Tygh Runyan interview on Versailles season 2

Tygh Runyan on portraying Fabien Marchal, a role that tests the audience to some degree, and the deeper connection between Versailles' head of security and King Louis XIV

Tygh Runyan

June 16, 2017 by Nicole Oebel @philomina_
Here's a German translation of the interview.

Tygh Runyan portrays Versailles' Fabien Marchal with a firm hand and unfathomable countenance. A gentle hint of humor on the face of the King's head of security is such a heartbreakingly rare occurance that, when we met for this interview in Paris, it was a real surprise to see Tygh Runyan casually smile and laugh - especially talking about Fabien's beautiful Frisian Minos, who both Tygh and I would love to see more involved in the action of the series. Reading this interview, you will find two sound clips that will hopefully give you an impression of what a relaxed man Tygh is in real life and how much joy and heart he pours into his portrayal of the complex anti-hero Fabien Marchal.

Note: The interview contains spoilers on Versailles season 2.

Going back to the start, the casting, did you go in looking a little bit like what the tone of the series is, like you fit into the period?

I didn't have much time to prepare. I received the material a day or two before I put myself on tape. It was very quick. I put two scenes on tape, I did one take of each. I had seen "La Reine Margot" years ago and loved that film and I had a sense that might be the general tone and look that they were going for so I did take that as inspiration but no time to grow the Musketeer 'stache [laughs].

Playing Fabien Marchal has been your longest continuing role, hasn't it? Do you find it hard that your performance is spread out over a long period of time and also working with different directors which can affect the actors?

The approach here is interesting. The directors here in France have quite a bit of power just culturally, their history of having filmmakers being auteurs, auteurs having complete control over every aspect of it, really bleeds over to the way they make television as well so it quite interesting when new directors come on I imagine they must be a bit shocked at how much power they have in terms of changing tone or making shifts. So specifically on this show it has been interesting to watch the different blocks, I've noticed a tonal shift from director to director. I don't know if the audience notices that, maybe that's something people hopefully enjoy that it does kind of shift. Claudine's death being a more emotional thing than we'd seen with the character before. Mike Barker, the director in that block definitely helped with that, push it in that direction. But I feel it's part of my job to maintain the consistency. Even the different writers, you read and think "Wow, this is quite different!" but you're able to offer notes and sometimes they listen to you [laughs].

It's interesting how things were kept open about Fabien in season 1 without making him too vague. We met him as a very zen person, "the samurai of the King". We got to see more layers in season 2, subtle though they may be. Was it a challenge to go deeper with the character still keeping things open for future seasons?

It wasn't challenging per se, it was refreshing to explore yet a new layer of this person. The back-story that I wrote for Fabien - which is part of my process as an actor, back-story played a big in my training – it's basically a sounding board upon which I can bounce off, it continually gives me answers who this person is, how they would behave in this current situation. It's probably much like the way we are in life, we all have our own back-story, we all have our own history that informs each moment going forward. It's part of our programming, choices that we make based on previous events in our lives. Part of Fabien's psychology involves trauma and also part of his repressed emotions is due to his line of work but on a deeper level repressed feelings due to trauma. It's really quite a joy to explore the deeper emotional turn that Fabien takes in season 2 with Claudine. Hopefully it's consistent. It's yet one next evolution in his back-story. That's how I use it in season 3, I can reference his continued story from season 1 and 2 and those inform decisions in season 3.

Nicki and Tygh, Versailles interview, Paris June 2017
© Nicole Oebel

It did translate to the audience because people are googling you like crazy since episode #2.05 and our interview from last year has been among the most-read interviews on our page in recent weeks.

That's nice to hear! When I signed on, it was presented to me as kind of the third lead but I also had a sense that it was the type of role that would hopefully grow on people rather than immediately be perceived as a sympathetic character. Some role that would test the audience to some degree and gradually become more sympathetic as the series progressed and I think that’s happened.

I think in season 2 Fabien carried as much storyline as Louis did.

