Marcel Leboeuf: Passionate and Inspiring
Discover our interview with Marcel Leboeuf
Mr. Lebœuf, during your career you have shot numerous films. Do you have a good story you could tell us?
Absolutely! I was shooting the 10-07: L’Affaire Kafka police miniseries in the Old Port of Montreal. On the first day, I got to the set early in the morning. When I walked into Costumes there was a costumier in the room, and we said hello. I put my clothes in a dressing room and went to the buffet. The costumier asked me the name of my character, so I answered her.
The other actors arrived. They came up to me and said hello, and they asked my character’s name. Once again, I told them. But all of a sudden, I realized I was on the wrong set! My movie was actually shooting a block away! There were two shootings at the same time! The floor manager finally told me I was on the wrong set (laughs).
Working as an actor, I suppose that your hearing is important for you?
Yes, and I need to have it checked very soon. I’m having a hard time hearing with my left ear, and people around me need to repeat themselves quite often. It doesn’t worry me that much, but if I were to suddenly go deaf, I would be devastated. Hearing is a priceless gift! In my situation, it is best not to wait too long, and this is why I will go and have my hearing checked.
If you need hearing aids, will you be reluctant to wear them?
Not at all! If it comes to that, I will wear them. I have no problem with that.
The Lobe Magazine deals with hearing health and communication. What would you like to share with our readers living with hearing problems?
If you friends or your wise tell you “Did you not hear this? I just told you!” and you were in fact paying attention to what they were saying…well…don’t wait too long, if only for a routine examination. When in doubt, you need to consult with a professional.
I’ve lost one of my cousins to a cancer that he battled during five years. He was very active, and always said that doctors were not for him. The day he found a lump on his neck, it was already too late. It is important not to drag things out.
Your last series of lectures, Synchronicité et opportunités des rencontres humaines, (Synchronicity and opportunities of human encounters1) has been highly successful. Following that, you have published a book titled Sur les chemins des hasards (Random Road1). Do you think coincidence has favoured you?
Yes. But I want to make it clear that I am no expert about coincidence. What I have realized though is that some doors open while other close, and this is true for all of us. You need to be able to tell when a door opens and decide what to do about it.
For instance, when I was 18 and a cégep student, I enrolled in a theatre class by sheer coincidence. At that time, I was not planning on becoming an actor because I was very shy. My teacher, Sophie Clément, told me one day that I had the talent to succeed in this job. At that very moment, she opened a door, and I had the choice of becoming an actor or doing something else.
Talking about coincidences, is becoming a speaker one of them?
Yes, absolutely! I went on a TV show hosted by Michel Jasmin, and people in the personal training field, who were looking for a new speaker at the time, watched it. They contacted me and said I had what it took to do that. I met with them, and they suggested that I speak about passion. That’s how my career as a speaker began, 14 years ago. This has given meaning to my life.