Léa Seydoux Career Retrospective | Conversations at the SAG-AFTRA Foundation

[music] It's such an honor to speak with you. We'll be speaking about so many of uh of your films in a moment, but I'd like to start with a a topic I'm sure many in our audience can relate to, which is auditions. Uh when you began acting and going on auditions as a young person, - what would you say to your younger self that you know now? What do you know now that you'd like to tell your younger self about auditions? uh about auditions. First of all, it's uh I was like um it's a long story. I can make it short. I can make it uh I will try to make it uh - not too long. But to be honest, - I will start from the start. So, I was uh very um as a as a as a teenage girl, I was very lost - and um I didn't really know what to do in life. - And um and so I met a friend of mine who was kind of - acting, you know, and he he told me, "Yes, I met this agent. It's really nice. Uh I I I do castings and uh and it's really cool because then you get paid like uh - a certain a good amount of money, you know, and [laughter] it's better than - like babysitting. So I was young at the time and I was like, "Oh, yeah, maybe I should give a try." - And uh but I was a bit like chaotic to be honest. [snorts] And uh so I was so I met this agent - and I was doing like some castings and things but I was always very late. I didn't know my lines - and um and and they it didn't work. - Yeah. - Didn't work at all. And um one day I was walking with this friend and I met another actor in the street, a guy and I immediately like had this thing for him where I was I have to say like I fell in love with him with him. I I he he was very charismatic and uh he was a French actor and my friend said you don't know him you don't know who he is and I didn't know he said yes this actor this I'm not going to say his name - but you you you will you will find out later whatever so um so but and I was and suddenly he gave me like a purpose - you know because I really I really - I I I I yes I I I had this very strong feeling for him and um then I became obsessed - with him of course [laughter] but also with like uh me meeting his agent. - Yeah. - And I was like wow he's incredible. This actor is incredible. He makes amazing films and this is exactly the kind of films that I want to do. Um and uh he he he he worked with the best you know - uh directors in France and not not only in France but I was like very very so it gave me a purpose and from that moment I made I met I met his agent - who is still my agent today - and from that moment I was like this is what I want to do. I want to work with these people and really like it gave me like yeah a purpose in life you know - and um and this is - the story. - Yeah. - How it happened. But then the casting and then so after I was always on time. I knew all the you know my my my lines by heart. I was like and and and and it started to work like - and this is how I did my first um I mean one of my first film um called the beautiful person I think in English - and this was - my first you know I I he the director Christopher Nor was - someone I really wanted to work with and um and this is how it started. - Yeah. What I what I hear in that also is a sense of um being able to kind of focus your passion, right? Like if if acting is your passion, if music's your passion, whatever your passion is, whatever your artistic purpose is, you kind of have to focus on it a little bit, right? Like don't let it don't let it kind of guide itself, you kind of have to guide it. Do do you think that's sort of a - Yeah, but for me for me it was not like first of all, as a kid, I didn't really want to be an actress, you know, it was it has never been a dream of mine. So, and I really I I think I needed to have a purpose that was like love actually. - Yeah. - I need Yeah. You know, and so I'm I'm very romantic. - Um and uh and so um but but really like I have to thank him in a way because he really gave me - you know um yeah a purpose and and uh - now we're good friends. - Yeah. Well, that's great. Well, you mentioned that that he's worked with uh great filmmakers. you yourself have worked with so many amazing filmmakers and we're going to be talking about that in a moment uh in terms of your your amazing accomplishments. But in between the that and and your extraordinary career, you took acting classes in Paris - and uh where you're from, of course, and as well as at the actor studio here in New York. What did you learn, Leia? Or - No, I didn't do any like I don't know. I've never worked in New York. - Oh, you never? Okay. - No, no, but I know some people said that, but no. Okay. - Actually, I was like in Paris. I I did this um I went in in a class but I was like so - I mean - I was not um how do you say like very um scholar you know. - Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Studious. Yeah. - Yeah. Studious. I was just um [clears throat] it - Yeah. Yeah. - So I really learned I think - if if I can say that I learned but because even now sometimes I'm like I don't even know what it means really to act. It's so it's very abstract. - Yeah. for me. [laughter] But um no, it was just like um um yeah, I learned with with directors. - Yeah. By doing. Yeah. - Yeah. By doing, by just observing. - Yeah. - And um - Yeah. Which is the best way to do it also because to be able kind of to hone your craft and and your skill. Yeah. Well, after after several acclaimed performances, you mentioned The Beautiful Person, also Girlfriends, uh Lords, so many uh acclaimed French films, uh and garnering a a can film festival award for young actors and a Cesar award for most promising actress in 2009. Um you went to Englorious Bastards uh in 2009, which is an extraordinary film and and still so powerful. Quinton Tarantino um - very small, - a very small role. - Yes. But I but I it's important though because I also wanted to ask you about your character Charlotte. She's she's there when Hans Landa, played by Kristoff Waltz, comes into the farmhouse at the very beginning of of Quinton Tarantino's film. Um and and I wanted to ask you about