Gwendoline Hamon (Mom won’t let me fall asleep): “When we shot the scene of Joseph’s death, everyone on set was crying”

In Mama don’t let me fall asleep, TV movie directed by Sylvie Testud, adapted from the eponymous story by Juliette Boudre, Gwendoline Hamonheroine of Cassandraembodies a mother whose son, Joseph, played by Nemo Schiffman, succumbed to an overdose of anxiolytics and opiates. Very close to them in life, the actress had a dizzying experience and one of her most moving compositions.

“It’s crazy to have been chosen for this role!“

Télé Loisirs: How did you meet Juliette Boudre?
Gwendoline Hamon : We’ve been friends since we were 18! We were born on the same day with his sister Sophie, who is a director, Sarah Poniatowski – ex-Lavoine – we’ve been a bunch of chicks since high school. We saw our children born, shared our marriages, our divorces, our bereavements… we lived it all together! Juliette absolutely wanted me to play her on screen, knowing that there was little chance because she had no power. It’s crazy to have been chosen! Thank you France 2 and thank you Sylvie (Testud, director, editor’s note) because it’s a gift for Juliette, a gift for me, and one of my prettiest roles.

How did you apprehend this character so special for you?
As a character in her own right, and not trying to imitate or resemble Juliette. I knew the dignity she had shown in this story that can be summed up in an hour and a half, but which lasted two years. As soon as Juliette realized what was happening to her son, she went into full combat mode to save him. I have never seen her in a depressed state or rolling on the ground.

How do you remember Joseph?
First of all, this is the first child born in our band. Gabriel, my son, came into the world four years later. Joseph was like our baby because we all discovered motherhood with him. He was very handsome, brilliant, funny, very comfortable in life, and he loved hanging out with adults.

“He never thought he could die of it“

What happened to him ?
Like many teenagers, he smoked firecrackers and drank energy drinks, all these “bastards” which caused him insomnia and small panic attacks. His mother, who did not know his practices, took him to a doctor who prescribed anxiolytics to relax him. Pretty soon, he started chowing down on whole platelets, just to keep him high. Since it was medicine, he never thought he could die from it.

How did Sylvie Testud, director of the film, direct you?
Above all, she is a multi-talented, extremely intelligent woman, who has children of her own, including a son of that age. We were all mothers who put themselves in Juliette’s shoes. Sylvie directed us with great delicacy and a very precise idea of ​​what she wanted. Between her gaze and mine, we arrived at a “vision” of Juliette who, when she saw the film, said to me: “Cis exactly that, Gwendo!“.

What was the atmosphere like on set?
It happened cheerfully. Max, Juliette’s second son, was third assistant on the film, and there was like a family thing, a great story of friendship between him and Nemo (Schiffman, editor’s note), who played his brother. And a great love story between Nemo and me: he became my second son for life! With Gérard (Lanvin) who plays Joseph’s father, we all embarked on a family adventure around the absolute necessity of making this film, on a subject of public health that is rarely talked about.

“I can’t see the scene of Joseph’s death again”

What is the most important message to convey through this film?
Parents think that they are close to their children and that this kind of trouble will not happen to them, but it is not true. A teenager is lying. In essence, it needs to emancipate, so to talk bullshit. They are very impressionable and when a friend says to them: “Go ahead try it, it doesn’t matter“, it’s over. Particularly in a fragile context of divorce or separation.

Wasn’t it too painful to relive this story?
When we shot the scene of Joseph’s death, everyone on set was crying. Today, I can no longer see her. I saw the film twice, I was sick twice. Everything was mixed up, I had the impression that it was Joseph, Nemo or my own son who would die: it’s unbearable to see a kid who dies, especially with the real mother next to you!

How do you experience adolescence, this period “of all dangers” with your son Gabriel?
Thank God it’s going well, but at the cost of constant discussions about addictions. At any time, I know that he may be confronted with a particularly powerful product, which he will trivialize, but which risks leading him into a bad delirium or an addiction. Gabriel knew Joseph very well. At the end of the screening, in tears, her first words were: “My friends absolutely must see this film! “