Stéphanie Lapointe (born March 26, 1984 in
Brossard,
Quebec
Quebec ( ; )According to the Government of Canada, Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is ...
) is a
Quebec
Quebec ( ; )According to the Government of Canada, Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is ...
singer, song writer, television and movie actress and humanitarian activist. She is best known as the winner of the second season of
Star Académie
''Star Académie'' is a Canadian reality television series that started in 2003, aimed primarily at the Quebec television audience, featuring an array of young women and men under the age of 30 competing for the title of the next solo singing sensa ...
.
Profile/background
Musical and actor development
Lapointe discovered and developed her interest in music as a young child. It was in 1992, at the age of 8, that she had her first
piano
The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a musica ...
lessons at her elementary school in Brossard (formerly
Longueuil
Longueuil () is a city in the province of Quebec, Canada. It is the seat of the Montérégie administrative region and the central city of the urban agglomeration of Longueuil. It sits on the south shore of the Saint Lawrence River directly a ...
) a southern suburb of
Montreal
Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple- ...
. In 1996, right after finishing primary school, she traveled to France for a school extracurricular and educational activity. It was there she made her debut in
theatrical plays. Her trip to France marked the moment she discovered an interest in the world of acting.
In 2001, at age 17, Lapointe became a member of a group which performed musical comedies. She then played in various other plays, including a French remake of (''
Beauty and the Beast
''Beauty and the Beast'' (french: La Belle et la Bête) is a fairy tale written by French novelist Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve and published in 1740 in ''La Jeune Américaine et les contes marins'' (''The Young American and Marine T ...
''), as well as other
French
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
plays such as ''Aida'', and ''Once on This Island''. While in France, she also followed several dance classes. At the same time, she continued to develop her skills in music and theatrical acting. The lessons later proved important for her future roles in
Quebec
Quebec ( ; )According to the Government of Canada, Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is ...
television
reality shows and movies starting in 2005.
While refining her acting skills, Lapointe studied at
Collège Édouard-Montpetit
In France, secondary education is in two stages:
* ''Collèges'' () cater for the first four years of secondary education from the ages of 11 to 15.
* ''Lycées'' () provide a three-year course of further secondary education for children betwee ...
in
humanities
Humanities are academic disciplines that study aspects of human society and culture. In the Renaissance, the term contrasted with divinity and referred to what is now called classics, the main area of secular study in universities at th ...
.
She is not related to the Québécois singer
Eric Lapointe.
''Star Academie'' experience
In 2003, TVA's newest reality show ''Star Académie'', a remake of France's
''Star Academy'', debuted. Lapointe, while in France, never auditioned for the French edition prior to returning to Quebec. She first auditioned for ''Star Académie'' in 2003 but had a greater success the following year, on the series second season, when she impressed the three judges. During the performances as a top-ten finalist, she delivered several impressive performances, full of
emotion
Emotions are mental states brought on by neurophysiological changes, variously associated with thoughts, feelings, behavioral responses, and a degree of pleasure or displeasure. There is currently no scientific consensus on a definition. ...
and
sensitivity
Sensitivity may refer to:
Science and technology Natural sciences
* Sensitivity (physiology), the ability of an organism or organ to respond to external stimuli
** Sensory processing sensitivity in humans
* Sensitivity and specificity, statisti ...
. Despite her
timid nature and
calm demeanor, she was known by the public for her energetic performances including rock hits such as
Green Day
Green Day is an American rock band formed in the East Bay of California in 1987 by lead vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong, together with bassist and backing vocalist Mike Dirnt. For most of the band's career, they have been a ...
's "
American Idiot". During the season, she faced elimination only once, in March 2004, but was saved by the public. While being in danger of being sent off, she considered abandoning everything. After being saved by the public, she gained more confidence throughout the remainder of the gala. At the finale, she won the 2004 crown, defeating
Marc-André Niquet. She is currently the only female winner in the reality show's three-season history.
Her hits "L'infidèle" (previously performed by
Claude Dubois and "Si fragile" (previously performed by
Luc de la Rochelière) from the ''Star Académie'' 2004 album, also aired on French radio stations across Quebec prior to her debut album. The ''Star Académie 2'' album was certified
double platinum
Music recording certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped, sold, or streamed a certain number of units. The threshold quantity varies by type (such as album, single, music video) and by nation or territory (see ...
within two days of its release date.