It’s interesting that you say that, I hadn’t quite noticed that. I think the storyline with the investigation of the poisoning is quite strong and taking a turn with Claudine. Although I do remember in that middle block not really having much to do. You just drop in on Claudine and I occasionally, when Philippe is King and Louis goes to war. They seem to alternate with us, too.

But even if your character didn’t have as much screen time in the middle block, those were the grieving scenes, they had a great impact.

Aw, that’s great.

But from the beginning: We got to see there very much was a romantic future for Claudine and Fabien, in which they complemented each other as well as they did in their working relationship. I loved that the intimacy was created with a bit of humor. That's rare in Versailles, isn't it?

I like that, too, there was a nice banter between those characters and it certainly broke the mould of their relationship as strictly a work-related relationship. I thought it was written really well. I remember in season 1 there was a scene that we never filmed, where Claudine and I almost started a kind of CSI duo here she would be doing forensics at the crime scene and I was doing the investigation. Some of that banter was being introduced even in those scenes. They decided not to go with the CSI direction but that banter was thankfully carried over into the scenes at her place. It’s a bit more intimate, fewer eyes upon us. I think we’re a bit better that way because we were more free to let our guard down for it to be more intimate, more casual, and bring some of that humor you mentioned.

Tygh Runyan, Versailles
© Tibo & Anouchka / Capa Drama / Canal+

The show said goodbye to two very strong characters this season, Jacques and Claudine. Is this the show reflecting how unapologetic this world is, chewing up the good and spitting them out - even if they are such beloved characters?

Jacques was one of my favorite roles! ...but yeah, I think that's a beautiful interpretation of it. I think there's probably some inspiration from these TV series that kill off quite successful, sympathetic characters as a way to shock audiences and challenge them. Personally I don't know if it works for me... I love "Boardwalk Empire" but when Michael Pitt's character was killed off I basically lost interest because I felt like he was the soul of the whole project really. So with Jacques and Claudine, I hope that the fans are not like me [laughs]. It's certainly risky. But there are some really interesting new characters in season 3, so hopefully you discover some new characters who aren’t members of the court, aren't nobles.

In our first interview you said "When the Angel of Death comes, there is no malice or anger, there is peace" - With Claudine's murder it got personal. As an actor whose training was method based, do you find it hard to leave work at work after such a day of filming?

The whole term 'method acting' means very little today. It's such a kind of dated term at this point. But actually a huge part of it is relaxation work and body and voice work. I find it (avenge a murder or grief) upsetting for a period of time but I'm able to release what happens in the scene that day and go home and leave it behind. The work in and of itself is actually a release. Because you're working with feelings that are already inside you and you’re releasing them in a scene. So once it's over there’s a feeling of peace. Sometimes things are upsetting and they stick with you for a while if you have to do something quite disturbing. I remember having to do a rape scene in this film "Boot Camp" for MGM and that was a bit disturbing. You can't help think about it. Partly you're thankful that that's not the person you actually are and yet you do exist in the world where that happens and it really brings home that it's something that happens all too often.

The scene with Louis and Fabien at Claudine's grave has so much subtext, Fabien staying seated, telling the King he failed Claudine. So it isn't necessarily duty what makes him go back to the King's service. Is it revenge or is there a feeling of 'misplaced' guilt?

That whole part of the storyline, I feel that Fabien is finally king of his own realm - after he gets fired, after he gets released from his position. You have to realize, this must be such a stressful position. He must have ulcers, the amount of pressure on him to be not only the head of police but the head of the security of France. The security of the country is on one person's shoulders. He has men who he's trained and enlisted to help but if there's a security breech in the palace, if anything happens to the King.. it's his head. When he's released from that position, my reading on it was that there was a degree of relief. Finally he can drink some wine, he can laugh and relax a little and fall in love. Experience life with a degree of a freedom that he hasn't have probably ever. Surviving on the streets as an orphan. I really didn't believe that he owed Louis anything, he served, he was released and that's that. But there's a part of him that just can't give up the investigation. He's such a strong sense of internal justice. I think that's one of the sympathetic qualities of the role. He has a code, he's not trying to climb the social ladder, he doesn't care of any of the court life gossip, he's a very honest person. It eats at him a bit that he wasn't able to get to the bottom of it. It's been his life for so long, he wants to do what's right. He's coming for justice, always.