about making an impression or focusing even on a in a small role because there's no small roles. They're all important, right? And and maybe even a role that maybe doesn't have any lines. It's there's an importance to to finding the focus even in that character. Do you do you feel that as well or kind of remember that from that moment? - I I remember very well um the the the shooting and and and the casting also with um - with Quentin. - I was very very um impressed by him - and [laughter] yeah, I was very impressed by him. But he just said like we were like doing the scene and at some point he said, "Would you mind if I go to the toilet [laughter] and he went to his throat and I heard him sorry?" - And then I was like, "Oh, well." [laughter] - And then I felt much more like relaxed after - like okay, - but he was he was like um he's I mean he it was amazing to to meet him. He's so passionate - and um and it was a great experience even though the part was small but we we spent like - I don't know like even even if my role was small - I think I spent like - like more than a month with them - with the whole crew and it's really like a a family you know when he [snorts] - when um when he's shooting - and so yes Quentin - yeah he really creates a family environment. I'm I'm curious about when you were there because one of your your you know your first American production, you know, so you're sort of there and thinking in addition to hearing him go to the bathroom. Uh that that that sort of that sense of of community that can exist on a set that was that must have been nice to experience too. That sort of sense of of family that can happen because he's something he fosters, right? Yeah. But it's true that it's a bit um it's a bit uh paradoxal maybe because I come from you know my my family is in the the in cinema. I mean my grandfather is a producer - and my grand uncle and my other grand uncle also and I have another like [laughter] - um uncle who's also a producer but um but in a way to to to do this - job - uh was a way also for me to find a family. - Yeah. which which is like kind of a bit - paradoxal, but it was really like I I - even even uh even now I'm going I'm going to say something - very very intimate but it's true when I hear my name you know on set - when they say when for example they say you know where is Leah Leah Leah I'm like oh they are calling me they are waiting for me like someone is waiting for me - and Um, it was a way for me to to to exist - in a way - because I felt as a kid these are my personal issues. - I felt very transparent. - Yeah. Wow. That's - I was I was part of a big family as a kid, you know, - and my my father was traveling all the time. - My mother also was not very often - at home. - And uh I was very lonely. Mhm. - So when I when I when I started to do this job, it was really like something for me incredible was to to to be part of this family. - Yeah. I love that. It's very lovely. Yeah. The the next year you did Robin Hood for uh Ridley Scott, acting opposite of Oscar Isaac, who's the villain in the film, Prince John. Uh he's the villain. It's a very watchful performance. You're playing Isabella. I would like to to ask and I think the actors in the audience would probably appreciate this too, the when you're acting in a in a on a set like that that it takes place in the 12th century and you're in the costumes and you've got the everything around you, the production design. Is there was there a a way or maybe a trick that you used or something that you used to ease yourself into the the um the period drama of it to kind of get into that sense of I'm living in the the year 1199. I this is a very different moment for me. Was there an actorly kind of um way that you found to get into that moment of the set of the the setting of the film of Robin Hood? - You know, I was not. No, I didn't I I was not in that um - Yeah. - head space. Yeah. You know, I was just it was I think my first big film - and I I I auditioned for that movie. Uh I just I sent a tape. - Mhm. - And um so I remember I was extremely impressed of course. - Yeah. when I when I um when I when I met Raie Scott and he was like he had he has a very - strong accent. - So he would speak to me with this British accent and I was I I couldn't really understand what he [laughter] was saying. - So I was like very - confused, you know, and I was like, "Okay, yeah, yeah, okay." And I just [laughter] like, you know, I just - I don't know like I just, you know, went with the with the flow. So I I didn't I was not like in a in um it was not method, - you know. I was just like - and and and Oscar was really nice. - Yeah. Yeah. - And we got along really well. - Yeah. - And it was just Yeah. - Yeah. The one of the things I I like about that film and your scenes with him is that he's obviously his energy is sort of up here because he's the villain, but you're Isabelle is very watchful and she's important to those scenes, but it's a there's a disparity between his energy and yours because that's what the story requires, right? As a as a performer and you're kind of in that moment, do you kind of calibrate a little bit? Uh he's going a little high, his his energy is up here. it will be more powerful if I'm down here a little bit, you know. - Yeah. But it was not really something that I it was not conscious, you know. I was just - I just wanted to have my lines uh just, you know, understandable. That's all. [laughter] - But but um I remember that I was when I was shooting with Oscar, he was like very loud and sometimes I was - like maybe it's too much, you know. - [laughter] - And then and then I saw the movie and he's absolutely like stunning in the film. He's like amazing and I was like wow. So - you can sometimes do things that are a bit - you know um over the top and - you know you never know how it will you know show on. - Yeah. Yeah. - So yeah. - Yeah. Yeah. Especially - it was it was great to to work with Oscar. He's such a such a great actor. - Yeah. your scenes with him are are terrific. And then next year you did Midnight in Paris, uh a romantic comedy as Gabrielle. Uh you are an