Yohann Chopin is a multi-lingual European actor and producer that should be on your radar. Impressively, he speaks four languages French, his mother tongue, along with Italian, Spanish, and Swedish! He has experience acting in both the French and Italian film industry. He began his career as a producer and later transitioned to acting. Yohann has taken on various roles including Simon Bastelica in the Italian series Rosy Abate: La Serie and Jaubert in French series Versailles. Additionally, he starred in the films Mare di grano in 2018 and Creators: The Past in 2019. Currently, he is working on the French feature film Dissonance where he will play Jérôme Castaing. Beyond his many achievements as an actor and producer, Yohann is passionate about women’s rights and giving back. Since 2013, he has worked as a volunteer for the UN Women French committee and continues to advocate for the rights and equality of women. To learn more about the multi-talented Yohann Chopin, continue reading below!

Where are you based?
I am currently living in Rome. When I introduce myself, I always say I’m a European actor from France living in Italy.

How did you develop an interest in the film industry?
From a very young age, I was always intrigued by movies. How they were done, the backstage, the actors, the emotions I felt watching films etc… When I did my first steps on a stage and on a film set, I knew that was where I belonged.

Beginning your career as a producer, you have produced several short films. Currently you are working on the new French feature film Dissonance. Can you tell us more about the film and your role as Jérôme Castaing?
“Dissonance” was written and directed by Manuel Marino. He moved from Venezuela to France to study music at the National Music Academy of Pau in the south of France. He learned French through music. He wrote the script with sounds. Nothing I had seen before. The character of Jérôme was one of, or maybe, the hardest part I ever worked on. He is a schizophrenic pianist. It was quite tricky to find the right note to have the right attitude.

Can you tell us about transitioning from the role of producing to acting? What led to this transition?
With covid, all of our activities came to a stop. The only thing we could do is prepare for what would come next. I’ve met several producers in my life, and I’ve seen them work. They are the magicians of the first hour. I mean that they can lift a project from the ground to bring everyone together on a film set. I think of a producer I work with, Michela Scolari. She is a true artist. She is a storyteller with a passionate heart. I want to be able to do what she does.

As an experienced actor, you have taken on many roles including starring as Simon Bastelica in the Italian series Rosy Abate: La Serie and Jaubert in French series Versailles. How do you prepare for the roles of the various characters you play?
A thorough reading and understanding of the script are the base of any acting work. I studied a technic in London and Paris called Movement Psychology with Giles Foreman. It’s a fascinating technic that allows you to create a complete character. In both Rosy Abate and Versailles, I played an evil character and it was very enjoyable. I like to create the back story of my characters. If I’m stuck in the creation process, I know I can count on my acting coach from London to find the breakthroughs.

You are versatile with languages, speaking French, your mother tongue, along with Italian, Spanish, and Swedish. How has being multi-lingual impacted your roles as an actor and producer? Do you have a language you prefer to act in?
I get more and better auditions. I can work on various sets and it’s always better for communication. I haven’t acted in Swedish, yet, but it’s something I really want to do. I’ve been studying the language for five years; so, I can proudly say I can speak Swedish like a five years old. I have to spend more time in the country to master it. I don’t have a favorite language. Even though English is the most used outside of a set, I try to practice all my languages at the first occasion.

You have worked largely in Italy, thus far, starting in the films Mare di grano in 2018 and Creators: The Past in 2019. Can you tell us more about your experience in Italian cinema?
I have been very lucky with Italy. It’s where I had my very first part in a movie with Tulpa with Claudia Gerini. Since I moved there, last year, I have had the most auditions in my entire career. The industry might not be as big as the French one, but the craze, the passion, is the same. There is so much talent in Italy and the sceneries are to die for.

In addition to your various achievements in the film industry, you are devoted to giving back. Since 2013 you have been working as a volunteer for the UN Women French committee. What led you to get involved with their work? Can you tell us a bit about the organization?
A friend of mine, Lindsay Jefferson, used to work for The Girl Generation, a global non-profit fighting to end female genital mutilation worldwide. She showed me the speech of Emma Watson at the UN and it was a wake-up call. I found out that there was a UN Women French committee and I decided to join in. Especially for the HeForShe movement. The UN Women French committee works on various levels. They work on an international level but mainly national. They collect first need kits for women shelters, Orange days every 25th of November, festivals to diffuse information, newsletters, etc.

It feels like women’s rights are under attack more these days. How would you like the world to support women more?
We have a long way to go. We need lawyers and politicians to create sustaining protective laws for women. It should be illegal to pay someone less because of their sex. Education and abortion are a right, not a privilege. A man who hits a woman should be sent to compulsory therapy. Prison and/or a fee are not enough. Law making and enforcing those laws are key to progress as a society. Also, to not leave all the responsibility to someone else, it starts with every single one of us. Give the space, the chance that women deserve.

Why is it important for you to be involved as a male?
I owe it to the women who raised me. I come from a matriarchal family. I’ve seen and heard so many stories of inequalities, unfairness etc. As a child, I remember feeling powerless. Feminism wasn’t born yesterday with #metoo, but it had the benefit to be on everybody’s mouth. Men need to listen and act accordingly. Gender equality can only be achieved if all genders work together. As Emma Watson said “if not me, who? If not now, when?”

Italy was hit hard by the pandemic. How did you weather the storm? Are you back to normal now?
Because of the pandemic and bad timing, I ended up homeless. I was trying to buy an apartment and I’d left my old one early March 2020. Luckily, a friend who had horses needed help and I stayed with him. We could go out and ride every day. The recurrent shows I was working on closed with the pandemic and didn’t reopen. I had to create a new normal. That’s when I decided to leave Paris for Rome.

What is your motto in life?
“A stranger is a friend I haven’t met yet” I had lost my connecting flight. I was alone with two heavy suitcases. A random person came to my help and gave me that piece of wisdom. It has been with me ever since.

“A cœur vaillant rien d’impossible”. It’s my family’s motto. My grandma was signing all of her letters to me with this phrase. “To a valiant heart, nothing is impossible.”

To learn more about Yohann Chopin and the organizations he works with, please check out the links below:
https://www.onufemmes.fr/
https://www.heforshe.org/fr
https://www.thegirlgeneration.org/
https://m.imdb.com/name/nm5251705/
*https://arpj.org/
*ARPJTETTO is a Voluntary Organisation that has been working in Rome's Ostiense district since 1953 to ensure that women, minors and young people in distress have the opportunity to become responsible protagonists of their own future, within their own community. ARPJTETTO has been operating since its inception in the Centro San Tarcisio, a multi-purpose space where activities aimed at the growth of young people and their social inclusion is carried out.)

Team Credits:
Management & Production, Creative Direction: Alessio Filippelli @ale_ssiofilippelli
Make-up/Hair: Martina Torazzi @martinatorazzi_makeupartist using @maccosmetics @diorbeauty @anastasiabeverlyhills @urbandecaycosmetics
Photographer: Salvo Pavone @photographerome @salpavo
Editing: Alessio Filippelli @ale_ssiofilippelli
Production Assistant: Manuel Perugini @manuel_perugini
Styling: Alessio Filippelli @ale_ssiofilippelli, Wilma @legallinelle, Diana Dieppa @dianadieppacouture

Advocating for Equality with European Actor Yohann Chopin