Debut album: ''Sur le fil'' (2005)
Following her province-wide tour with the 2004 ''Star Académie'' finalists, in which she acquired more confidence and self-esteem, she immediately started recording her first album, ''Sur le fil'', produced by Francis Collard.
The album was launched and debuted on August 30, 2005, at the
Vidéotron headquarters in
Montreal
Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple- ...
. The event was held in front of several well-known personalities, including ''Star Académie'' and ''
Le Banquier'' host
Julie Snyder and one of the competition's judges and ''
La Presse'' editor Stéphane Laporte. The album itself is composed of many ballads and love songs. Her first two hits, "Nous sommes" and "La mer", performed very well on the French charts, with the former hitting the top spot on the
RockDétente Top 20 Countdown. A third hit, "Je sais déjà", played on French radio stations and TV station
MusiquePlus in December 2006.
Singers
Catherine Durand,
Projet Orange frontman Jean-Christophe Boies and
Sylvie Paquette, as well as writers Dave Richard and Martine Coupal, participated in the composition of ''Sur le fil''. Lapointe wrote portions of the final two songs, "Love You" and "Interlude", along with Dave Richard. As of November 2006, 30,000 copies of the album were sold across Quebec and it was, at one point in September 2005, the francophone album with the most copies sold provincewide.
In 2006, she also participated in the debut album of writer and journalist
Tristan Malavoy
Tristan (Latin/Brythonic: ''Drustanus''; cy, Trystan), also known as Tristram or Tristain and similar names, is the hero of the legend of Tristan and Iseult. In the legend, he is tasked with escorting the Irish princess Iseult to wed T ...
as she provided background vocals in one of Malavoy's songs.
The videoclip of "La Mer" was directed by video and scene director Dominique Laurence, who also directed clips for songs by
Ariane Moffatt, Jean-François Breau, former ''Star Académie'' season 2 finalist Martin Giroux and season 1 winner
Wilfred Le Bouthillier Wilfred Le Bouthillier (born May 12, 1978) is an Acadian singer from the town of Tracadie-Sheila, New Brunswick, and the winner of both the 2003 edition of ''Star Académie'', a Quebec reality show for aspiring singers, and the 2021 edition of ''Cha ...
.
Second album
She completed her contract with Musicor and, in March 2009, released her second album, entitled ''Donne-moi quelque chose qui ne finit pas'' (Give me something that doesn't end).
Pierre Lapointe
Pierre Lapointe (born 23 May 1981) is a Canadian singer-songwriter. His work largely follows in the tradition of French chanson, though he is influenced by modern pop music. Defining himself as a "popular singer", he has built an egocentric pe ...
(not related) wrote two songs for it, "Une fleur" (A flower) and the duet "À quoi" (What are you thinking). She also recorded a French version of Cher's "
Bang Bang" song.
Awards and nominations
Due to the success generated by the album, she was nominated for Breakthrough Artist of the Year in 2006 at the
ADISQ
ADISQ (french: Association québécoise de l'industrie du disque, du spectacle et de la video; eng, Québec Association for the Recording, Concert and Video Industries, link=yes) is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to support the indep ...
music gala and was a
Juno nominee for
Francophone Album of the Year.
At the
2006 MuchMusic Video Awards, she won the award for
Best Francophone Video for her song la "Mer"
Performances
Lapointe started to perform various shows as guest artist across the province in 2004, including concerts with Quebec singer
Isabelle Boulay, as well as on Quebec television shows. She also performed at the
Saint-Jean Chrysostome Hot Air Balloon Festival and another, entitled ''Show de filles'', at the
Gatineau Hot Air Balloon Festival in September 2006, which also featured
Marjo and fellow Star Académie contestants
Émily Bégin
Émily Bégin (born 21 January 1982) is a Canadian singer, actress and dancer. She is known for her participation in the first season of Star Académie. Shortly after she released her debut album. She received a degree in dance from Cégep Montmo ...
and
Annie Villeneuve
Annie Villeneuve (born May 5, 1983) is a French-Canadian pop singer-songwriter. She participated at the first season of Star Académie in 2003. She also sang the French and the bilingual official song of the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, I Believe/J ...
from the first season. Heavy rain due to the remnants of
Hurricane Ernesto The name Ernesto has been used for seven tropical cyclones in the Atlantic Ocean.
