Actor Théo Augier Discusses On Aboie En Silence, Jay Kelly, and His Approach to Acting
Updated: 5 hours ago
Théo Augier Speaks on Passion for Acting and Latest Film Projects
Théo Augier wants to understand the people he plays, including those whose behavior he finds difficult to explain. That approach informs his performance as Jérémy, a young man living with schizophrenia in On Aboie En Silence, which earned him Best Male Performance at the Festival de la Fiction in La Rochelle. It also shapes his work across very different productions, from Nino Dans La Nuit to Noah Baumbach’s Jay Kelly. In this interview with Cultured Focus Magazine, Augier speaks about the research behind his roles, what he learned from his first comedy, and why working in Greece on the international series Harmonia has particular meaning for him. His answers return to a clear priority: understanding a character’s personality, desires, and everyday life, rather than defining that person by a diagnosis or a place in the script. Interview with Actor Théo Augier
1. Before the awards, the international sets, and the acclaimed roles, what first drew you to acting? Was there a particular moment, performance, or experience that made you realize this was the path you wanted to pursue?
I think I've wanted to be an actor since I started breathing.
When I was thirteen, I saw a French independent film called Pieds Nus Sur Les Limaces, directed by Fabienne Berthaud, and fell madly in love with Ludivine Sagnier's performance. That was the moment I started seriously considering acting as a profession.
2. You recently won Best Male Performance at the Festival de la Fiction in La Rochelle for On Aboie En Silence. What did that recognition mean to you at this stage of your career?
I worked really hard on this role, and hard work is probably the one thing I truly believe in. So, receiving that recognition meant a lot. More than anything, I hope it encourages people to discover the film. On a personal level, it makes me want to work even harder and go deeper into my craft.
3. In On Aboie En Silence, you play Jérémy, a young man navigating schizophrenia. How did you prepare for such an emotionally demanding and socially important role?
I knew very little about schizophrenia, so I did a lot of research. I read books, watched films, listened to podcasts and spoke with people who had experienced it firsthand. What I learned is that everyone experiences schizophrenia differently. So, I had to imagine what that experience would be like for Jérémy.
From the beginning, my intention was to play a person, not a diagnosis. Understanding Jérémy's dreams, desires and personality was just as important as understanding how his illness affects his life.
4. The film is adapted from Gringe’s book and addresses mental health with unusual honesty. Why do you think stories like this are essential on French television right now?
Movies have a unique ability to make us emotionally understand things we might otherwise only know intellectually. We can read statistics about mental illness, we can hear about it in the news, but spending ninety minutes with a character, getting to know them, loving them, and watching their life change creates a different kind of understanding. I don't think a film can change society on its own, but it can certainly change the way we look at someone.
5. You appear in Noah Baumbach’s Jay Kelly alongside George Clooney, Adam Sandler, and Riley Keough. What was the most memorable part of joining that international ensemble?
What struck me was the contrast between the scale of the production and the intimacy of the actual work. I find that quite beautiful. No matter how big a production is, acting ultimately remains something very human and very simple.
6. As one of the French actors in Jay Kelly, how did you approach bringing authenticity to Guillaume while working within such a high-profile American production?
I've been fortunate enough to work on very different kinds of projects: independent films, international series, big-budget productions, with famous actors, non-professional actors, and everyone in between. But for me, the approach doesn't change much. Whatever the genre or budget, my job is simply to convince myself that the person I'm playing is real.
7. You played Charlie in Nino Dans La Nuit (Nino in Paradise) with Bilal Hassani and Mara Taquin. What drew you to that film, and what did you take away from working with that cast?
I fell in love with the book the film is adapted from and felt a real responsibility not to mess it up, so I went all in. I lost weight, dyed my hair, got my tongue pierced, asked people to call me Charlie and essentially lived as him for a couple of months.
That experience fundamentally changed the way I approach my work. I stopped thinking of characters as fictional constructions and started approaching them as real people, with lives that exist beyond the pages of a script.
8. You also appeared in Lisa Azuelos’s LOL 2.0. How have earlier French projects shaped the kind of actor you are becoming today?
Every role teaches you something different, sometimes in ways you only understand much later. On every project, I set myself a personal challenge that I don't tell anyone about. LOL 2.0 was my first comedy, so I had to push myself a little further to feel comfortable in that world. You just have to believe in what you're doing. The moment you start trying to be funny instead of simply being honest, you're probably not that interesting.
Actor Théo Augier | Image: Gaëtan Delalande Actor Théo Augier | Image: Gaëtan Delalande
9. Your work moves between French independent cinema, television, and major international films. What qualities do you look for when deciding whether to accept a role?
I don't necessarily need to like a character to want to play him. In fact, I'm often more intrigued by people whose behavior I initially find difficult to understand.
I also look for directors with a strong point of view, who are willing to leave room for ambiguity. Some of the most interesting moments in cinema happen when you don't tell the audience exactly what to think or feel.
And, perhaps just as importantly, I want to work with nice people. We're going to be spending several months together, after all.
10. Are there upcoming projects, directors, or genres you can share with Cultured Focus readers, and what are you most excited to explore next?
I'm currently filming Harmonia, an international series set in an AI-controlled luxury resort.
We're shooting in Greece, which is particularly meaningful to me because I grew up in Athens before moving to Paris.
There are a few other projects on the horizon that I'm not allowed to talk about just yet.
I'm very interested in continuing to work with filmmakers from different countries. Having grown up between France and Greece, I feel very much at home working between different countries and cultures.
11. Looking ahead, what kind of legacy do you hope to build as a French actor on the global stage, particularly through roles that give visibility to complex, underrepresented human experiences?
When I won Best Actor at La Rochelle, someone came up to me at the after-party and said, "Great job!
I haven't seen you in anything else. What have you done before?"
I started naming a few films I'd been in. It turned out he'd seen three of them. He looked at me and said, "Oh shit, that was you? I didn't recognize you!"
It’s too early for me to be thinking about legacy, but I thought this was a pretty great compliment. A Compliment He Remembers For Théo Augier, one of the most meaningful responses to his work came from a viewer who had seen several of his films without recognizing him across the roles. The encounter reflects what he values in acting: making each character feel like a distinct person. Whether discussing his research for On Aboie En Silence or his experience on Jay Kelly, he places preparation and honest performance ahead of a production’s scale. He is not ready to talk about legacy. His focus is more immediate, such as learning from each role, working with filmmakers from different countries, and understanding the people he is asked to portray. For more on Théo Augier, follow him at https://www.instagram.com/theo.augierbonaventure/