After arriving here two years ago, Tom Darmon, Tom Azem’s translator, made a very noticeable entrance at the Auguste Armand Institute.
Sarcastic, insightful and a bit arrogant, the apprentice chef didn’t just make friends at the famous gastronomy school. But beneath this exterior of a tough and self-confident young man, there is actually someone caring. And her unexpected love story with Billy proves it every day.
Last September, during the La Rochelle Arts Festival, Tom Darmon talked about what’s in store for his character during the next episodes of the TF1 daily soap opera.
Allociné: This is where everything begins at the beginning of the adventure, what attracted you to the role of Tom?
Tom Darmon : What I liked was that it was described as a hypersensitivity hidden behind a kind of casualness or even arrogance. This is something I have come up against a lot. I think that’s why I was chosen for this role. I had a natural randomness that I had to work on because it was a little overwhelming at first. But this way of sheltering behind a slightly distant air, when in reality we are fragile inside, touched me deeply.
Tom is someone who is sarcastic, insightful and even provocative. Do you enjoy playing such a character?
It amuses me immensely. I allow myself to make sliders about what I could naturally do, but much further. We’re not going to lie, this is something I’m good at. Naturally, I am a little like that. I can be obnoxious, but brutally kind, not cruel. It’s easy for me to sound a little angry or a little sarcastic. I like it. Here’s the funny thing.
What was the public reaction to your character?
I must have received one or two negative messages. I don’t read social networks that much. When I first joined the series, I read a lot of comments, but I was advised to stop. People attack the characters a lot but not so much the actor in the end. It doesn’t affect me much. I had weaknesses as an actor, but I find it normal that people are ruthless.
I have a last name, it’s that simple. It’s something I’ve been used to for a long time and I’m not cold or cold. I’m not complaining. I had so many good things on my side that it didn’t matter. It was more my mother who felt sad when she was mean to me. And then Tom took a softer, more romantic direction. People tell me that I have changed for the better and that makes them happy. To be honest, it wouldn’t have changed the world if someone had told me otherwise. I get paid to do things, so I do.
Do you like making Tom human?
Yes. This is what I wanted from the beginning. What bothered me about this character was that unlike Taysier’s (Benjamin Barochet) role, which was nasty, we didn’t take the time to explore Tom’s other side. I was fine with being very bad or very hurt, but I also wanted to show another side of the character to make it work. We have to highlight his flaws, as well as for Teissier’s role. I expected Tom to be a little more humanized. And then this slightly sensitive and romantic side is something that I have in life as well. By this time I was well on my way to digging in that direction.
Tom and Bill (Margot Aguilar) Live a beautiful love story. What can we expect for this couple in the next few episodes?
Soon Billy’s brother will come and the meeting will be a bit unusual, unexpected. He will come and poke his nose into their love story. So there’s going to be trouble between Tom and Billy’s brother.
Bill and Tom are a pretty solid couple. It should stay that way in my opinion. We all want that, both on the production side and Margo and I. We want to keep that healthy side and not be a broken couple. I feel like we are the favorite endorsement of the show.
Academically, what will happen to Tom this year?
I do not know. I discover my level in cooking in the texts. Tom is not very characteristic when it comes to cooking. We do little depending on the moment. I think he’s pretty consistent and things will work out. I think Tom’s third year will go very well. He is not lazy.
Tom is a character we still know very little about. Do you want the writers to delve a little deeper into his family history?
He and not. I’m a bit torn because this is something I’ve seen a lot of in the series. Many characters were brought back to their families to serve up plenty of intrigue. I’m not particularly a consumer. Now, let’s delve into its history, yes, if only for the sake of my work. It would make my job easier to also have some character to keep. This is something I really missed when I first started in the series.
Is Tom already in his third year at the Auguste Armani Institute? Do you know what the writers envision for your character’s future after completing his course?
No one knows. We have contracts that last for a year, so we do a progress update every year. A lot can happen between now and then. I have seen actors completely change their approach to a project within a year. Sometimes we think we are on our way and finally something happens in our life. And on the production side, it’s the same. It depends on a thousand things. So far, it’s my year, I want to do it and it’s going to be a lot of fun.
Do you have any wishes for Tom? A topic you want to protect through it?
Not particularly. In fact, what I expect from my role is to be surprised and have something to protect that I wouldn’t choose. I want a challenge. So far the authors understand us very well. It’s rare that we have to play things against the grain. I mostly played things that I was comfortable with and that suited me personally. On the other hand, I wish we could be even funnier, and I really like the silly dinner aspect. I think there is something to learn in this regard.
Source: Allocine
Camila Luna is a writer at Gossipify, where she covers the latest movies and television series. With a passion for all things entertainment, Camila brings her unique perspective to her writing and offers readers an inside look at the industry. Camila is a graduate from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) with a degree in English and is also a avid movie watcher.
