The most valuable heist in Canadian history wasn’t a robbery involving gold, or even oil. Between 2011 and 2012 more than 3,000 tons of maple syrup, worth 18 million Canadian dollars, was stolen from a storage facility in Quebec, and that audacious raid is the inspiration behind the new comedy drama The Sticky.
The series stars Bojack Horseman’s Margo Martindale as Ruth, a tough maple syrup farmer who’s fighting to keep her farm. Ruth teams up with likeable security guard Remy (Guillaume Cyr) to rob as many barrels of maple syrup as they can with the help of Mike (Chris Diamantopoulos), a hot-tempered mobster from Boston.
Of course, things don’t go quite as planned, and Margo describes the amateur robbers as “the Three Stooges” after the classic bumbling comedy team of the same name. Chris, however, has a kinder description. “We realised if these three were in The Wizard Of Oz, Guillaume would be the heart, Margo would be the brains and I would be the steel,” he says.
Toronto-born Chris has already enjoyed a varied career that includes roles in 24, The Sopranos and the US version of The Office. Chris, 49, is also an acclaimed voiceover actor who supplies the voice of Mickey Mouse, and when asked he delivers a jaw-droppingly accurate impersonation of Sir Sean Connery. He signed up to The Sticky early on as Mike, and then screen-tested alongside other actors before FrenchCanadian actor Guillaume was cast as mild-mannered Remy.
image [https://cdn.magzter.com/1583506613/1732598464/articles/dkobZZyYf1732604871751/2176725272.jpg]
“In the original script I read, Remy was 5ft 4in, really small, and they were looking for a smaller actor,” Chris remembers. “They brought in the first fellow, who was an absolutely fine actor and he did a fine job, but in my mind I thought, ‘I hope this isn’t all we’ve got.’”
“Then the director said, ‘We’re bringing in someone, don’t be thrown off when you see him,’ and in walks this vision,” he says, indicating Guillaume, who is not exactly tiny at 6ft 2in tall. “Within the first few seconds, I’m texting the writers and director saying if you don’t hire him, I quit.”
Despite being well known as an actor in France and Canada, 42-year-old Guillaume’s first day on set was nerve-wracking because he had no previous experience of working on an American production – or filming in English, which is his second language.
image [https://cdn.magzter.com/1583506613/1732598464/articles/dkobZZyYf1732604871751/2967379219.jpg]
“I was very nervous to play with US actors at first, I had heard all these rumours about US actors,” he jokes. “None of them were true. I was welcomed with open arms and I really had a blast telling such a wonderful story.”
Guillaume continues, “For me, I’m not going to lie, the biggest challenge was the English language because I am a French actor. It’s my first gig in English, ever. For me, the series being set in Montreal, in the snow, that’s just another Tuesday for me, but the second language was re...
The series stars Bojack Horseman’s Margo Martindale as Ruth, a tough maple syrup farmer who’s fighting to keep her farm. Ruth teams up with likeable security guard Remy (Guillaume Cyr) to rob as many barrels of maple syrup as they can with the help of Mike (Chris Diamantopoulos), a hot-tempered mobster from Boston.
Of course, things don’t go quite as planned, and Margo describes the amateur robbers as “the Three Stooges” after the classic bumbling comedy team of the same name. Chris, however, has a kinder description. “We realised if these three were in The Wizard Of Oz, Guillaume would be the heart, Margo would be the brains and I would be the steel,” he says.
Toronto-born Chris has already enjoyed a varied career that includes roles in 24, The Sopranos and the US version of The Office. Chris, 49, is also an acclaimed voiceover actor who supplies the voice of Mickey Mouse, and when asked he delivers a jaw-droppingly accurate impersonation of Sir Sean Connery. He signed up to The Sticky early on as Mike, and then screen-tested alongside other actors before FrenchCanadian actor Guillaume was cast as mild-mannered Remy.
image [https://cdn.magzter.com/1583506613/1732598464/articles/dkobZZyYf1732604871751/2176725272.jpg]
“In the original script I read, Remy was 5ft 4in, really small, and they were looking for a smaller actor,” Chris remembers. “They brought in the first fellow, who was an absolutely fine actor and he did a fine job, but in my mind I thought, ‘I hope this isn’t all we’ve got.’”
“Then the director said, ‘We’re bringing in someone, don’t be thrown off when you see him,’ and in walks this vision,” he says, indicating Guillaume, who is not exactly tiny at 6ft 2in tall. “Within the first few seconds, I’m texting the writers and director saying if you don’t hire him, I quit.”
Despite being well known as an actor in France and Canada, 42-year-old Guillaume’s first day on set was nerve-wracking because he had no previous experience of working on an American production – or filming in English, which is his second language.
image [https://cdn.magzter.com/1583506613/1732598464/articles/dkobZZyYf1732604871751/2967379219.jpg]
“I was very nervous to play with US actors at first, I had heard all these rumours about US actors,” he jokes. “None of them were true. I was welcomed with open arms and I really had a blast telling such a wonderful story.”
Guillaume continues, “For me, I’m not going to lie, the biggest challenge was the English language because I am a French actor. It’s my first gig in English, ever. For me, the series being set in Montreal, in the snow, that’s just another Tuesday for me, but the second language was re...
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New UK (Digital) - 1 Issue, December 02, 2024