* Tropical Storm Ernesto (1982), formed southwest of Bermuda and dissipated without threatening land.
* Tropical Storm Ernesto (1988), formed east of Bermuda and did ...
affected the turnout at the show which was estimated at 15 000 spectators.
She also made a province-wide tour in 2006 and 2007 called ''Sur le fil'' which debuted in Montreal's le Gésu. Most of the critics praised her softness and her charming voice.
Acting career
While her musical debut was a success, despite modest record sales, she also appeared on television in the
mini-series
A miniseries or mini-series is a television series that tells a story in a predetermined, limited number of episodes. "Limited series" is another more recent US term which is sometimes used interchangeably. , the popularity of miniseries format ...
''Le Négociateur'' (''The Negotiator'') which aired on the French television network
TVA starting in 2005 with the second season airing during the fall of 2006.
Lapointe played the role of Colette Cloutier, the sister of the show's main character, Mac Cloutier, a journalist and a negotiator, played by
Frédérick de Grandpré. She returned in the same role for the series' third chapter, which was filmed during the fall of 2006 and aired in 2008.
In movie roles, she appeared in ''
Aurore'', which opened in French theaters across the province of Quebec in the summer of
2005
File:2005 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf of Mexico; the Funeral of Pope John Paul II is held in Vatican City; "Me at the zoo", the first video ever to be uploaded to YouTube; Eris (dwarf planet), Er ...
.
She played the role of Marie-Anne Caron, the young biological mother of
Aurore Gagnon, a girl who was mistreated by her stepmother and her father after the death of her birth mother from tuberculosis. Film director
Luc Dionne initially balked at her participation in the movie, but later accepted after
Denise Robert, the co-founder of Quebec movie company Cinémaginaire Inc., urged Dionne to give Lapointe a real opportunity for the role of Marie-Anne Caron.
[
]
Care Canada, humanitarian and community involvement
Lapointe is involved in various community causes and participated in the Opération Enfant Soleil telethon in 2005 while performing Sting's " Fields of Gold" song. She adores the outdoors, wildlife and nature and was the spokesperson for the project "Au sommet pour Care" launched by Care Canada. In order to raise funds for the organization, she climbed Mount Kilimanjaro
Mount Kilimanjaro () is a dormant volcano in Tanzania. It has three volcanic cones: Kibo, Mawenzi, and Shira. It is the highest mountain in Africa and the highest free-standing mountain above sea level in the world: above sea level and ab ...
, the highest peak in Central Africa
Central Africa is a subregion of the African continent comprising various countries according to different definitions. Angola, Burundi, the Central African Republic, Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Republic of the Congo, E ...
, in 2005 along with 24 other Canadians. During an interview with reporter Nathalie Petrowski of the Montreal newspaper '' La Presse'', Lapointe revealed that if she was to abandon music, she would like to be heavily involved in helping humanitarian groups, as she notably travelled across several countries in conjunction with her participation at the Care Canada mission.[ Lapointe also made, in 2007, a Quebec-wide tour for ]Unicef
UNICEF (), originally called the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund in full, now officially United Nations Children's Fund, is an agency of the United Nations responsible for providing humanitarian and developmental aid t ...
-Quebec as Ambassador, along with actress Catherine Brunet
Catherine Brunet (born 30 October 1990 in Terrebonne, Quebec, Terrebonne, Quebec) is a Canadian actress. Her breakout role was in the television series ''Le monde de Charlotte'' (1999–2006).
Aside from the title role in ''Le monde de Charlot ...
, to discuss and sensitize the public on the issue of worldwide child poverty, particularly in Africa, just prior to the Halloween
Halloween or Hallowe'en (less commonly known as Allhalloween, All Hallows' Eve, or All Saints' Eve) is a celebration geography of Halloween, observed in many countries on 31 October, the eve of the Western Christian feast of All Saints' Day. ...
