"Tandem", Interview with Stéphane Blancafort, one of the lead actors

How is this crime series different to any other?

We never deal with serial killers or “gratuitous” murders. Each episode focuses on a murder and an investigation, but these crimes are often committed as a reaction, by accident, or in desperation. Our characters try to understand the psychology of the people who carry out these acts. It is not just about simply arresting the culprit, but rather attempting to understand what happened.

We try to broach different, contemporary subjects such as illness, certain types of violence, and homosexuality among dock workers (a hyper-masculine environment where being gay is not well regarded). We show that things can happen to anyone; there is even an episode in which siblings kill their abusive stepfather. The fact that we play parents in the series means we can project a lot of empathy and try to put ourselves in people’s shoes. Sometimes it feels like I am not even starring in a fictional series, because the themes are all current and realistic. Several gendarmes have told me that our work is more like a documentary, even though we do focus on romantic storylines to lighten the darker parts of daily life.

The title, Tandem, refers to the unique relationship between the two main characters. What happened between them?

Léa Soler is head of the gendarmerie in Lyon, and ten years ago she divorced Paul Marchal, captain of the investigations division in Montpellier. After a case of serious misconduct, she is transferred to the brigade managed by my character, Paul. He has not seen her for a long time, as he only looks after his kids during school vacations and puts little effort into his role as a father. Suddenly, he finds himself having to work with his ex-wife and navigate a busy family schedule. This dynamic develops across six seasons and the pair regularly end up in comical situations. Léa’s parents are also present, and their son decides to join the gendarmerie as well. Viewers will therefore connect with these relationships between children, parents, and grandparents.

How does Léa and Paul’s relationship continue to develop over so many episodes?

At the start, I did wonder how the writers were going to successfully develop this relationship. Were they going to keep tiptoeing around the subject without anything happening? Léa and Paul are constantly teasing each other about family, shared memories, and work. But new characters also appear, including Inès, a young lieutenant who Paul falls for. Tandem is also a collective series, which enables us to explore other personal stories.

What is it like working with Astrid Veillon, the actress who plays Léa?

We got on immediately! At the final audition for the role of Paul, there were still three actors in the running and we each had to perform a scene with her in front of the director and the producers. Her and I had and really great connection as soon as we playing the characters together, and we had a lot of fun. “Playing” is the watchword in our profession. You can’t expect to entertain people if you aren’t entertained yourself, and that applies to both dramas and comedies.

As an actor, I also found it interesting to create a character who is not that different from me. We portray fictional situations but we try to act as naturally as possible. The producers give us room to improvise and rewrite scripts and scenes to ensure the result is as spontaneous as possible.

You film in Montpellier and the surrounding area. What has struck you most about this region?

We will have filmed almost 80 episodes by the middle of the seventh season, which means lots of footage of the region! Thanks to drones, which are constantly improving, we have managed to shoot truly stunning aerial scenes. We are also lucky enough to be in an area that includes the mountains, the sea, the Étang de Thau, little fishing ports, and villages on the hillsides. It’s quite the playground!

Text by: Juliette Démas

Translated from French by: Alexander Uff