antiques dealer who's uh you know, you have an affection for the writers of the Lost Generation. Owen Wilson uh plays a writer who's time tripping back and forth to the 20s and the Bellipac and uh and and it's it's a it's a sweet sort of moment. How did you kind of feel about kind of being in sort of a a light sort of present day moment romantic comedy like that? That's a even though the movie itself goes back and forth in time, your character is in the present day and and very centered and sweet. - Yes. Yeah. It was a it was also a lovely experience. - I didn't know I I didn't know the script because it was a character that was added the last time. - Yeah. - Last minute. - Uh because I was not supposed to be the character at the end of the film. It was - and I and um so I was at the time I was in Los Angeles auditioning for a movie called um Girl with the Dragon Tattoo with David Finchure. It was a whole thing - and whatever. - Yeah. - But it was actually I was I did the casting with D Daniel Craig. - Right. Yeah, that's right. - Yeah, - that's right. He'll come up later. Yeah, - that later. Um, and um, and so I was in in in Los Angeles and uh, and Wood Rudy Allen was looking for an act an actress for the end of the film. And so he called me and he was like, "Yeah, yeah. So would you be able to to to come to Paris to shoot this film with me?" - Uh, and I said, "Yeah, of course, of course we'll be." And he he just asked me about the length of my hair. That's all. He said, "How how long are [laughter] your hair?" And uh and and I said, "Yeah, they are pretty long." And he said, "Okay, great. Okay, well, - okay. Um - yeah, [laughter] - I'll wait for you." And so I just, you know, I just uh showed up and - it was nice. And again, I was young. I was - Yeah. - I was shy. - Yeah. - But um I think it's it worked. - It does work. Yeah. No, you're perfect in the film. Yeah. And then 2011 also saw you uh play the deadly assassin Sabin Maro in the fourth Mission Impossible film Ghost Pro protocol which is directed by Brad Bird. That's the fourth film in that mega successful franchise. Um you kill an agent very early on played by Josh Holloway and uh you've got an amazing fight scene - with Paula Patton uh that if anybody hasn't seen it's really terrific. Uh what was it like working with a stunt coordinator? That's sort of I'm sure the first time you had a moment like that where you have to have a big fisticuff sort of hand, you know, handtohand combat type moment. What was that like for you as a as an actor to kind of get into that into that space and and learn that? - Yeah, it was great because it was my first uh stunt. - Yeah. Oh, - with um this amazing stunt coordinator. His name was Rober Alonzo. - He's now a director. And um no, I had like I had so much fun doing it. - Yeah. - And also like this was something a bit weird for this film. I was called at the last minute - because some someone else was supposed to do it - and so they they said, "Yeah, can you fly to Vancouver?" We shot the movie in Vancouver, not in um - right in Bur Khalifa. Right. Exactly. because they rebuilt they not the tower built the set - uh the bedroom in um in Vancouver - and so yeah I just I was like really and then I met Tom Cruz - he was lovely very nice - and and yeah I had like um it was it was really nice I mean - yeah yeah I've I've heard it said that uh an actor mentioned to me once that that when you're in those big productions like that, those big franchise films or whatever, it's it's it feels like you're you might be, you know, sort of lost in the shuffle, but you're not. Every spoke in the wheel is important. So, every performance is important, every beat is important. Uh the way everything is mapped out, every fight, every chase, every every close-up is important. Did you kind of feel that in that uh film as well? That sort of every little bit was important because of the teamwork. - Yes. But um I was also you know it's like we're in the pure it's really like pure entertainment. - We are in the Hollywood industry. - Mhm. - And these big films um are also very fun to make. You know there is a certain uh lightness I will say. - Yeah. because they are just I mean they are about - Yeah. - I mean they are supposed to be entertaining. - Yeah. Yeah. - So um so it's it's just now I've always enjoyed those big films. I have to say even when I did James Bond - when I worked on Dune - a - few years ago. - Um I like these films. Yeah. - They they are like because - they are like um in France we don't have these kind of films. - Yeah. So I just um I don't take myself Yeah. seriously and I just enjoy myself. - Yeah. Yeah. They're they're they're like play. They're almost Exactly. Right. - Yes. But but of course you have like you feel the pressure of course - sometimes or like it has to be good and you know the fight for example with polar pola was um Yeah. [clears throat] It had to be you know it's work. - Yeah. - But it it's it's - it was fun. - Yeah. Yeah. Well, in uh Blue is the warmest color in 2013. Uh yourself and Adele Earopoulos were the very first actresses to share the Palm Dior, and I'm just kind of wondering what the what that honor meant to you to kind of have that Palm Dior uh honor, you know, bestowed upon you. - It was it was amazing. I mean, it was a bit crazy actually because - it's the first time that uh the Palmau has been given to act to actors - and uh I didn't really believed it, you know, - at the time. And it was also um Steven Spielberg who gave - gave it to us. So it was like - such an incredible moment. - Yeah. Yeah, - I think it was fair also because - absolutely I think so too [laughter] - really like I didn't feel that I was you know most of the time you can feel like a bit of um - impostor but on this phone no not at all. - Right. Right. Right. [laughter] - Well you teased it a little bit but now we come to your extremely relevant and franchise chasing entries in the world of James Bond. Uh we'll talk about each of them. 2015 Spectre directed by Sam Mendy's and 2021's No Time To Die directed by Ker Yoshi Fukanaga. Um, let's talk about Spectre, uh, which obviously also