This is where it all begins: the disappearance of Noemi, the Greg-Marius duo… Mikael Mittelstadt’s confidence in the summer storyline.

AlloCiné: You just celebrated two years of filming Here It All Begins. Are you still having fun playing Greg?

Michael Mittelstadt : Yes, really. My temperament makes me impulsive, spontaneous and I like to improvise wherever I can. Last week I did a scene with Kathryn Marshall where I stopped improvising and in that moment I said to myself, “It’s cool, we can always reinvent ourselves even though it’s been two years and we’re playing the same role.”

And then I play a character that is a kind of kaleidoscope. It goes in all directions, it has been through so much that it is a joy for me to express myself through it. Greg is really full of color. And every day I thank the authors for writing such an interesting character for me to play. I hope it continues, I know I’m very lucky.

Greg is at the heart of Summer Ark, which is currently airing. What was your reaction when you found out that the authors are coming up with a mystery thriller from last summer?

I love that movie, so I was excited (laughs). Sarah Farahmand, our producer, called me to tell me about this new story, and it started with the appearance of Marius, this childhood friend of Greg’s who was going to make Elliot jealous. I thought it was great because we’ve never seen Elliot so jealous before. A little with Lillian, after the Arch of Delobal a year ago.

Then Sarah told me about how this ark was going to be transformed into the world of Agatha Christie and Last Summer. And I said, “This is the best gift you can give me.” I have been a big fan of this stuff since I was a kid. Agatha Christie, Sherlock Holmes, I read them all. We’re not there yet, of course, but the kind of weird atmosphere where we’re hugging the walls and thinking “what’s going on in this hotel?”, I like it. I am a very customer. So I was happy about it.

And that’s great because the thriller is a genre we see a lot of in Tomorrow We Own It, but here it all starts, it’s never really been explored before…

Yes, this is the truth. And I think the challenge for the authors was also not to fall into the DNA. It should have remained different. And from what we’ve captured, I find that the cooking and baking dimension remains very relevant. This is what everything starts here maintains its identity and uniqueness. It’s more interesting than just being in thrillers.

And I can tell you that we gave a pastry level on the set. The two weeks of filming, where we only took care of the National Pastry Championship, were tough (laughs). It was hot, there were lots of cakes to make. And on top of the arch you will see that the cakes are magnificent. But it was not easy, even super stimulated and raised. We slept well in the evening (laughs). The nights were very restorative.

On the screen we discovered a new decor, Hotel Beaumont. You also shot some scenes on the beach. Did you experience filming this story as a breath of fresh air?

Yes, absolutely. I had to jump into the water several times, on the beach or on a boat, so I personally consider myself quite lucky (laughs). Leaving prison is scary because it takes us out of our comfort zone. But on the other hand, it’s something that allows you to find renewal and reinvent things when you go to shoot in outdoor sets like this.

And it’s funny, because the Hotel Beaumont is actually three or four different sets, and the image creates an illusion. This is the magic of editing and television.

This arc sees the return of Joseph Malerba (Benoît Delobel) and Lucia Passaniti (Noémie). Was it fun to find them?

Of course, one like the other. Lucia, I had not visited many tours with him. We had that little regret when he left the series. And when he came back and I found out he was going to be Greg Noemi’s second, I was happy. I knew I would have a lot of scenes with Lucia. It was really nice. And at the end of the arc I said to her “I feel like I really met you in this plot”. The thing is, you really do find people, even if you’ve known them for two years.

Joseph Malerba is one of my favorite people to work with. I really can’t explain why. Of course there is this pseudo paternal bond as he plays my father in the series. And family relationships, in fiction, are always very strong for actors. But that’s not all.

We have a real connection. When we are both, we scare others a little, because we have synchronized reactions, common expressions. A complicity that we often have after several years of friendship. And with Joseph it was established very quickly. So as soon as I have scenes with him, I am excited. And I am very excited to play with him. He is very generous, I learn a lot from him. And he’s a fabulous actor. That’s why we go back whenever we want (laughs).

