Un Si Grand Soleil: ‘Francois and Catherine are two predators’ reveals Jeremy Corvilla

In April 2023, François Laumier (Jérémie Corvillault) made a very noticeable appearance in Un si grand soleil.

A ruthless and unscrupulous businessman, Boris and Lorin’s father established himself in episodes as a character we love to hate. From his strong personality to his explosive reactions to his fierce punches, Francois Laumier has become an important character in France 2’s daily soap opera.

Today, François Laumiere is in the spotlight more than ever with the merger of Laumière Santé and OCI. A project that Kathryn (Smaddy Wolfman), his soon-to-be ex-wife, would not like at all.

But while François and Catherine are on the brink of a merciless war, the merger between the OCI and Laumière Sante may experience some twists and turns that could tear apart the Laumiere clan.

During a visit to the Un si grand soleil studios last January, Jérémy Courvilla, the fearsome François Laumiere’s interpreter, spoke to Alocine about his character and what awaits him during the next episodes of the daily soap opera.

Alocine: What attracted you to the role of François Laumiere?

Jeremy Covillo : that he is not a sympathetic character. He is macho, misogynistic, very strict in business and quite rude. What I ended up liking was that he wasn’t a hero. Villains are often the funniest characters.

You made a very noticeable entrance into the series, and now we have the impression that François is gradually establishing himself as the new villain of Un si grand soleil.

It was kind of the idea, even if initially, I had to be there pretty punctually. And since it went well, there was a desire to continue.

Francois is known for his fist. Do you enjoy playing a politically incorrect character?

I’m spoiled. Really awesome! I have some really good ones and I love them. It’s quite enjoyable to shoot things that are completely disgusting. That’s why villains are fun to play because we allow ourselves to do things we wouldn’t allow ourselves to do in life. I’m not a bad boy in life, but there’s something about playing bad boys.

Throughout the episodes, we discover the conflicting relationships between the Laumer clan and its members. Are we going to find out why Francois is so strict with those around him?

Francois’ way of doing things with his children is a bit special. This brings competition into the game. That is, he opposes them to each other. This is divide and conquer.

It will remain a mystery, but we quickly learn that he somewhat invented the story about his past. We don’t really know where it comes from and the mystery will continue. The writers may explain the character’s origins in the future, but at this point we don’t necessarily know much more.

We recently met Catherine, François’ future ex-wife. What can you tell us about this relationship?

Francois and Catherine have a very conflicted relationship. Both are predators. I think that even in their intimacy there is something quite heavy and very animalistic. They hate each other as much as they love each other. For them, these are somewhat similar feelings.

Francois and Catherine are in the process of divorce. It goes very badly, even to the point where they play a lot of dirty tricks on each other. Somewhere I think Catherine is making an impression on Francois. She’s probably one of the only women who has a hold on him, and that makes him a little nervous. With him, he loses his abilities and peace of mind.

What can you tell us about the merger between OCI and Laumière Santé?

Elizabeth and Francois decided to combine and buy. Everyone has his interest. But Catherine will do everything to prevent this project. This will go too far and cause huge problems. At first, Francois and Elizabeth join forces against Catherine to thwart her plans. However, Ekaterina has not had the last word and will take advantage of the situation through rather disgusting means.

In the end, Catherine is a real viper…

He is worse than Francois. He is also smarter. He will use terrible means and risk a lot to prevent this project. A lot of things will happen with big twists and turns.

What role will Laurin and Boris play in this story?

Lorin will be on her father’s side, unlike Boris, who will go against Francois. The bridges between Francois and Boris are completely cut.

Audiences love bad guys. Did you get any feedback on your character?

Since I am in the series, sometimes people recognize me. I can tell people love to hate me. I got some really funny feedback actually. One day I was on the street with my friend and a boy passing by said to me:Won’t you be Francois Laumier’s bastard in Un si grand soleil?” (Laughs). It’s quite crazy, but everyone tells me with a smile. Looking at this, I tell myself that we did a good job and that we don’t love the character, but people do.

Do you have any other projects outside of the show that you can talk about?

I did a big series called Paris has Fallen, which corresponds to the films London has Fallen and The President Has Fallen with Gerard Butler. It will not be with Gerald Butler, but with Tewfiq Jalab, Ritu Arya and Sean Harris. I play Commander Mathis, head of the DGSE counter-terrorism cell. It’s a series that’s going to be pretty spectacular, I think. They are very good actors, very good actors.

I will also take part in the film adaptation of The Count of Monte Cristo with Pier Nini. Being part of this adventure was pretty crazy for me because it’s one of my favorite books from childhood. I’m still playing Trump (laughs).

I will be in an episode of La Recrue for TF1 with Thierry Neuwich and Ethan Isidore, as well as two TV movies for France Télévisions, in which I will have great roles.

At the same time, I produce a series of podcasts. It is an adaptation of the American Marvel audio series called Wastelanders. The action does not take place in the MCU canon, but is adapted from the comics. Super villains are assumed to have captured and killed most of the superheroes. There are still a few lurking. We are moving 30 years into the future. They are all between 60 and 70 years old and we are telling their stories. There are six seasons. Each season will focus on one superhero. And I was assigned to implement this project with Studio Engle and Raphael Fruchard, who is my partner for a very long time. I am currently producing the sixth and final season. I am in charge of directing, but I will make a small surprise appearance in an iconic role.