Co-created by Frédéric Krivine and Marie Kremer, L’Affaire Laura Stern blends social drama and thriller elements. The series boldly explores the transformation of a quiet housewife into a vigilante. Valérie Bonneton steps away from her role as Fabienne Lepic in Fais pas ci, fais pas ça, powerfully portraying the existential anguish consuming Laura Stern.
Valérie Bonneton: A Fiction Close to Reality
In an exclusive interview with Télé Star, Valérie Bonneton discussed the bold approach of this miniseries, whose deliberately slow pacing may surprise viewers. “The director Akim Isker wanted to insert this series as close as possible to reality. This time we allow ourselves recalls the time women take to leave a violent man.” A deliberate choice, consistent with the character she plays, a pharmacist committed to an association helping women victims of violence.
When questioned about the tragic dimension of the plot, she openly addressed the case of Marie Trintignant: “Yes, and it’s incredible that a documentary series had to be released for the investigation to be reopened.” And she added, very moved: “We have a problem with our justice system in France. I lived through all of this… I don’t want to talk too much about it to protect Paul. But we must be aware that this man destroyed everyone around him. And my family too. It’s terrifying and unbearable that he is allowed to return to the stage. Marie was wonderful. She was the one who deserved to be in the spotlight and applauded, not him.”
A Role That Revives Deep Wounds
To prepare for this role, the actress from Fais pas ci, fais pas ça immersed herself in specialized associations and shared the screen with women directly affected by these forms of violence. “It was a shock to me to proceed to the associations, and then to film with these women. Modestly, I wanted to be their voice because even though we hear about these violences, here we are face to face with people whose journeys are marked on their bodies. We had an interest in being up to the task.”
Marked by this experience, Valérie Bonneton acknowledges that filming resonated with her own past. “I was very surprised that I was offered this role and, at the same time, I had been waiting for it.” She concluded with gravity: “The filming stirred me up because I too have lived through difficult things. It revived this pain that we endeavor to forget. The subject is eminently political. I hope it will make things change.”
Interview to be found in full in your Télé Star magazine on newsstands and in digital version this Monday, March 2, 2026.
