Mariepier Morin spent years trying to convince her lover, actor Jean-Philippe Perras, and the latter's parents to start a multi-generational home project.
The 39-year-old presenter's goal was to get everyone together at one address in Granby without depriving her in-laws of their privacy.
When Grandma Claudette and Grandpa Léonce noticed the high price of the apartments, Maripier played her last cards and demonstrated the relevance of living together on the same plot, the main beneficiary of which are her children, Margot and Henri, as they form special bonds with their grandparents.
“This is a family gift that we give to ourselves,” she told QMI about the overhaul that viewers will be able to witness in the new series. Morin-Perras under one roofwhich will be simulcast on Crave and Canal Vie starting January 8th at 7:30pm ET.
Naturally, launching such an intensive renovation project comes with its own challenges. In the works, which were still in progress when we spoke to Maripier Morin before the holidays, we discovered asbestos that had to be removed at great expense, the installation of the septic tank had changed and, to take note of those brave enough to emulate Morin-Perras, a budget would need to be drawn up before the first blows of the hammer were struck. And, not to be neglected, plan for the inevitable cost overruns.
“The 1,000-square-foot extension we added for the grandparents, which is connected to the house by a garage, cost the same as a house bought in 2021,” said Maripier Morin, who has recovered from the scandal in recent years by getting sober and seeking counseling.
PHOTO COURTESY OF BELL MEDIA
Through work we become interested in the daily life of the family. “My biggest surprise and biggest pride is the value that shows up all the time, which is family. Family has been there for me when things have been tough in recent years, and this is kind of a way of giving back to them what they gave to me, both to my in-laws and to my parents, who are also often at our home.”
Maripier Morin is less dramatic than before: he has made several changes in his life, including giving up drug use.
“The only thing I have left from my past life is my fiery energy, the one that allows me to see projects through to completion. I would be quite capable of doing these renovations in my time, but in what state would I do it? It could escalate. […] I think my communication is no longer cruel. I used to be hard on myself and others. I really worked on it,” she said, praising her pair's ability to dialogue but casually admitting, as we'll see on the show, “that I'm intense.”
“Sobriety gives me consistency and balance.”
Jean-Philippe Perras at a construction site.
PHOTO COURTESY OF BELL MEDIA
Les Morin-Perras under one roof is more than just another celebrity update show. According to Maripier Morin, this is a quest.
“We tell ourselves all the time that we feel lucky and privileged, and we see that our project is the envy of others. It's more than a reno show, it's also a documentary because we have real thoughts about what it's like to live together, why we want to do it.”
The ten half-hour series, produced by Attraction in collaboration with Bell Media, is directed by Maud Sabbagh, known for her work as a documentary filmmaker (Gaetan Giroir: shock wave, True nature, Coming out stories).
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