pits you against Kristoff Waltz, uh, back from Englorious Bastards. Uh, your character, Dr. Madlin Swan, is a psychologist, psychiatrist, I'm sorry, psychiatrist, and, uh, she and Daniel Craig's 007. They have to stop the title organization from doing all their evil deeds. Um, how did you kind of work with your style? uh in this longestablished franchise because Meline's very important. She is we'll talk about No Time to Die in a moment because she is the first co-star to to be in both films. Yeah, exactly. First leading actress to be in two consecutive films. So, how did you kind of find a a way into the to this longestablished franchise - your own style? - Yes. I'm again it was um I felt very lucky to be to be part of it. - Mhm. - I It's really the the the So it's it's a big franchise as you know as you know and it was now it's been uh sold. - Yeah. Yeah. But at the time it was the broccoli family - and they are an amazing - amazing family and Barbara Broccoli and Michael Wilson her brother - are just very like people that I that I cherish - deeply. So I I I I really I felt that it was like such a I had such it was such a chance you know I felt very lucky to be part of it and I - again enjoyed every moment. - Yeah. - And and I don't know what what I can say. It was really one of my I think one of the greatest experience I've I've ever had. - Yeah. It was just uh so much fun even even though it was a lot of work too, - but um no, I was I I've always been a huge James Bond fan as well. - So um No, it was it was - Yeah. - And and then when they called me for the second one, - No Time To Die, - I I was I was really really happy. - Yeah. We're going to talk about No Time To Die in a moment. I want to comment though on on both of them but but we'll kind of keep it focused on Spectre for a moment which is that Meline is a very dramatic character and I think that that's something that lends power to both films in that at you know the the series of course the franchise changed under Daniel and they got you know I think uh a little bit more grounded more graas but uh still extraordinary as they always were and but I think a lot of that gravitas comes from your character comes from Meline and what she represents and and the connection between yourself and Daniel in those roles, right? Did you see it that way? Did you see the sort of the the drama that's in in Meline, you know, Meline's uh dramatic qualities? - Yes. Yes. I think I have a certain Yeah. As you I like this this word gravitas. - Yeah. - But uh but Daniel has the this thing too - also Sam Sam Mendes because it was directed by two different directors. Uh Sam is an amazing director and that also is something that really counts - for me to so to be directed by Sam - was great and uh and then Carrie - the who who directed No Time To Die was very he's very different from different style - but that I I love the the the creative um - you know creative aspects of of James Bond. It's more than It's just very - chic. - Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Very much. Yeah. And Sam Sam of course uh is a phenomenal director, an Oscar winning director, and he also made two films, which was sort of rare, the first time since the 80s that a - filmmaker had made two James Bond films with the same actor as James Bond. Um, and he's obviously an accomplished theater director. And I'm sure his style probably in in directing it. There's sort of an oporadic quality to both of his films to Skyfall and to and to Spectre that uh that was probably great as an actor to to kind of get into, right? The sort of the the bigness and the theatricality, right? - Yes. Yes. Yes. It was it was I learned - a lot of I I I learned a lot of things with him. - I don't know what I can [laughter] but I feel very lucky. No, it's really I enjoyed every moment. - Yeah. Yeah. Well, let's jump on into then No Time To Die because that is I think a a wonderfully entertaining and emotional film. Uh I still think it's a little controversial. I think for James Bond fans, of course, if you don't know, it's six years on and we won't talk about it now, but um [laughter] uh because it's a but also among other things, it's a blockbuster with a heart and with a [clears throat] brain and you really feel that and and Meline returned um and she is incredibly important to the story and the story ends on her. It's her telling uh to her daughter the story that - it's my theory that this is going to set off the last 60 years of James Bond movies. - Um just because of the way that uh that Carrie shoots it like that. Um when you knew all of that was sort of in place as you read it, did you approach the the role a little differently? Now it being the second time being able to be a little bit deeper and she is such an integral important part of that film. Did you approach the character a little differently kind of adding layers or colors to her? Yes. Um but I was like I I I I I mean I I I I cannot really like talk about the the the character in a in you know I cannot really analyze this character because - I don't know why but I I was just like I think it's something in general you know when I do something when I play a character I I I I can anal analy analyze it but - but afterwards you know it's it's always difficult for me because I think that I if I - think too much about it and you know like - I want to do this or that anyway you know it's something that - es that is how do you say like escape you know it's something that escapes from - sure from I don't really Yeah. - Yeah. - I'm not like Yeah. I cannot think too much of - But this is not the way I I built this character. - I was really I I tried to to be as as um open as possible and not look at myself also. - Because um as I said, you know, because I'm shy. - Yeah. - I need to really like jump in the pool. - Yeah. Yeah. [laughter] Well, the result is it does make sense and the result is a phenomenal performance and and really wonderful and really won that that uh - and also you know there was also the accent. I had to work on the accent because I have like - Yeah. Is that that - kind of a British accent - right