Noémie O’Farrell, former lead of the cult series Sorcières, is currently filming the Franco-American production Las Végas Thérapie across Utah and Nevada. The project marks O’Farrell’s first lead role in a French film, directed by César Award-winner Sarah Kaminsky, and explores a dark comedy narrative inspired by the Coen brothers.
For O’Farrell, this move follows the 2025 cancellation of Sorcières after two seasons on TVA. While the sudden termination of that series left narrative threads dangling—particularly since O’Farrell was involved in the show’s ideation alongside Céline Bonnier and Marie-Joanne Boucher—it provided the professional mobility required for a month-and-a-half shoot in the United States.
The Architecture of Mauricette: Linguistic Hybridity and Character Design
In Las Végas Thérapie, O’Farrell portrays Mauricette, a Québécoise who has lived in Las Vegas for a decade with her French husband, Jack (played by Jérémie Rénier). The role required a specific linguistic calibration. Because the character was written by French screenwriters, O’Farrell had to refine the dialogue to ensure it sounded authentic to a Québécoise identity while reflecting ten years of cultural immersion in both France and the U.S.
According to O’Farrell, the character’s speech patterns incorporate “emprunts” (borrowings) from these two cultures, with certain French phrasing maintained to ensure the film remains accessible to a broader Francophone audience.
O’Farrell’s approach to the role went beyond the script. To understand the psyche of Québécois expatriates in “Sin City,” she embedded herself in various Facebook groups dedicated to Quebecers living in Las Vegas. She noted that the city sells a “prefabricated dream” that people cling to, a detail she integrated into Mauricette’s identity.
From Cult TV to Coen-esque Chaos
The plot of Las Végas Thérapie centers on a marriage and relationship counseling business run by Mauricette and Jack. The stability of their professional life collapses when they host Philippe (Jérôme Commandeur) and Isabelle (Laure Calamy), a couple seeking to rekindle their romance. The tension spikes when it is revealed that Isabelle is Jack’s ex-partner, triggering a sequence of events where “deaths accumulate” and the story spirals into disaster.
She secured the role after a single audition process involving a self-tape and a Zoom interview with Sarah Kaminsky and the casting director. Working alongside César winner Laure Calamy—known for Antoinette dans les Cévennes and Call My Agent!—places O’Farrell in a high-caliber ensemble.
- Director: Sarah Kaminsky (César winner for Best Screenplay for Un ours dans le Jura).
- Co-writer: Niko Tackian (novelist and cartoonist).
- Genre: A hybrid of suspense and comedy.
- Filming Locations: Utah and Nevada.
The Logistics of an International Pivot
Despite the geographical shift, O’Farrell observed that the fundamental mechanics of acting remain constant regardless of the location. While she admitted to feeling “le trac” (stage fright) throughout the summer due to the unfamiliar environment and new collaborators, she found the core professional experience to be identical to her work in Quebec.
O’Farrell is scheduled to wrap her 28-day shoot on October 3. This window allows her to return to Montreal to continue a two-year residency at the Théâtre La Licorne, where she is developing a new play with her partner, Alice Moreault.
Beyond the film, O’Farrell remains visible in the Quebecan media landscape, appearing this autumn in the early plotlines of Indéfendable.
