From the Hit Series “Outlander” to the New Film “Huguette,” Actor Romann Berrux Dazzles on Screen
Fans of the six-time Golden Globe Award nominated series “Outlander,” which is slated to come out with its fifth season next year, will immediately recognize Parisian actor Romann Berrux for his unforgettable recurring role as young Fergus in the show’s pivotal second and third seasons.
Romann Berrux gave an outstanding performance as Fergus, a poverty-ridden orphaned pickpocket who’s so adorably charming that, despite his thieving ways, he gets adopted by “Outlander’s” leading lad and lady, Jamie Fraser played by Sam Heughan (“When the Starlight Ends”) and Claire Randall played by BAFTA Award winner Caitriona Balfe (“Money Monster”).
Long before Berrux’s key role on “Outlander” though, the child actor entertained audiences with his performances in other critically acclaimed series, such as “Détectives” starring César and Lumiere Award nominee Philippe Lefebvre (“Sam”), the Cognac Festival du Film Policier Award winning series “Le juge est une femme” with Gérard Award nominee Marine Delterme, and “Medical Emergency” starring Cognac-Tonic Award winner Sophie Broustal (“Cash Cache”).
“I had been with a French cinema agency since I was little and they always sent me on French castings, but a few years ago I was offered the casting for “Outlander,” which was in English. I’d never done any English casting before and it was a new challenge for me. I really did the casting for the fun, but then something crazy happened, they called me back,” recalled Berrux delightedly.
“I then met Metin Huseyin who came to Paris for the callback and I immediately had a connection with him, we laughed and talked about “Outlander,” and a few weeks later when the producers were In Paris they announced that I was going to play Fergus.”
Berrux would spend the next year and a half shooting the hit series in Scotland, which he admits that he loved every minute of. While many actors spend years trying to make it on the big screen, Berrux skyrocketed into the spotlight at the age of 5 when he was first cast in Marc Esposito’s popular romcom film “Le coeur des hommes 2.” Berrux went on to play numerous other leading roles in the world of cinema, including those in hit films such as Vincent Giovanni’s (“Tomorrow is Ours”) comedy “Summer Camp,” “Stroke of Luck” with Gérard Award nominee Yves Rénier (“Commissaire Moulin”), “The Robbed Robber” starring César Award winner Bernadette Lafont (“Paulette”) and more.
“My favorite characters have always been the bad guys. My dream role is to play a bad guy in a movie,” Berrux admits. “Since I can remember people have always told me that I have big blue eyes and a baby face, so I would love to surprise everybody by playing a character in a movie that people think is kind but one that is really evil in reality.”
His adorable looks and charm made Berrux the perfect actor to take on Fergus, the sly little thief turned loyal ‘son’ in “Outlander,” and while his newest role as Rémi in the film “Huguette” is far from villainous, he does bring a rather off-beat and rebellious character to the screen.
Released earlier this month, “Huguette” from director Antoine Garceau (“Call My Agent”), centers on Huguette, an elderly former school principal played by renowned actress Line Renauld (“Welcome to the Sticks,” “A Cursed Monarchy”), who finds herself on the verge of becoming homeless when she can’t pay her rent. Destitute for options, she agrees to move in with her neighbor Marion, played by César Award winner Romane Bohringer (“Blurred Love,” “Savage Nights”), in exchange for ensuring that Marion’s son Rémi (Berrux) doesn’t fail out of school.
When asked about his character, Berrux explained, “He’s truly passionate about computers and how they work. School is not his priority and he is more interested in studying coding than anything else. School is a lot of pressure for him and his mother’s choices about his future are not what he wants. He also gets bullied by classmates who think he is a weirdo.”
“Huguette” is an endearing film about community and coming together to help one another, with Huguette coming in to help Remi’s busy mom to ensure her son doesn’t completely flunk out of school, the story reiterates the popular saying “It takes a village” when it comes to the challenges of raising a child.
“Rémi was an interesting character, a little younger than me, but I was able to understand his problem as I have been through similar difficult choices in my life. It’s so hard to handle all the pressure that comes from school and trying to choose a job at only 15 years old,” explained Berrux. “He has a lot of energy and the fact that he becomes really close to [Huguette] was also something that I found really truthful. I felt close to this character when he struggled to find his way, especially at school.”
Berrux brings Rémi to life brilliantly with a performance that solidifies why he’s become such an internationally sought-after actor over the past decade. With production executives clamoring to cast him in their films and television series, Berrux finds himself in the unique position of getting to choose his roles.
When it came to taking on a starring role in “Huguette,” Berrux admits that aside from his character and the story, he was enamored by the work of Line Renauld and that of director Antoine Garceau, who also recently directed the upcoming film “César Wagner,” which is in post-production and stars Olivia Côte from the Lumiere Award nominated film “Number One Fan” and César Award winner Fanny Cottençon (“Diary of a Madman,” “Killing Time”).
“I really wanted to discover [Garceau’s] way of working and his point of view about the different scenes. He was a really invested director. He thought of each detail of the movie and knew what he wanted. I love when directors know precisely what they want. It then allows me to precisely imagine how the character works and to understand his way of thinking.”
Aside from working with other talented creatives, “Huguette” also offered some unique challenges for Berrux, ones that allowed him to put his capacity as an actor on display over the course of several complex scenes. With Rémi being the school outcast, he is often bullied by the other, more popular kids at school, which eventually comes to a head when he’s given no other option than to fight back.
“We shot this scene with many students in the class and practiced it with a professional wearing protection. It was really intense,” said Berrux. “I had to push one of my mates onto a table and jump on him to try and punch him. There is also another scene shot in the corridor where a guy tries to sweep me. I then push him, and we finish fighting on the ground with all the high school students surrounding us.”
With an all-star cast and a heart-warming, relatable and intriguing story, “Huguette” is definitely one film audiences won’t want to miss. The film is currently airing nationally on the channel Arte in France.
When asked about what makes him choose one role over another, Berrux explains, “The story and the way the character is described is what drives me. The harder the character is to play the more I love it, there is more challenge and more work. I also love learning new things that the character knows how to do that I don’t, such as horseback riding for “Outlander” for example. I also learned how to ride a donkey for one of the scenes and it was a memorable experience. Those little things stay in my head and are really cool souvenirs.”
From playing the young peddler Fergus in “Outlander” to Rémi, a computer nerd suffering from teen ostracization and the pressure of finding his place in the world in “Huguette,” and numerous other complex characters in between, Romann Berrux has certainly proven himself to be a skilled actor with a powerful versatility. At barely 20 years old, there’s no doubt that the diversity of the characters he takes on in the future will continue to expand exponentially. Aside from wanting to play a super villainous role for the sheer fun of it, Berrux admits that there is one kind of role that he believes will bring a lot of meaning to his career.
“One of the most meaningful things I’d love to do during my career would be to play a very difficult character with a disability, to dedicate all of my time to the movie and all of my soul to represent the subject as best as possible,” says Berrux. “I would then use the opportunity to raise funds for the specific disability so I can use my talent to help other people and entertain them at the same time.”
