Michel Forget: A Life of a Thousand Things
Discover our interview with Michel Forget
Mr. Forget, you are now 74 years old. After a great career as an actor and businessman, you are now retired. Was your forced rest period in 2012 a warning sign?
I had the early stages of shingles, but they caught it just in time. My doctor prescribed antibiotics and a lot of rest, and things cleared up. I’m lucky, because shingles can be extremely painful. After that, I never got back to the same pace as before. After all these years, I thought, I had gotten to this place. I still play small roles here and there (Unité 9, Denis Arcand’s Le règne de la beauté), and I accept assignments like serving as spokesman for the fourth edition of Salon FADOQ 50 ans +, but otherwise, I just enjoy life with my spouse.
Over the years, you have been an actor, a businessman, and the manager of a charitable organization. Which of these roles was your favourite?
Oh, my God. Of course working with homeless people warms the heart and makes you feel useful. And I liked acting. I was a businessman by circumstance. I had a partner, I bought him out, and I had to do something to avoid losing everything. (Laughs) But I soon surrounded myself with competent people, and that made the dry cleaning chain grow quickly. I sold my share 10 years ago now.
You have two sons in their forties from your first marriage who have always lived in England with their mother. You also have two grandsons. What is this long-distance relationship like for you?
We call each other frequently, and there is also Skype! I visit them every two or three years in England. My sons have also visited me a few times, but now I would like my grandsons to come here. I hope they will soon.
My older son, who gave me my two grandsons, is a school principal. My younger son is a teacher. And I have to say, I think teachers in England are treated far better than in Quebec! (Editor’s note: At the time of the interview in fall 2015, Quebec’s teachers were battling with the government over cuts in education.)
Tell me, is Fondation Recours for homeless people, which you created in 1988, still around?
Yes, but it is now under the direction of Œuvre Léger. You know, we live our lives, caught up with what we do… I walked the streets in Montreal for few nights with street workers. It was shocking and eye opening. I went one morning to Portage, a drug addiction rehabilitation centre, and I met a 13-year-old who had tried to kill herself six times. It shakes you up. I went back home and said to my spouse, “It doesn’t make sense. I have to do something to help these people!”
That’s where the idea for the foundation came from. But all the administrative tasks like handling the cash, depositing it at the bank, and answering the phone were really beyond me. Œuvre Léger approached us and offered to help with all that. For a while I continued to be a face for the foundation and to participate in fundraising activities.
Quebec audiences still associate you with Mario Duquette (Du tac au tac) and Gilles Guilbeault (Lance et compte). But isn’t there another role that holds a big place in your heart?
Yes, the role of Azarius Lacasse in the movie Bonheur d’occasion. The Du tac au tac adventure ended after six seasons. I thought, “It’s going to be quiet for a bit, you know, here in Quebec.” (Laughs) But at the request of Dominique Lajeunesse, the daughter of Janette Bertrand, who had a casting agency, I went to an audition, without any real expectations. But I was called back for a screen test, which is like a second audition only a few actors are invited to. About two weeks later, the phone rang. When I answered, Claude Fournier, the producer, said, “Hello, Azarius!” Wow, was that a shock! And it was a milestone. I never acted in a comedy since. In an actor’s life, playing this type of character, being able to carve out a place in people’s hearts, is a nice gift. I had that tremendous opportunity.
In 1989, you filmed Le party with Pierre Falardeau. Meeting him really had an impact on you, didn’t it?
Yes! I hadn’t known him for long, but I really liked working with him. Beneath his sort of bearish grouchiness was this wonderful and kind man. He was kind of a victim of his own character. I even met him at Le Commensal, a vegetarian restaurant! Who’d have thought? (Laughs) It was a great shoot. And the movie did well. Pierre Falardeau passed away a bit too soon, I think.
Are there people around you who live with hearing loss?
Yes! I have few friends, some actors and some not, who have hearing loss. We joke about it, we tease them. One of my friends, who passed away, wore hearing aids. When we played golf, he took them out at the beginning of the game so he could focus and not be bothered by our silliness. (Laughs) Actually, it’s an advantage in life. People with hearing aids can hear when they want and turn them off when they want a break! (Laughs)
If someone told you that you had hearing loss and had to wear hearing aids, would it make you uncomfortable?
Absolutely not! It’s no worse than wearing dentures! (Laughs) I think I hear too much. Sometimes, I wish I were deaf so I could get a break! (Laughs)
Don't forget!
An assessment by an audioprosthetist is required to determine which hearing aid suits the patient's needs.