So I think when Louis comes back, it's a combination of a personal scene of friends. The King doesn't need to apologize to anyone but he is. He's admitting that he was wrong and he seems to be coming as a friend and ask – man to man - will you come back? That does touch Fabien and that was a factor in his return. There's something between Louis and Fabien that is deeper than duty. We haven't explored it too much in the show but George and I have talked about it, there's a deeper connection there. It's respect... but we talked about it in season 1: Why is Fabien allowed to go anywhere in the Palace and he's given free reign to do whatever is necessary to maintain security. He goes through secret passages in his riding boots. Everyone else has to maintain strict etiquette, but for Fabien Louis goes "You can do what you want!" and for everyone else Louis demands a certain kind of etiquette and bowing.

Part of my back-story was that my parents were killed in the Fronde rebellion and I'd been sent to an orphanage and had horrible experiences there, ran away and was living on the street and working for nefarious characters, gangsters, drug dealers, threatening and killing people to survive. Taken under the wing of probably the king of the underworld. I think Louis enlisted him, having crossed paths, decided: "I can use this guy, it'll be much better to have him on my side and take him under my wing than having him working against me." In a way it was him saving me. Fabien sees him as his savior and he's able to something that he's good at for a good cause. He believes that the King is next in line after god and France does need a holy monarch because he's experienced firsthand what can happen with revolution. That event sent him on a path of trauma and utter horror, so Louis pulled him out of that so I think it's deeper than just duty or loyalty. Those are external byproducts. I feel like in that scene a lot of that personal history is coming back and I think that the revenge was going to happen anyways.

That’s interesting because Fabien has been at court for a long time, hasn’t he? When you say Louis took Fabien in as a savior, you mean as a teenager?

Yeah, teenager. He’s older than Louis but they would have been kids together basically. I think those bonds that you form when you’re younger, they’re deep.

The next question contains a mild spoiler on Versailles episode #2.10.

This was the season of Cherchez la femme - a woman as the source of a man's problems, not necessarily the direct cause though. Fabien has lots of professional experience with that but also personal. Was it unexpected for you that he still let Sophie go?

I was surprised when I read that. At the time he feels that she will never be back and that she’s not a thread. If she ever does come back she’ll be thrown in prison, which she doesn’t want. So he’s quite confident that’s the last we’ve seen of her. On a personal level he feels better about that than riding off after her and killing her. He trained her basically. He took her under his wing after killing Beatrice and that relationship is an interesting and complex one. I love it, I think it’s the most interesting relationship that he has in a way because it’s just so screwed up, it’s so weird, I mean he had her mother killed, executed her looking into her eyes, and then has been working with her daughter and looking after her. There’s a paternal quality, but then there’s also a flirtatious banter between them and you’re not quite sure if it’s actually sexual or if it’s almost like a battle of flirtatiousness. "You’re gonna flirt with me, well fuck you, I’m gonna flirt with you, too!" It’s like a darker maybe even more playful humor than between him and Claudine, but still there’s some humor there, too, which I like. It’s a totally screwed relationship [laughs] which I think is fascinating.

Do ever watch these crack-videos, the new one with "I need a hero"?

No, I read about that and looked for it cuz that sounds amazing, that sounds hilarious! But I couldn't find it.

I'll send it to you! It has a lot of Fabien running to save the King, which got me thinking how different filming a scene can be from what we see on screen. What was the most or least fun scenes to film that are rewarding on screen in the end?

