“Playing helps me forget my anxiety,” says Léopold La Fontaine, the actor son of this famous singer.

If the ambiguous string Witches It raises fears and doubts in viewers, and even has the opposite effect on Léopold La Fontaine. Young translator Alistair, who suffers from anxiety, says he is finding his balance in the game.

“Work takes a weight off my shoulders. It feels good, and it makes me think about other things,” explains the 13-year-old actor.

The fact that his character in the series is an introverted and isolated boy also requires him to act with restraint, as he describes himself as an extrovert in everyday life.

The biggest challenge that comes with this first TV role? Understand the motivations and inner torments of Alistair Labonte, this lonely young boy, son of Beth (Mary Joan Boucher), who suffers from anorexia.

“I had never met anyone with this kind of eating problem. I did a little research on people with anorexia to find out the symptoms and their deterioration. It helped me understand why he was like that and what he was going through,” explains Leopold LaFontaine.

Discussions with his acting coach also allowed him to explore how to approach the character of Alistair in the TVA series. “He's a character who has big scenes. I'm very anxious in life, and the fact that he's so different from me helps me separate my character from myself,” says the Montreal high school actor.

The artistic aspect as a legacy

Playing hard, crying and throwing tantrums (because Alistair ends up having a meltdown) is easy for a young man who fidgets in everyday life. Because in addition to acting, he sings and dances hip-hop and a little ballet.

We were able to witness his talents as a singer and dancer in musicals The Addams Family, The melody of happiness And in the multidisciplinary presentation Until we die By Brigitte Poupart. He also participated in two music videos for his mother, singer-songwriter Marie-Pierre Arthur. His father is François La Fontaine, a member of the Karkoa group.

“I didn't really take any singing lessons. I get that from my parents, the artistic side. They took me on tour and I learned a lot. I've always loved the road behind the scenesSee how it all goes,” says the young artist, who believes that dancing “brings out the bad guy.”

teat? Keep playing, and why not, try your luck in the USA.

“I would like to find an agent in the United States, while keeping the one here. I want to try a lot of things. Make series and films there and here. I will always want to return to Quebec, that's for sure.”

Season two of Witches It has just been confirmed by TVA. We will be able to see Leopold La Fontaine again in the show The Addams Family Which will be shown in Quebec in December and in an upcoming short film.

Marie-Pierre Arthur and her son Leopold

Photo by QMI Agency, Toma Eczkowitz