a new season of a TV show, how does it feel to see countless hours of work come to life and have your project available to the public? Seeing the final result is some-
thing that fascinates and satisfies me the most. The idea that a concept is strong enough to develop into a story, which will hopefully resonate with an audience, is something very special. On a day-today basis, working on a set is equally fulfilling for me. Knowing on paper what we have to do and then seeing the vision of the director take shape, along with the collaboration of a cast and crew all sharing a common goal is when that magic happens.
An interesting part of being an actor is walking in someone else’s shoes. Having a career like yours, you must be strong-minded and have an amazing work ethic. Where does it come from and has your character in Cardinal, “Lise Delorme,” ever taught you something about yourself? Some
roles really force you to explore areas of human nature that you would otherwise never have to, or at the very least, with the same intensity. I often find myself speaking with a voice and walking in a way that I didn’t think I could. Accomplishing this is to let your body explore what this story and these words bring out from the depth of who you are as a human being. Staying open and receptive - that’s the biggest work ethic I can offer to my characters.