film? - Yeah. - And um yeah in um Inspector I have a few stunts. - Mhm. - And you know Time to Die was more like about the the love story and - Yeah. Yes. - Yeah. It's deeper than that. Right. Exactly. Yeah. The um well, this also marked a huge leap, No Time To Die, a huge leap in your already remarkable career, Le, and I think our audience of actors, I would be curious to know how it maybe impacted your working with with, you know, you mentioned you still have the same agent, but managers, publicists, or maybe how you saw the role of lots of different people in your life kind of as you go from one stage of your career to the next, you know, whether it's commercials to TV or from TV to movies or from movies to bigger movies. Um, how did you sort of think about your career maybe in terms of the team around you or how you just wanted to to map it out, however it works out? Yeah, - I don't really I I'm not really like um because I think that it just the the acting came, you know, just burst in my life. Can I say this? you know, it's it's not something that was I've never had like um I was it's nothing was premed pre - pre premeditated premeditated. Thank you. - So I don't have like I'm not like my career or I'm not like in - in this kind of control, you know. I just uh - I I I want to do things with with my heart. This is what uh in life in general I need to to - I'm passionate, you know. I like to to be with people. I like to meet - directors from all over the world because you've mentioned like a lot of American films, but - yeah, - I've worked with with also a lot of European directors and French directors - and I like to also work in English. I like to work - one of the last film that that that I've done uh was in German. I had to speak a bit of German - um in French, - whatever. I could speak Japanese maybe one day. - Um, but you know, it's really like I don't have like this uh kind of um I'm just uh I I I do things with with my heart and and um and and also I think that what I love the most about this job is to touch people. - Yeah. - You know. - Yeah. - And um that's my goal. - Yeah. Yeah. And you do it very well. And you you had wanted maybe originally as a teenager, maybe slightly older, you kind of wanted to be a singer or an opera singer. Is that correct? Yeah, - I kind of wanted to sing. - Yeah. I was maybe too chaotic to be like an opera singer because you really need to work hard and you need you know it's - it's um it's it's something to become an opera singer but but as as a kid again I was like um struggling to express myself - and the only way that I that I had to communicate was to sing. - Yeah. - So I was like very often singing. - Yeah. - And um and Yes. Yeah. Yeah. - And then and I still love to sing - and in in the in the in Gentle Monster. - Yeah. - I had the chance to u - to sing. - Yeah. That's right. - So that was also something uh - um that was great. - And I and I worked with this - amazing - composer Kami who won an Academy Award for Emily - Perez. - She's extremely talented and I worked with her and it was great. Yeah. - Yeah. - Is there anything that's later question I have, but we'll jump into it now, which is is there anything from singing or maybe from other arts? - Yes. I love to dance. - Oh, you love to dance. All right. I love to dance. - Well, that's is Is there any of that you sort of funnel into acting in some ways? Because I think that all of us sort of have those things where you're like, you know, I can singing or opera singing, there's highs, there's lows, and and acting probably has the same way. Even though it's filmed out of sequence and things like that, you still have to know sort of where that emotional beat is. Is there things like that from any of your other pursuits, either current or or one time that you sort of bring into acting and you can see the the connection between them? - Um, yes. You mean between the characters that I've played? - Well, yeah. Or just acting in general, like, you know, there's sort of a there's that you get the same emotional kind of highs and low, you know, from acting that you did from operatic singing or from dancing maybe. You know, there's sort of a an interpretive quality to it. - Yeah. I think that uh singing and and dancing and acting is uh you you're like a vector. - Yeah. Yeah. - You know, of emotions. You have to - um Yeah. Express emotions through your voice, through your body, through your - expressions. - And this is something that I that I really that I really like. - Yeah. Yeah. - Yeah. - In 2023, so you - I like to express uh things without words. - Yeah. [laughter] Which is why going back to Engorgous Pasters, you had so much there. Exactly. Yeah. Well, 2023, you dove into um some thoughtprovoking science fiction yet again because that seems to be a genre that you've explored a few times and we'll get to the biggest example of that, Dune in a moment. But whether it was Drake Door, Mrs. Zoey, or David Croninberg's Crimes of the Future, uh and even this year's Alpha Gang, that's still to come out. Uh but in the Beast, you played uh Gabrielle. uh it's the year 2044 and she's a character who undergo sort of a purification process uh to to kind of feel or reexperience her past lives in order to be more eligible for jobs uh for the AI world that we'll be living in. Uh we'll leave any editorial comment there just laying there because where AI is going. But uh I found it to be a really fascinating film and uh and and really thoughtprovoking. I'm just asking you about the genre about science fiction. You're you're I think when you are in those movies, you bring such a a sense of calm to them to a a scenario that might not be calming in general, but you are a calming presence. What do you like maybe about working in that genre in sci-fi? - Uh whether it's Zoey or you know, Crimes of the Future or or The Beast. What uh what did you like about working in that genre? I mean, I I don't know if I like working in that genre, but um I think that that sometimes um this sci-fi thing - because it's so unnatural and uh - yeah, - fantastic. And and yeah, fantastical. Then you can you can really