How Artus Transformed into Cyrano de Bergerac in “Les Caprices de l’Enfant Roi” – Inside Story!

“The Whims of the Child King,” directed by Michel Leclerc (“The Names of Love”), based on an idea by Alexandre Castagnetti (“Tamara,” “The Grimoire of Arkandias”), offers a unique blend in today’s film landscape. It combines comedy with period film, historical and fantasy elements, all while presenting a bold narrative.

The film features an array of prominent historical and fictional figures, including Cyrano de Bergerac, Molière, and D’Artagnan.

AlloCiné: How did you feel when you were offered these characters, as they each carry a bit of awe?

Artus: For me, playing Cyrano, a character loaded with history and strong performances, was intimidating. But this is somewhat a prelude to the Cyrano we know. All the characters are at their beginning, except yours, Franck, who is nearing the end! (Laughs) But I didn’t feel too pressured, I was so excited about wearing that nose, it overshadowed everything else.

Did you look at other portrayals of your characters, or did you choose not to, to refresh your memory of how they were previously portrayed?

Franck Dubosc: As for me, playing D’Artagnan at my age hasn’t been done much. It’s usually younger actors, so I tried not to look and get jealous! (Laughs) But there’s something nice about it: while we were filming, when people asked, “What are you doing these days?” and I said, “I’m playing D’Artagnan,” there’s no need to explain anything else! Either it made them smile, or they thought I was too old for the role, which is also what this character is about.

But it’s enjoyable to play a character that existed, and whom we don’t really know that well since it’s history, and there are no real photos of them!

Artus: No, the selfies back then weren’t of great quality. They were quite pixelated.

And Cyrano, he’s known for that famous nose. Do you remember the first time you tried it on? Was there a process to adapt it, to find the right one?

Artus: Yes, there were about ten noses initially, to see. It’s hard to choose the right one because you need the nose to be noticeable—it represents Cyrano after all. But you don’t want it to be the only thing people see! I think we quickly forget about the nose because it’s a bit crooked. I was happy with it; it suited me well in a way that didn’t make me feel like my face was distorted. I really liked the whole look of the character.

“The Whims of the Child King” is currently showing.

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