Must-See Comeback: Alban Ivanov Talks Success, Burn-Out in ‘Challenger’

Alban Ivanov has just celebrated his 40th birthday, and he marks the occasion by returning to the movie theaters with “Challenger,” a French nod to Rocky Balboa filled with laughter, powerful punches, and an unlikely challenge that pits this amateur boxer against one of today’s top champions due to a twist of fate.

This film reunites him with his favorite director, Varante Soudjian, after their previous collaborations on “Inséparables,” “Walter,” and “La Traversée” (“He calls me his Bérénice Bejo!”). It also marks a robust comeback to the limelight for the Narbonne native, following a rough patch that saw him end a show just minutes into the performance two years ago.

Ivanov, who admits he hasn’t stopped and hasn’t learned to say “no” enough since “Le Sens de la Fête” in 2017, candidly discusses his situation in an interview with AlloCiné, recorded in the Infinite room of the Le Grand Rex cinema in Paris as part of our new “Big Screen” series.

“A Break Was Necessary”

“I had to take a break before there was a real physical problem. It definitely wasn’t the right time, but that’s how it was. So that’s what happened. I said, ‘Excuse me, ladies and gentlemen, I’m not feeling well, I have to go.’ And then I disappeared, went back to the paddock (laughs)”.

“You see, constantly saying yes and having everything pile up, you never get a chance to reflect on what’s happening and manage it. So, at some point, I just had to stop everything. I went full Shaolin monk, had a good talk with myself in the forest, and then it was back to it. But I was overwhelmed because there’s no training for what happens to us”,

“I played at Olympia in 2018, and I was still hung up on that. From my childhood, I saw Olympia as the Himalayas. Suddenly, you do it once, twice, three times, and it seems normal. But to me, it’s not normal. Then they say, ‘Now, let’s do the Zenith. Really? How many? 6,000. Yeah, right, that’s normal.’ But no! I had to force myself to take that break”.

“And That Feels Incredibly Good!”

During this difficult period, Alban Ivanov could rely on the support of his peers, including Vincent Cassel: “He heard I wasn’t doing well, so one day he calls me up and I explain what’s going on. I said, ‘I don’t know, I’m tired, I don’t know where I’m going, I need to figure things out.’ He says, ‘How old are you?’ I say, ’38.’ He says, ‘Yeah, but you’re on track. It’s normal, it happens, it’s good. Rest up, don’t worry, you’ll get back on your feet'”.

“And that feels incredibly good because you have an experienced guy telling you it happens. He’s been through it, he knows. It really helped me out. I thought, ‘Okay, I’m on the right path, it’s normal.’ But in those moments, even your close ones, your family, people who aren’t involved in film or stage, they find it hard to understand. Because we’re supposed to be living the dream, it’s very strange to see someone not doing well in it”.

“Success also brings a lot of loneliness. And that’s something people don’t see because it’s not what we show. But after a show, in front of 5,000 people, you’re alone in your room, and it doesn’t feel right… They invent a dream life for you, but that’s not it. You’re all alone, far from your family, in a city you don’t know. So, at some point, you think, ‘I have to manage the life moments with my family, the loneliness, because otherwise, it’s going to damage me'”.