Jean-Michel Tiniwell: “Simon Coleman has little to do with Markan”

Exit Fred Markand on Alice Nevers and place Simon Coleman for Jean-Michel Tiniwell. Just a few months after saying goodbye to the TF1 series, the actor returns tonight with the lead role of France 2, which looks set to be a success in the series.

In Simon Coleman, he plays a Parisian policeman accustomed to covertly covering dangerous missions, who has been entrusted with guardianship of his nephews in a tragic accident following the brutal death of his sister and daughter-in-law. Forced to move to the south of France to care for children, will this hitherto impartial bachelor manage to establish a orderly family life and find it in the provincial police department?

In connection with the transfer of this new fiction, Jean-Michel Tiniwell tells us more about his character, his differences with Markand, and the aspect of family comedy that greatly appreciated his decision to go on this adventure.

AlloCiné: After almost 15 years at Alice Nevers, did you hesitate until you again agreed on the role of police officer in Simon Coleman?

Jean-Michel Tiniwell : Not at all. I was very happy with the proposal. Because I said to myself, “Policeman, good, but potential backwards.” And this is a format that I like very much because it allows you to explore the character in depth.

This pilot lays the groundwork and I felt we could do something different from a base that, on paper, might seem close because, like Markand, Simon is a cop. But he is a “feeling good, nice” cop. He was not always friendly when marking. He was grumbling, excited, and he was against Alice, who was often benevolent.

So I said to myself, “Take the base of the marker and go somewhere else. Open it the other way around. Go positive.” And I feel we have succeeded. After the first few minutes we quickly realize that Simon Coleman has little in common with the mark.

From the drama that Simon and his nephews experience, a real family comedy situation emerges as your character has to find his mark as a three-child uncle and mentor. Did you like that while reading the script?

To be honest, if this pilot had been just a police duo and an investigation story, I would definitely have hesitated. But it is true, there is also a family side that violates only the fact of policing. And family prevails over rest and investigation. The situation in which my character is immersed is quite insurmountable and stronger than the rest. And obviously, we’re using this comic and family theme for the rest of us to shoot other episodes.

At this point in your career, were you trying to go into comedy when Simon Coleman appeared?

I guess the characters I could have interpreted before and who, in my opinion, were already vague, were not necessarily perceived in society (laughs). So yes, I want to go even further with that. What I wonder about are the ordinary characters who become unusual, who are a bit far from the ground, who have latitudes that go in all directions. And with Simon Coleman, I think there is a good reason to go in that direction if we continue.

I do not want to play the perfect boy. I want to use his shortcomings so that he has a special way of investigating. A bit like Columbus: he has no superpowers, but we give ourselves the right, we are amazed. We can also mention HPI on TF1 or Candice Renoir on France 2. They are colorful characters and I guess unusual characters are always more interesting. And I need it. And Sun Heroes. I want to be a friendly person.

Was the role written for you?

Not at all. Even if I think the producer Richard Berkovic had the idea in mind from the beginning. I met him several times at the La Rochelle Festival last year and each time he told me he wanted to talk to me. But it did not go further. And I forgot to ask him what it was all about (laughs). In short, it started badly.

Eventually, I made the decision to return from La Rochelle the day before because I completely forgot about these brief discussions and by the happiest chance I could find Richard on the station platform. And once on the train he was finally able to talk to me about this fantastic detective project in a really good spirit. And I did not hesitate to read the sequence.

My enthusiasm was there as I performed Alice Nevers as well. I liked finishing this 14-year-old saga and going straight back to another role. Because I only started filming a few days after Alice. And then I liked the character. Macho’s myth has been shaken up a bit and I think it’s perfect.

How did you prepare this uncle to play the role of a policeman?

It ended up being pretty easy because I’m close to Simon. I’m failing with the kids. I am lonely, childless. So I wondered how I could handle this in Coleman’s shoes.

You are outstanding in the case of a policeman, you are immersed, you have to go to see friends to relax, and Beam, in his corner, runs away. Your sister has died and you have to look after her children. It’s nothing. In such cases it is better not to think. We go there with love and provide.

It is often said that filming with children is not easy. Was that the case with Simon Coleman?

I confirm: it is very difficult (laughs). It was Clint Eastwood who said I believe and it is true. I knew it was hard because I had already met some of them (laughs). But there were three at once. Also at different ages. And then everything happened very quickly, we really did not have time to meet before filming started. So we had to catch the situation quickly and use what they felt at the time to shoot.

Luckily the production chose three super young actors. And because I’m stubborn, I got along well with them. Probably because I have no children. I do not have the parenting power that children should feel (laughs). There he said to himself “he has white hair but still jokes”. So, except that you have to shoot fast, because the kids get tired quickly, everything went well.

You have long had Marine Delterm as a privileged partner on screen. In Simon Coleman you create a new shocking duet with Rafael Agogue. How was your meeting and your collaboration in this department?

I met a few actresses, we did tests and it happened to Rafaela. I was on Alice Nevers three days ago, finishing the last episodes, so I obviously had reflexes because of the years I spent with Madame Justice. Sometimes I would say to myself, “No, not Marine, Rafaela” (laughs). You have to put up with all this.

But it went well, especially since at least we do not have much time to ask questions, we have to go. We did not have time to say “How do we discuss this duet?”. The characters are camped out, they’re somewhat on paper, and lo and behold, he’s in the role of a bit of Marquardt, he’s hitting me, he’s whispering. And he, who specializes in the case of the sinking in Paris, sinks a little into this provincial police station because he asks his boss not to reveal the real reasons for his arrival in Aix-en-Provence.

What I also liked about this duo is that Rafael’s character is in control. Often in the TV series he is the guy who runs it, I never understood why. So there I said to myself “Wonderful, it’s wonderful”. It goes in the right direction and leads to very funny situations, because here again we meet a somewhat macho guy, out of place bravery, in doubt about a woman’s driving qualities.

See you soon in the champion on TF1, with Kenji Girag. Was it a good meeting?

ახYes indeed. I participate in this TV movie, I did not spend weeks on the set, we did not play the guitar together on fire in the evenings and evenings. But Kenji is a really good guy, very friendly. And I think people will be surprised.

He really gave himself up with all simplicity, opened up. And from what I have seen, the result really exists. Since I went to see him at the concert, he is a really wonderful guy. And we are defending an important subject, illiteracy. So I hope people like it.

Do you have other future projects?

Now I’m focused on breeding Simon Coleman. And then let’s see. Maybe other episodes, depending on the viewer. But I have no hurry, longing or immediate plans.