create be more be Yeah. more creative. And I always try to um to bring a certain truth. - Yeah. Even though it's um completely um fantastic. - Mhm. - You know, you can bring a certain Yeah. truth. - Yeah. Yeah. - And uh and and I find it challenging. - So I like it. - Yeah. Yeah. Do you do a lot of research for your roles? I'm wondering if for those roles specifically because almost like it's a to kind of see those they kind of future think a little bit to kind of see oh where where do people think we might be going? Did you do research for any of those roles or just in general? Do you - No, I don't do research. - No. Yeah. [laughter] - Didn't read up on any. Yeah. - Like what kind of research? Well, you well, which is I was going to ask you that leads interestingly about the next question which is how do you sort of feel about the way technology is or kind of could impact film making or or acting in some ways you know I mean - of course yeah - I mean it's it's very scary - so it's uh - it's very scary but not not really research no I cannot I try to adapt myself to the director's vision - or the director's world you know for example I I I I I'm not the same actress when I play with uh in Blues Blue is the warmest color, you know, with than when I'm with - uh when I'm doing James Bond or when I'm doing uh - uh - this movie with Bertrono with I've played with with I've played with so many different directors that I always try to adapt in a way. - Yeah. And um this is the research more if I if I - if I can speak about research - that would be more like I like to to to understand how the directors you know think and how he works and - and that I find I find this extremely interesting. - Yeah. Yeah. - Yeah. I al I I I I always try to adapt myself and also I I never want the the performance. I never want I try to - I'm against the performance, - you see, like I don't want to when I see the craft - um I I I I really wanted to to make it um to make to make it - kind of invisible almost. - Invisible. Yes. and and um and um I want to embody the - Mhm. - the character. - Yeah, that's that that's really interesting. I the the notion of you don't want to see the craft. Yes. Because it's you kind of see the wheels turning too much, right? That can be a thing. Yeah. - Yeah. For me, when I see the performance um - takes me, you know, takes me away. - Yeah. Yeah. Is there anything you do uh to to kind of help that process along to kind of help that invisibility as it were? If you sort of think if you see yourself or kind of feel yourself acting a little bit too much or kind of going one way or the other, do you kind of reenter a little bit, focus a little bit differently? - Yeah. But what I try is that I try to not act. - Yeah. - This is my method. - Yeah. Right. [laughter] I like that. - I'm just not acting. I just want to be. - Right. Right. I love that. - We are not we. - Right. [laughter] - I'd watch you as Hamlet. Absolutely. Well, in 2024, you joined the Dune world for director Denu's Dune part two, another fantastic film playing Lady Margot Fenring. She is part of the Benny Jesuit and that is the matriarchal order. If anybody hasn't seen, they should. Uh the matriarchal order whose members have sort of superhuman advanced abilities that they use for various purposes. Talk to us about how that came about and uh what it was like working in such a a massive cinematic landscape that Denise brings about. - That again was Amazing. Di is he's the best. I mean, he's so great, so passionate also. - And um being around him is like very um Yeah. Like he gives you so much energy, you know. - Yeah. - Because he's just like a kid. - Yeah. - And he's like so passionate about cinema, about like it's just really like again one of the best experience I've had. And um yeah, it was great. - Yeah. - But again, the part is not I mean it's a small part, but I enjoyed every second of it. - Yeah. Yeah. Just being part of that tapestry, right? What's been so special. Yeah. Yeah. - Well, in uh Netflix's drama Gentle Monster, uh you play a wife and mother whose life is upended by unforeseen and horrific allegations against her husband, uh played by Lawrence Rup. Uh the director Marie Croitzer kind of keeps the focus on your character Lucy, Lucy Weiss, uh as she figures out the truth or tries to figure out the truth while keeping life going for herself and her son. Um do you see a character like Lucy as sort of um kind of maybe one that you needed to grow into? It's maybe a character you maybe couldn't have done five 10 years ago. Maybe it's sort of the kind of character that one needs to mature into in order to play. I think that because I'm also a mother, it helped me in a way. - Um but um maybe if I Yeah, I think because I'm a mother, - it chang it changed a lot because then of course I had this immediate empathy for her. - Yeah. And um yeah, it's it's I I love the fact that it's through her perspective that - the story unfolds - and um and it was so well written. - Yeah. - The script. - Yeah. Yeah. No, it's terrific. - It's it's when it's so well written, it's much easier. - Yeah. Right. It's all there kind of there on the page and bringing it to life, right? Yeah. - Yes. And I was so moved when I read the script. - Yeah. I I mean I cried when I read it. - And um - Yeah. And um - Yeah. - Do you break down scripts uh that you get? Do you kind of break them down kind of piece by piece or kind of, you know, do you digest them first? What's your process for? Do you have a - No, I don't I don't do that, but I have my secrets. - I play with my own little secrets. - Yes. - You don't want to share any? Yeah. - I mean, I can It's not that I don't want to share them. It's just that I think that when you act there are like certain scenes you know the moment the key moments you know where you are like this is a very important moment - and of course it's also very subjective. - Yeah. - So sometimes you can be extremely move sorry extremely - extremely moved by something that you know someone else uh - you know it's yeah I mean emotion is subjective. - Yeah. And um and so yes, I've had like I like I like to play