Lucie Lucas, alias Clem, confides in her life as a mother

Lucie Lucas: “At 16, I already wanted to be a mother”

You have been playing the role of Clem since 2010. The same year, you became a mother for the first time? Did that help you for the role?

Maybe it helped me better understand what Clem could be going through. And then, my gestures were more certain. I was certainly more comfortable with the fact that I was a mom myself.

Playing this character made you known to the general public. Did you expect such a craze?

Not at all. I am very surprised and very happy. I think you can never know the real recipes for success.

What do you like so much?

The writers really try to paint stories with characters and situations that are pretty common. Identification is easier. They recognize each other. We also try to put all the tenderness and humor that we can.

At the start, you played a teenage girl. Clem is today a young woman like you. Do you look like him?

We’re not exactly the same. Besides, it’s funny because my playing partners, who discover me from year to year, realize how different I am from Clem. I put a lot of my own in it, he’s a character to whom I’m really attached and for whom I have a lot of affection, but it’s not me. On the other hand, I am known to be quite optimistic and happy, this is something that I share with Clem.

You have two daughters. In the series, Clem is the mother of a little boy. Did this experience make you want to have one? A third child, do you think about it?

(Laughs) I don’t know. But for now, one thing is certain, is that it is really not easy to manage everything. I don’t see myself doing a third at all now!

Besides, how do you go about reconciling your life as a mother with your shootings? Are you as surrounded as Clem?

Yes. Even more than her! I am extremely lucky, I get a lot of help, especially by my family.

You became a mother at 23. You had this desire to start a young family where is it the coincidence of the life?

I always wanted to be a very young mother. That’s why the role of Clem immediately won me over. It was particularly important for me to defend this character. At 16, I already had this desire. I said to myself but “when will I be able to be a mother”. After that, I don’t regret at all that I didn’t have a baby at 16! (laughs). I think we are not ready!

How do you explain this early desire for motherhood?

I have no idea because I have an absolutely awesome mom! Maybe I wanted to be like her …

Exactly, which mother are you with Lilou and Moïra, your daughters of 4 and 3 years old?

I am very affectionate. I try to listen to my daughters and help them move forward in their lives without imposing too much on them. The only point that is really important to me is respect for others and for oneself.

How did you choose the first names of your daughters?

My husband helped me so much with my first childbirth that I let him choose. He was amazing that day, so it was important to me that he chose. For the second, we wanted an original name. Lilou always has a namesake in her class, we didn’t want that to happen again. One day, we were watching “Hook” and we heard Robin Williams shouted Moïra, his wife’s first name. We immediately found this name very pretty. I like it a lot because we can attribute several origins to it. I think it evokes North America, some tell me it looks more like a Polynesian name.

In an interview, you said that you don’t let your oldest daughter watch Clem because it upsets her. Is this still the case ?

Exactly, yesterday, I was watching the next episodes, and my 3-year-old arrived at that time. She said to me: “But who is this little boy and why are you kissing the gentleman?” At that moment, I said to myself, it’s still a failure! (laughs) But even the 4-year-old wouldn’t understand yet …

They don’t know your job yet?

It’s very difficult for them to understand what I’m doing. In addition, the only times they accompanied me to work, they only came for a few hours, and they mostly saw me waiting and getting my makeup done! For them, my job is more to do my makeup and hair! I tell them that I tell and act out stories, but it’s still very abstract for them.

You started acting when you were 9 years old. Would you like your daughters to follow your path?

I would like above all that they follow the path which will please them. I know that my choice of profession is difficult to assume on a daily basis …

That is to say ?

First of all, the precariousness of the profession. We don’t know what tomorrow will bring. You have to be lucky, sometimes it takes a while to get it. The fact of always being dependent on the desire of others is also complicated to manage. My daughters will do whatever they want, but they do a lot of shows for us. They are already stage animals. (laughs)

The first episode of the season topped the ratings with nearly 6,5 viewers. Success is always there. Is a sixth season in preparation?

We don’t know yet, there is nothing official. But we did a very good score, it’s already positive. The writers are already thinking about a season 6, because writing 5 films of an hour and a half is a long time …

Are you thinking about the cinema? Do you have any plans?

Sure. I started in the cinema, and I’ve missed it a lot in recent years. It’s a different way of working. In January and February, I had the incredible chance to shoot in an American film with Anton Yelchin. It’s a very artistic project, very different from the Clem series, which tells a love story between a French woman and an American. Filming took place in Porto, Portugal. So things are starting to move …

You are also a top model, moreover you started with modeling. What do you prefer to do?

I try to have fun, to do as much as possible that is available to me. It’s quite magical and I take advantage of it …