Interview with Framboise Gommendy

Framboise Gommendy (Isabelle Leduc)

Framboise Gommendy played flirtatious French authoress Isabelle Leduc. In a somewhat open marriage with tennis club owner Philippe, they intermingled memorably with Danes Per and Lene.

Isabelle was a very feisty character, totally unashamed of her infidelity. Was there much of you in her?

No, very little. She is somebody very pretentious, also a bit of a racist, always perfectly dressed and made up. Very far away from me! Only thing that was mine, was the fact she was playing squash... Tony was happy for her to play squash, and he included that in the character.

Photo: Sarah Robine

Did it worry you when actors started to be axed from the show? Was it a difficult atmosphere to work in?

No, absolutely not. I never got worried for that. I never believed the show would get axed either. That proves how clairvoyant I was/am...

   

How did you feel about the cancellation?

't was for us all involved a tragedy when Eldorado was axed. And we, as actors, kept a bit of a stigma, as if we are that bad that they had to stop the show. Ehrrr, nope. I thought that despite the conditions we were working under - no make-up artist, locations very far one from the other, 1 or 2 takes only as we had to do so many minutes per day, texts from one day to the next, etc - we did an awfully good show. The crew certainly worked their cameras off and the actors, well, did their bit too.

If Eldorado were to return, would you want to be part of it?

Yes, definitely. Well, why would it be bad really? A bit of fun, gorgeous girls and boys next to the pool, under a warm sun, that can't be all bad, can it? As for Isabelle, I would love to see her back, creating trouble again! Although I'm no writer and would luuuuve to act whatever would be thrown at me, I would see her working with young people - organising tennis camps in her clubs, gorgeous boys and girls, or running a model agency on the coast. We have several in Nice, France, and it would bring the opportunity to get young attractive actors and actresses on the set.

Have you stayed in touch with any of the cast?

Faith Kent (Olive King) and Mervyn Cummings (director).

Is there anything else you would like to mention?

I so miss John Maynard, Tony, Verity and Julia. They will always be a part of me, a part of my present, just because they gave me my chance.