. In May 2007, she made a humanitarian trip to Mali
Mali (; ), officially the Republic of Mali,, , ff, 𞤈𞤫𞤲𞥆𞤣𞤢𞥄𞤲𞤣𞤭 𞤃𞤢𞥄𞤤𞤭, Renndaandi Maali, italics=no, ar, جمهورية مالي, Jumhūriyyāt Mālī is a landlocked country in West Africa. Ma ...
and the Sahel
The Sahel (; ar, ساحل ' , "coast, shore") is a region in North Africa. It is defined as the ecoclimatic and biogeographic realm of transition between the Sahara to the north and the Sudanian savanna to the south. Having a hot semi-arid c ...
region, and met up with a non-governmental organization
A non-governmental organization (NGO) or non-governmental organisation (see American and British English spelling differences#-ise, -ize (-isation, -ization), spelling differences) is an organization that generally is formed independent from g ...
which planned to set up a new school in the region. In April 2008, Lapointe, along with Laurence and producer Eza Paventi, planned a tour of the Darfur region of Sudan in order to produce several small documentaries on African migrations, for Radio-Canada
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (french: Société Radio-Canada), branded as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian public broadcaster for both radio and television. It is a federal Crown corporation that receives funding from the government. ...
.
In addition to her humanitarian work, Lapointe had also been pro-active in regards to global environment. During her appearance on Star Académie, she made a statement to the Quebec government of Jean Charest towards an improved provincial policy on recycling. Lapointe mentioned in the Quebec magazine ''Le Privé'' that the environment and other world issues will be significant topics for her upcoming album. In addition, she also encouraged schools to discuss more on such major global issues.
Filmography
*'' Aurore'', 2005: Marie-Anne Caron, Aurore's mother
*'' Fear of Water (La Peur de l'eau)'', 2011: Rosalie Richard
*''Liverpool
Liverpool is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the List of English districts by population, 10th largest English district by population and its E ...
'', 2012: Émilie
Television programs
* ''Le Négociateur'' (2005): Colette Cloutier
* ''Le Négociateur 2'' (2006): Colette Cloutier
* ''Le Négociateur 3'' (2008): Colette Cloutier
Discography
''Star Académie 2'' (2004)
* "Si fragile"
* "L'infidele"
''Sur le fil'' (2005)
* Label: Musicor
* Distributor: Distribution Select
* "Quand je dors" - 3:51 ("When I Sleep")
* "Nous sommes" (written by Catherine Durand) - 3:04 ("We Are")
* "Libre comme l'eau" - 2:46 ("Free Like Water")
* "J'oublie" - 3:48 ("I Forget")
* "La Mer" - 3:56 ("The Sea")
* "Dis-moi" - 3:11 ("Tell Me")
* "Vague de froid" - 4:33 ("Vagueness of the Cold")
* "Le temps n'est pas à rire" - 4:47 ("The Time Is Not a Laugh")
* "Je promets" - 3:57 ("I Promise")
* "Je sais déjà" - 3:23 ("I Know Already")
* "Love You" - 3:37
* "Interlude" - 3:34
''Donne-moi quelque chose qui ne finit pas'' (2009)
* "Désert" ("Desert")
* "On est loin" ("We are far")
* "Eau salée" ("Salty water")
* "Petit garçon en habit d'homme" ("Little child in men's clothing")
* "Bang Bang"
* "Rose transparente" ("Transparent rose")
* "Une fleur" ("A flower")
* "À quoi" ("To what") with Albin de la Simone
* "L'île" ("The Island")
* "Nus sous les étoiles" ("Naked under the stars")
* "Rose"
* "Au nord de moi" ("North of me")
See also
*Star Académie
''Star Académie'' is a Canadian reality television series that started in 2003, aimed primarily at the Quebec television audience, featuring an array of young women and men under the age of 30 competing for the title of the next solo singing sensa ...
* Aurore
* List of Quebec musicians
References
External links
Stéphanie Lapointe's website
Fan club site
Second Fan club site
Le Négociateur site from TVA
Biography page courtesy of Québec Info Musique
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lapointe, Stephanie
1984 births
Living people
People from Brossard
Participants in Canadian reality television series
Canadian film actresses
Canadian television actresses
French Quebecers
Star Academy winners
Actresses from Quebec
Singers from Quebec
French-language singers of Canada
21st-century Canadian women singers