Rossif Sutherland returned to Quebec to shoot Three Pines: “It was magic”

DAY

By his own admission, Rossif Sutherland knew nothing of the universe of Three Pines, created by novelist Louise Penny, before accepting a role in the series. But he did not hesitate for long when he learned that the filming would take place in the Eastern Townships. “It's my favorite place in the world,” he announces.

It is in impeccable French that Rossif Sutherland welcomes the representative of Journal to discuss his involvement in the series Three Pines, launched Friday on the Prime Video platform. No, the actor is not strictly speaking a Quebecer. But it's just the same, as he has the province tattooed on his heart.

He spent many trips here with his parents – actors Donald Sutherland and Francine Racette – throughout his youth to visit his maternal family, still very present in Quebec.

“I spent all my summers and all my Christmases in Georgeville in the Eastern Townships. My parents still live there, by the way,” says Rossif Sutherland.

The actor was able to stay with them for the duration of filming last year. Like in the good old days…

“After filming, I only had to drive for an hour, an hour and a half, to find myself at my parents' house and have them all to myself, which very rarely happens when you're an adult! We found ourselves in a routine, my mother called me to find out when I was going to come home, if I could pick up this or that… It was magic”, he says.

From book to screen

We can therefore see him now lending his features to Sergeant Jean-Guy Beauvoir, one of the colleagues of the famous Inspector Armand Gamache (here played by Alfred Molina), hero of Louise Penny's novels. Throughout the season, the two men will have to team up to solve a handful of sordid murders shaking the small community of Three Pines.

The plot is drawn from the bestselling novels, all published regularly over the past 15 years. But Rossif Sutherland still promises several “surprises” for readers who will find this world that is familiar to them, this time on their screens.

“There have been changes in adapting the books for the series; surprises for the spectators, but also the readers. And there were changes with my character; it gave me the opportunity to not just act out what was already [in the novels], but to really make it my own,” he explains.

Towards a second season?

The first season of Three Pines will be available at the rate of two episodes per week, until December 23rd. Next? If a second batch of episodes has not yet been confirmed, Rossif Sutherland does not hide his desire to put on Jean-Guy Beauvoir's uniform again.

“Louise Penny has written so many books, so it's not like we could run out of material for other possible seasons. If there is a second season, I will be there. Absolutely! The opportunity to work here, in Quebec, and to be close to my parents… I couldn't ask for anything better”, he concludes.

►The first two episodes from the Three Pines series are available on Prime Video starting Friday.