As a Canadian, you probably already know the story of Céline Dion, since she has one of those lives that are meant to be chronicled in a TV-movie.
The Dions were a working-class family in Charlemagne, Que., all of who were blessed with musical talents. As the youngest of 14 children, Céline was always an awkward girl, sort of nerdy-looking with really bad teeth and a voice that shone.
By the age of 12, she was the star attraction at her parents’ pub, but after a fire destroyed the family business, the Dions decided to try and pursue their youngest daughter’s dream by making her the most famous singer in the world.
What you might not know is the story of René Angélil, her manager/partner-turned-husband. And Céline is just as much about him as it is her. Because alone, neither of them would have made it, but together, they were unstoppable.
Montreal actress Christine Ghawi had a lot of fun during the audition process because frankly, she didn’t think she’d get it.
“I really was not expecting to get this character at all, so I was very, very playful with it and really took it as a performance,” laughed Ghawi. “I was going to perform this character for a little while, for [my video audition], then live as a theatre-piece in front of the director. I felt this really was a character I could really sink my teeth into, even in an audition.”
But the question I wondered was, why now? Why is this movie timely? Yes, Céline Dion is currently on her world tour, which kicked off in August and is closing in February with five shows in Quebec, but is that really the reason as to why the movie is hitting the small screen now? Of course Ghawi’s response is anything but boring.
“Céline has such a scope of magnitude; she’s gargantuan; she’s Oprah-huge!” enthused the actress. “I think Céline is needed now in the world. She needs to be really present in the media right now because there is so much pressure with these elections, that we need all of the Oprahs and Célines. The forces of grounded femininity that serve to balance the chaotic patriarchy right now may take over in two countries right now. Hopefully not. It’s a lot of pressure right now, in this part of the world. I think she should be present in our minds and in our TVs right now. She needs to be.”
“Sorry, this is what comes out when I open my mouth,” laughed Ghawi.
The up-and-coming actress is quirky and cool, even a little green, unlike her very established co-star, Enrico Colantoni, who plays Angélil — quite convincingly. While Colantoni has made a name for himself on network television on shows like Veronica Mars, Just Shoot Me and the recently renewed CTV/CBS Flashpoint, Ghawi’s film credits consist of Garbage Girl and the short film Flamousse!
But if you think portraying such an iconic Canadian figure would be filled with stress and pressure, think again.
“I felt absolutely no pressure actually,” says Ghawi, not cockily, but with a mix of pure confidence and refreshing, eye-opening innocence. “Even when I was doing it, I knew as long as I stayed true to myself, to my integrity, and to my heart, I could do no wrong with this character.”
The seemingly naïve-sounding actress continued. “If you’re honest, and what is easier than being honest, then things just work out. So why not just be honest with everyone all the time? I think lies and misunderstandings are the root of all human conflicts.”
Some heavy words to such a simple question. But she stuns me into silence once more when quoting a lyric from Modest Mouse’s “Blame It On the Tetons.”
“Language is the liquid that we’re all dissolved in,
Great for solving problems after it creates a problem.”
Ghawi’s got a lot going on in her life, so if her fascinating outlook seems like a put-on, trust me when I say, what you see is what you get. She’s not only an actress, but she’s part of a band called Pan that Ghawi describes as “new, gypsy improvisation” and her roommate is Claude Genest, the deputy leader of the Green Party, who is also a member of Pan. “During this crazy, crazy election period, and my film coming out, let’s just say there’s a lot of mediation music playing in this house right now,” laughed Ghawi.
Also, the sassy actress lost her voice about a week before our interview. And not because she had a bad cold, or all her performances have put a strain on it.
“About a week ago, I had to break up a fight on the street,” said Ghawi. “There were these drunk teenagers outside of my house and there were globs of blood on my doorstep; it was crazy! I waited up in my apartment, trying to send positive vibes to stop it, and after 10 minutes, there were no cops and no one said anything. There were six guys on one, it was horrifying!”
“So I put on my boots and ran out of the house and just started screaming like a mad woman, breaking them up,” laughed an almost disbelieving-sounding Ghawi. “It was pretty epic. But then I completely lost my voice for three days and I had several shows that I had to perform with a new voice. I don’t know if my [old] voice is ever going to come back.”
“Yeah, it’s a pretty ridiculous life that I lead,” Ghawi laughed again. “Oh my goodness, it’s incredible; I’m so grateful, so incredibly grateful all the time.”
While there are some parts of Céline that may come as a surprise, we all know how Dion and Angélil’s lives end up. But it’s their journey to what we know that is the true love story. And while the story of Céline is almost predictable, it’s safe to say the Christine Ghawi is anything but.
Thoughts? denette@tvguide.ca
Céline airs Sunday, Oct. 5, 8 p.m. ET/PT, CBC.