Those boots are quite slippery, and when you're running that fast over cobblestone it can actually be quite dangerous. The running stuff is a bit freaky at times but I'm a martial artist so I love stunts, the fight scenes, helping choreograph the fight sequences. Even when I do the raid on the secret chapel and I jump off the horse, sword-fight six guys in the corridor before I go in, that was filmed at around 3 am and we'd already filmed lots of stuff inside with the baby and Montespan and I was waiting with the stuntmen. We had no rehearsals for the sword fight so the stunt coordinator and I choreographed that whole sequence while they were filming the other scenes. I like to use some of the Japanese circular movements and evasions rather than the fencing style. It's more dynamic and more interesting for the character. I really enjoy that stuff but that doesn't take away from how difficult it is to be doing that at 3 in the morning, the ground is wet, so when you're coming in at gallop and you have to hop off the horse before the horse even stops, on slippery ground I had a really bad stumble, it gets a bit scary. But I always have a lot of fun [laughs], I love what I do. Even when it's challenging like that there's a little kid in me that's just so happy to be doing that.

From this season 3 photo that was posted, we could see two fan favorites, Fabien and Philippe, finally having their first dialog scene together. What is the dynamic like to work with new people at the beginning of the show compared to when you have your first scene together after years have passed?

I know Alex well, it's great, we've wanted a scene for two years and here we are. We get to work together more this year, it's exciting! How does that compare… it's an interesting question. Well, you have instant rapport, you have a personal history, maybe it gets in the way a little bit because maybe you're not supposed to be friendly and you've been hanging out for two years, going for dinners and going out at night dancing but actually in this case it benefits us. It's like you have built-in chemistry and that's what you want to build starting out in season 1. You really want it seem like you've known each other for years. Back-story helps enormously, I pull an actor aside, go out for dinner, let's talk back-story. You're trying to internalize that he characters have known each other for years even though you just met two days ago. With Alex or someone you've known for years, now having dialog together, you already have built-in history and chemistry. We're having blast!

Oh, I believe that and it sounds exciting! And already you have four episodes down?

The first block is four episodes, it will be done mid-July. We start the second block, which is the next three episodes, at the beginning of July, so there's a little bit of overlap. Which people always love [laughs]. It's so complicated cuz you're doing essentially seven episodes at once, bits and pieces from seven different episodes. Those double banked blocks are tricky.

Do you do theatre as well? I know you did music on stage. In camera work do you miss the feedback of a live audience or the coherent way of performing?

I had a theatre company with a friend for a few years. We mostly did David Mamet, Eugene O'Neill, a few other plays. That was in Vancouver years ago and it gets so busy with film and television but I would love to do some more theatre again. It's been so long, the last play I did was probably “American Buffalo” and that would have been about 15 years ago. I don't know if I miss it although I remember loving it. With music it's similar to theatre, I can be so nervous even though I've been playing music live for 20-25 years, still get nerves a few hours before we go on I can't really eat anything. And then that instantly vanishes as soon as you start playing. I'm right there with the audience in the moment, that's a special feeling. When you're filming piece by piece it's not the same build-up, like you say it's not the same sustained performance, you know it's gonna be a few minutes and they're gonna yell cut. The build-up isn't quite as intense, I don't feel nervous filming.

What about when the episodes air? With social media you have sort of a live response.

Yeah, you're right, there's a build-up with social media, anticipation, expectation, you haven't seen anything, it's really out of your hands. It's one of the frustrating parts about the process, you play your part and really it's out of your hands how they cut it, what music they use, all these devices within the apparatus of film and TV that can completely change or alter a performance. It's always some anticipation like what did they do with that scene, is it even still in? There's some nerves for sure. And in the US it only starts airing almost two years after we started shooting season 2… Is it dubbed in Germany?

Yes, Germany dubs everything...

I would love to cut a scene together where it's different languages, just an absurd scene, where you have the King speaking Spanish, you have me speaking German, you have Philippe speaking Italian as a joke scene.

A bit like that?

"Versailles" season 2 in UK Friday nights on BBC Two and in Germany Monday nights on Sky Atlantic

The pleasure was mine! Thanks for taking the time, and for all your hard work. Great job! ❤️🙏🏽❤️ https://t.co/j078MhXIRf

— Tygh Runyan (@RunyanTygh) June 18, 2017

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Links

• Tygh Runyan on Twitter
• Interview: Tygh Runyan, Versailles (September 2016)
• Interviews: Versailles

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