You mentioned Marius earlier, who is one of the new characters in Ark of the Summer. What’s interesting is that he’s not just another obstacle between Greg and Elliot, he allows Greg’s past to be explored and shows that, ultimately, his repressed homosexuality was a torment for him, but also for others, because Marius accepted rejection. very bad…

I find this very clever on the part of the authors, while it is not obvious. Even if there is always the challenge of everyday life to bring back the ghosts of the characters’ past. But I like that a lot of actors like to invent the past stories of their characters. The idea is to “better understand what happened before so you can better respond to the present.” It’s a logic that makes sense, but I’ve never liked to put it into practice. I like doing what I have now.

So when I go to the set, I have no choice. They tell me “Marius is his childhood friend”. And it feeds me against my will. Instinctively, it’s a story set in Greg’s past. I didn’t make it up, but it’s reality because the authors chose it. And it’s up to me to respect that. And I think it’s great because it echoes the events that happened during the Ark of “Le Secret des Delobel,” it makes sense, and it works really well. Authors are really very strong (laughs).

And what was great was also exploring a new connection with Damas Roy, who plays Marius. It was not easy for him in a series like Here It All Begins, which is already working, which is already well established, where everyone has their own codes. And Marius has probably known Greg for a long time. This is a real challenge. I know it can be intimidating for guest actors joining us for Arch. But I loved shooting with it, it was so easy. He is very kind, it was a pleasure to play with him.

And then, without being socio-political, the fact that we have two homosexual characters leading the investigation without falling into clichés about homosexuality, I think that’s very clever of the writers. Homosexuality is normal, it’s just a variable, and Greg and Marius’ sexuality doesn’t change the situation. It is important.

After being convinced that they hit and killed Alban on the elder DeLobel’s boat, Greg and Marius, who have been receiving strange threatening messages, now think that this is all set up by Alban to get revenge on Noemi. What can you tell us about what awaits us in the rest of the plot?

We are no closer to knowing the truth. We will explore many possibilities. This is a story that is really built like a thriller. False leads will abound. And, indeed, there is a mystery surrounding Albany, and we will find out the answer to all of this in the final revelation. You will have to be patient.

Will Greg and Marius keep what they feel? Or do they end up trusting Elliott, Teyssier, Anais or even Benoit?

It will happen gradually. Greg confides in Elliot. And it will be a choice, on the part of others, that will be “do we choose to believe them or not?”. Because a phenomenon will happen in the hotel. And this may call into question the credibility of Greg and Marius.

Noem will disappear in turn. What effect will this disappearance have on the brigade? Will they be able to defend their place in the championship?

This is the whole question: can they continue the competition without a leader? Of course, logic dictates no. But it would be a shame to give up on Greg’s team at this point. So, you see, pensioner, I can’t say anything (laughs).

In any case, Noemi’s disappearance will highlight the strange aspect of it all. The characters really start to understand that there are things going on in this hotel that are not normal. There was the boat episode, of course, but nothing was certain at the time. Although Chef Matretti’s disappearance is real. And even if there is a rational pseudo-explanation for his “absence”, Greg and Marius are not going to lie.

In this summer intrigue, Here It All Begins also highlights Greg’s friendship with Anai, who we haven’t seen much of on screen before. Do you hope this continues in season three?

Yes, we would love to be, because Julie Sassus and I got along well from the beginning. He is one of the people I am best friends with. for several reasons. We play table tennis together (laughs). But we’ve always wanted to shoot together, and we really enjoyed those little scenes between Greg and Anais. We even had a scene together on the beach, it was great. So we can only hope it continues into the fall.

You’re filming back to school episodes right now. Can you say a word about what lies ahead? Lots of new faces?

Yes, there is a brand new promo coming up. What I know, since I don’t really attend the beginning of the school year, there are many secrets and new things that will come at the beginning of the school year during the New Year exam. New entities that have never been seen before in the series will be approached, new types of characters, new profiles and some monsters from other characters’ pasts. Everything we love (laughs).

You’ve done quite a bit here, this is where everything starts this year, whether it’s TF1 for Les Combattantes or France 2 in Bardot. Do you have any other projects planned in the coming months?

Now I’m enjoying my vacation, I don’t have any projects that are being created. This is where it all starts. There will definitely be a Combattantes promotion this fall and I think Bardo will be on the show next year. But now it’s calm and I feel good.

Sometimes I tend to run and get excited, and my body doesn’t always follow. So I see this holiday period as a good time to recharge my batteries before starting over on Revenge It All Begins and other projects if Providence wills.