with my with my little secrets like I know that this moment is - means - this for me, you know, and then I will try to um to to to deliver you know the emotion and and and in in - in the hope that people will receive it. - Yeah. Yeah. So, uh, there are like, for example, in this film, a few lines, a few scenes where I'm like, - yeah, - they were like for me so heartbreaking. - Mhm. Yeah. Yeah. - Has that always been the case in terms of your little secrets? Because all of us who who do things for a few years, you change, you kind of refine it. Was was that maybe the case, you know, five, 10 years ago, did you kind of have the same little secrets? Have you added to them? kind of the things that you do to kind of work on a character or a script. Has that kind of evolved as you've become, you know, kind of 10, 15 years into your career? - Of course, it evolved because when I was young, I I had less in a way less technique. - Mhm. - And now that I've done more films, - I I I just know Yeah. - Yeah. And I have a sense of it. - Yes. I have like but um but yes but but I I don't - in general maybe I wish I I I wish I I was a more like um technical actress maybe - I mean I don't know if I something I - but but because I'm very very emotional and sensitive sometimes it's a bit like - I have no protection when I act I just uh - there is no filter you know. Yeah. - And uh when I do something, I'm totally in it. - And um totally Yeah. Um sincere. - Yeah. Yeah. - And I And I don't know how to do it differently. - Yeah. Yeah. Well, that comes across and we feel that so much in so many of your performances. It's a it's a wonderful way to be. Don't wish you were technical. It's wonderful. - But it's tiring. It's exhausting. [laughter] - Right. - Well, so many of the films we've discussed have been uh by many of the greatest modern filmmakers. Uh we talked about a lot of them. Quinton Tantino, Ridley Scott, David Croninberg, Sam Mendy's, uh, Denuv, as well as Thomas Vintterberg for Kursk, uh, the great Yorgos Lanamos for The Lobster, uh, Wes Anderson for The French Dispatch and The Grant Budapest Hotel, Mia Hansen Love for One Fine Morning, a wonderful film, uh, Katrine Briier for The Last Mistress. So many of them. Um, what did you learn, Leia, about your own acting skills maybe by working with these incredible filmmakers? That's an amazing list. Did you kind of understand your own skills as an actress or maybe your own emotional approach differently by working with so many of them? - Yeah. Yeah. But I I don't it's not that I learned really. It's more like I've gained experience, - you know, and just like cinema, I think in general - um helped me to question the world. Mhm. - And I think that I've learned so much um by doing this, you know, this this um - acting thing. [laughter] No, but it's true. It's just like the subtlety of life. I don't know. It's like just I just find it so I mean life is you know there is no right or wrong. There is no it's just - the variety of like - how to express things - so so many different ways of expressing things - um that is something that I find uh so interesting. - Yeah. And that's what art does. Art helps us understand it. - Exactly. And art I think helps us to live as well. - Yeah. It gives us hope and uh it really what it it it's really what um what it made me feel, you know. - Yeah. - It g it really gave me - a place in the world. - Yeah. - In a way. So it was more than just like I want to do this job acting this character the way I see it. It's more like it's - bigger than that. - Yeah. I love that. Gave you a purpose and gave you a place to be in the world. - Exactly. I love that. - We're going to take some questions now from uh our audience. I've got their cards here. Uh Nico asks, "Did the nature of video game motion capture change how you usually approach a character while you were working in Deathstanding?" Did so did that sort of uh that motion capture change how you approached your character in Deathstanding? [snorts] - Not really. the the the the with the caption the caption the motion capture. - Yeah, the motion capture. Yeah. - No, it was just great to work with um - Kjima. - Um who's a great also more than a video director, video game director. He's like really an artist. amazing artist - and there is like it's extreme he's very poetic - and I I think that I was uh touched by the the beauty of it - and so I didn't really I'm not I don't play video games so I - I didn't really know how to you know - it's not my thing but really like working with Idokojima was amazing because is - Yeah. Yeah. - He's uh he's very very talented and inspiring. - Yeah. Yeah. [clears throat] - Yeah. Well, Vincent uh says that he had the chance to do a scene with you on the movie Zoey uh in Montreal. Uh he wants to know if uh are you going to be doing any stage work in the near future? - I would love to try. - Yeah. Why not? - Yeah. Yeah. It's a whole different set of skills in some ways, it seems to me. I don't know. you know, not being an actor, I don't know, but it seems as if there's a an energy level that of course needs to be there. Yeah. Eight days a week for the week. Yeah. Right. - Um Judy asks, um, "What was it like to work with Daniel Craig?" Uh, which we talked about a little bit. Yeah. The [laughter] - That's what he's such a puckish funny guy, too. Probably laugh at that, too. - We We didn't have the same experience on James Bond. He wanted to cut his wrist. - Right. [laughter] - No. No. It was great. Great. - Yeah. Yeah. But they all say that every they're all by the fourth movie they're like no more no more. Uh Paul asks uh do you have a favorite role and what made that favorite role your favorite? What made that role your favorite? - Do you have a favorite role that you've done? - Favorite roles that I've that I that I Yes. Yeah. I do. There are like roles that I that are I don't know that I feel closer to - maybe but I feel in a way that I'm playing the same role over and over again [laughter] - just with a different costume. [laughter] - Do you feel sometimes though but it's sort of like a you know they're all your children. kind of