After an exceptional swimming career, Florent Manaudou is exploring a new avenue: acting. The 35-year-old French Olympic champion will appear in season 2 of the police comedy series "A priori," which will air on France 3 starting March 31 and will be available from March 26 on the france.tv platform, according to information relayed by AFP.
A charming police officer in his acting debut
In this new season, Florent Manaudou plays Jim, a charming police officer who teams up with Iris, a character portrayed by Lucia Passaniti. He succeeds Bruno Salomone in the lead male role. The series creator, Benoît Masocco, explains that the production was looking for someone "believable as a cop," capable of bringing a comedic element while also being well-known enough to carry the show. According to him, the swimmer's screen tests quickly convinced the team that there was "something to explore," reports AFP.
Aware of the challenge, the former champion was determined to prepare thoroughly. He specifically requested to work with an acting coach to avoid being at a disadvantage alongside his co-stars. "I wanted to be good enough so that the other actors wouldn't be bad around me," he explained at a press conference, according to AFP.
A champion curious about new experiences
Florent Manaudou is no stranger to television appearances. The athlete, a multiple Olympic medalist — including gold in the 50-meter freestyle at the London Games in 2012 — has already appeared in series such as Nos chers voisins, Munch or Section de recherche, as well as in the show Danse avec les stars.
For him, this new adventure reflects a desire to explore different worlds. "I like stepping outside my comfort zone," he told AFP. While he says he enjoys this acting experience, he doesn't want to limit himself to just one type of work. Naturally curious, he's already considering other roles in the future, even mentioning the idea of playing a supervillain.
