A more beautiful life: “Leo will have to choose between Agath and Claire” confides Pierre Marto

Allociné: What was your reaction when you heard that Plus belle la vie was stopping after 18 years?

Pierre alone: When we officially heard the news, we were all together, with technical teams and administrative staff. To be honest, I expected it, but I was still a little surprised.

The fact that it became official in front of all these people, I was a little surprised. Plus belle la vie is characterized by harmony between actors, technicians and administrative team. Seeing all these people sitting there quietly listening to someone tell them they were going to lose their jobs, it really bothered me.

How do you see Leo developing over the course of the series?

I loved playing this character. From the beginning, I liked this cop character who was wrongly accused of murdering his wife and an ex-alcoholic. He was a believable character. You can be wrongfully accused of murder. There are also former alcoholics. So this character turned out to be very interesting.

Then he became friends with Roland and found a companion. Gradually, the character acquired a structure. Leo had an obsession, which was work. I told myself that he was an addict: he went from being addicted to alcohol to being addicted to his work. At the beginning of Plus belle la vie, he was single, and then he got into a relationship.

From the moment Leo entered the police station, the character’s perspective changed. We were less in the psychology of Leo. Then I left the series for 4 years because I have one of my children who had a very serious accident and I had to withdraw and distance myself from Plus belle la vie, which is very scary. There is something very artificial about the world of television, and given what I was going through in my personal life, I couldn’t afford that anymore.

During my absence, Leo’s character was largely replaced by Patrick. So my presence has become more casual, which is normal. I was the main character in the police station and needed to be replaced. From that moment on, my character became less exciting.

When he became the boss of Mistral and bought shares in the bar, I found it interesting. My character lost a lot of consistency and I regret it a lot. I had the honor of photographing Michelle Cordes as she walked away from the series. It was an honor to have him back because for me he was the subject of the series.

But eventually, there were changes and my co-management of Mistral didn’t work out, which led me to take on commitments elsewhere that I had always refused. So I was less available and Leo’s character was getting better and better.

However, there is one thing I wanted to make clear and that is that when I told this story in public, I read everywhere that I was angry. I’m not angry at all, I was sad, but I should have pursued my acting career elsewhere.

The ark of the fugitives started a few weeks ago. In this plot, Leo will return to the side of the police. Are you happy with this evolution for the end of the series?

Yes, a lot. This allows me to restore density to my character. A density that he had completely lost. After chasing down mobsters and criminals, he found himself cleaning vegetables in the Mistral kitchen at the behest of a teenage girl. This is completely out of the question in Leo’s career. So, yes, I’m very happy, and I’m also meeting Valerie Baurens, who is an actress that I really like to play with.

What can you tell us about this union with Agathe? How will Leo react when he discovers that she has become a prostitute again?

In Plus belle la vie, Agathe is the woman of his life. It’s part of the character’s history, and it’s allowed Leo to establish himself over time. So he is very upset. In addition, he is accused of murder, when he was in self-defense at the time of discovery. He will be very restless and he wants to help him. And at some point he will have to choose between her and Claire. He will face this dilemma.

Can we expect a happy ending for Leo?

The writers worked so that people would leave the characters of Plus belle la vie happy. Yes, Leo has a happy ending.

Can he return to the force for good?

We can’t say that Leo will return to the police, but at least the door is not closed. Personally, I would like it to end like this. As Leo held the Mistral in his hand, I asked.

I have found that there are many police officers who work until 67 and a half and who continue to be detectives after they retire. Leo’s character is sixty years old. I would love to have a story about it.

Will there be scenes between Leo and Barbara before the end of Plus belle la vie?

Yes, we will see them together. We said goodbye in the middle of September. Lea Francois is pregnant and had to take maternity leave. That’s why our goodbye happened a little early.

Roland will die before the end of the series. How will Leo react to hearing this news?

Roland is a main character of the neighborhood. He is like a father figure to everyone. It will be destroyed. He will have great tenderness for Thomas. And during the inheritance, Leo has information that he will pass on to Roland’s sons.

When you heard that the criminals decided to kill Roland, what was your reaction?

I think there is some logic in ending the series with the death of such an iconic character. And I find it quite beautiful, because the series will end with happiness, it’s also good that there are emotions. P

A More Beautiful Life is a series originally focused on the search for honesty and truth about life. So it would be a shame if it ended only happily. I think it is symbolically important.

I think Roland’s death will affect people a lot. We all were. I still remember the morning when I got to the set and found Roland’s sons sitting on the bench waiting for their turn to shoot. When I saw how they looked and how they were dressed, I felt like I was at a real funeral. It was very moving.

In the 18 years of Plus belle la vie, is there any intrigue that has particularly stood out to you?

The first murder, of course, I really liked because it was the first time Leo was going to investigate. But I would say that the most important part of Plus belle la vie was my meeting with Theo Bertrand.

It was Leo who shaped Kevin’s character when he arrived at the police station. I know it was important for Theo to work with me and I am very sensitive to the transfer. I’m still too excited to talk about it. I would say that bothered me the most.

Seeing this character, who was the Joker on duty, take on the thickness, I really liked it. It’s funny because it’s not a story I’m into, but I thought it was a great idea. That’s one of the things I regret about leaving the police station: I don’t work with him anymore. I loved playing with this guy.