Broadcast on Antenne 2 in 1981, this mini-series launched
Véronique Genest's acting career by making her a star. In her autobiography, the actress recalls how she got the role. There were 500 candidates and she couldn't get an audition fixed. So she left the female casting director a nude photo of herself wearing only socks ("What a bitch! -she said"). A few days later, director
Maurice Cazeneuve in person phoned her to make an appointment at his house in rue de Lille. "I enter, he observes me, I take off my down jacket, he makes me walk, turn, speaks to me about the role, tells me that he saw my photo..." He wanted she rehearsed a scene, the one where, "Nana undresses in front of her psyche, caresses herself and finds herself naked after a suggestive striptease. I take off one to one petticoat, basque and stockings." She was completely nude in front of the director who looked "delighted" , "also because I had no weight problems and I knew I had nice breasts and a round bottom." He told her that he wanted to play opposite her, so he 'entered' and she then thanked him for his 'touch'. Genest returned in rue de Lille several more times, repeating that erotic scene, but she knew that the director "is not the only one to decide and if in my opinion his choice is made, he must impose it on his producers." 'Show them what you can do', he suggested her, and finally Genest got the role but only after she had 'kissed' "some of them of all ages, of all kinds...Well, I remind you that Nana was a whore, in case you forgot..."
