Tewfik Jallab: “My absolute reference is John McClane”

Action Hero of Paris Has Fallen, the French actor takes over from Gerard Butler and fully assumes the winks of the new Canal + series to Die Hard and 24 Heures chrono.

After The Fall of the White Houseof London and of Presidentthe saga Has Fallen continues in France and on the small screen. Tewfik Jallaba chiseled cop Pax Massilia (on Netflix) takes up the torch from the hands of Gerard Butler. And the French actor has little to envy the Hollywood star, charismatic as desired, always focused on the mission in Paris has fallenwhich starts tonight on Canal +. An old-school “Action Hero”, just as we like them Tewfik Jallab. Encounter.

How did you manage to make the role your own, without thinking too much about Gerard Butler?
I deliberately didn't watch the films beforehand. And I tried to do something else, but to respect the spirit of Mike Banning. This agent played by Gerard Butler has extremely strong values. I kept in mind this idea of ​​a modern-day hero. And then it's a role in the continuity of what I had done before, with Black Hearts Or Pax Massilia. I already have some background in acting. I'm lucky that I continue to be given roles of this magnitude, in such important productions.

Did you have any references in the genre? The creator of the series, Howard Overman, admits to having been inspired by Die Hard…
My absolute reference is John McClane. It's clear that Vincent is a little less wacky, a little less funny. We see this side of him when he's with Zara Taylor (Ritu Arya). These are lighter sequences. But otherwise, in general, Vincent Taleb is less sarcastic than John McClane (laughs)! But in my head, he's always a reference! Completely crazy things happen to Vincent, like they used to happen to John. He's a little overwhelmed by events. He always finds himself running after something and something worse always happens. It's this escalation of problems that reminds us of John McClane. Vincent also wonders when he's going to be able to breathe. From the first episode, we get a slap in the face and we come out dizzy. There's also a little bit of Jeremy Irons from A Day in Hell in the way the bad guys take everyone by surprise at the end of this first episode…

Did you ask to have a white vest on your back to push the wink to the end?
No, they didn't allow me… (laughs) Actually, I wear a vest, but under my jacket. Otherwise, it was impossible to manage in terms of image connections, with all the injuries that accumulate.

There is also a Jack Bauer side to Vincent Taleb…
Yes, we are totally in the spirit of 24. Paris has fallen is a frantic race, filmed with a lot of sequence shots. Afterwards, it takes place in a temporality a little wider than a single day. But there is clearly this idea of ​​a race against time, a 24 Hours Chrono in Paris.

“There is something of an anti-Emily in Paris”

What place does the city of Paris hold in Paris has fallen ?
Paris is definitely a character, and even a character that we almost want to hate, so heavy is the atmosphere. There is something of an anti-Emily in Paris. We are not in a postcard Paris. We do not film the Eiffel Tower so much… even if it is on the poster.

How did you prepare for this shoot?
In my daily life, I naturally do a lot of sports, martial arts. Afterwards, I already had the opportunity to familiarize myself with combat choreographies and weapon handling during Black Hearts Or Pax Massilia. It's pretty cool to be an action hero on screen. It's by watching Die Hard Or Lethal Weapon that I wanted to become an actor. So it's funny to become that.

How was your collaboration with Ritu Arya, who has just Umbrella Academy ?
She's really funny. When I first met her, she was strangling a stuntman in rehearsal. She saw me coming and said: 'I'll kill him and we'll have a coffee!' From that moment on, I knew she was going to be the ideal partner on this shoot. It was really fun to play with her. She always has the right word. And together we were able to discuss the characters. We both developed the relationship between Vincent and Zara, this growing complicity and this moment when a friendship is created.

Paris has Fallen, in 8 episodes, to watch on Canal + from September 23, 2024