can't pick one that's your favorite because they're all - No, I have I have I think when it when my the subject that moves moves me the most is motherhood - and when there's like children and [snorts] - Yeah. So um I did quite some time ago I did a movie called sister - with Swiss Bel director and it's a movie that I really love one of my first film also called Bellipin which was a very small film - that I that I love um - and um recently I loved working with Archer on the unknown. - I thought it was extremely interesting. Um and um I loved France - you know this film with the buoy French film where I play crazy - journalist [laughter] - but that I love that that role because I went like you know - all over the place - right - uh no no yeah many yeah - yeah yeah France is a great film too uh next question from Alisa uh uh asks, "Is there a type of character that you would like to explore?" So, we were just talking about that you like to play that mothers mean a lot to you in terms of your your filmography. Is there a type of a character that you would like to play? - It's It's hard to No, I would love to do like a a musical. - Yeah, I would love to do a musical. - Yeah. Yeah. With dancing as well. - Yeah. Dancing, singing. - Yeah. The full thing. Yeah. Right. that I would love speaking all the language. - Yeah. Yeah. Right. The uh maybe they should do like another like you know Umbrellas of Sherburg or Young Girls Heroka for I could see you kind of doing that kind of thing. Right. Back to me films. Uh and then next part of her question of uh Alisa's question is which movie or movies influenced you when you were young or that you remember you know making a an impact on you? They inspired you maybe maybe not to be an actor but that really meant a lot to you when you were [clears throat] a young person. When I was very young, it was um animated films. - So I would really like um like identify myself with - Mhm. - with with Disney films basically. - And uh I had like a few like um tape because I'm already like from [laughter] - not that young anymore. Nothing wrong with video tapes. No, - a few tapes at home and uh they were like uh very good films actually. - Uh Beauty and the Beast from Jeanto. - Um French films mostly. No, Shining - that I that I that I watched when I was very very young. - Shane, the George Stevens films. Shining. Yeah. Yeah. It's a great panic. Panic in needle park. My sister - um took me to see this film. Uhhuh. - Panic in Induccino. - Uhhuh. Yeah. - I was like, "Oh, interesting." [laughter] The guy like - No, but um and also I grew up in in in a neighborhood with a lot of cinemas. - Okay. Right. The 16 - in Paris - where they have like all these little um - independent cinema. - So I would go there. But um - Yeah. Uh, funny you mentioned that because Gabriel has a question here and his question is being from Paris. Is there a cafe or park in Paris that you find perfect for an actor to sit, reflect and prepare for a role? I - mean, you can you can sit anywhere in Paris [laughter] - on a bench. - Yeah. - No, but my favorite u my favorite park is Luxmbbour. - Mhm. - Yeah. Yeah. - The one I - Mhm. Yeah. - The one from my childhood. - Yeah. Um Patrick uh asks, I think it's The Beast is one of his favorite films of that year. Could you reflect on the film's depiction of feeling not at home in one's body and how this relates to the work of an actor? Um I apologize for not being able to speak French, but it's I'm not going to attempt it. Um - I think you want to take a look at that. Is that - ah is one of my favorite film of the year. Could you - I hope you can I hope you can read French. I can. - Yeah. Yeah. Um - yeah, - it's difficult to say. - Uhhuh. Yeah. - The unknown. - Uh I love the I love playing this role. It was very very interesting - and um I love also when a movie is about when there is like a philosophical and metaphysical um you know dimension - I find it always interesting. - Yeah. So this movie was for me very interesting and um and the part also so I'm I'm playing a man stuck in a woman's body in case you don't know. - Uh and I just thought yes I don't I don't know it was also again it was not something that I to you know that I that I overanalyzed. Mhm. - We did a lot of uh rehearsals with uh the director author, - but it was just I was again trying to find the, you know, the heart and the truth. - Yeah. - Of the I want I wanted to make it, you know. - Yeah. - Um - Yeah. Yeah. Next question. Uh asks, "Are French film crews different from American crews on set?" Maybe this goes back to the Tarantino moment of uh [laughter] - So, are French film crews different from American crews on set? - Um, yes and no. Yes and no. - Mhm. Yeah. - Yeah. - Um, it's different and at and and and the same - at the same time. - It's always, you know, a camera and - an actor. Mhm. - But um - No, no, not really. - I I maybe they we work less in France. [laughter] - That's already better, right? - The days the days on a on a on an American film set. Yeah. - It's like 12 hours and it's really like - Yeah. - exhausting. - Yeah. [laughter] - And and it's only 10 hours in France. - But apart from that, uh no, I don't know. No, it's not really different. - Yeah. Yeah. - Next question comes from Alex, uh, who asked, "Do you have to shift your process, your acting process a little bit when working in a digitally constructed world?" And I guess we could kind of, you know, expand that to whether it's Dune or or anything, you know, - digitally. It's true that on the beast, um, I had to play with the green screen. It's very very um uh scary to be on a grid screen because you don't see the angles and the contour. It's really like almost like uh being in the universe, you know, you don't it's very very unsettling. - Yeah. - But again interesting - because I think that - all con constraints you know - are you have to find the freedom in the constraint. M - so the green screen can be very [sighs] unsettling but again it's you know - then - yeah I don't know yeah - um - yeah [laughter] - I'm going to end with a couple of questions here that uh again are sort of maybe ones that uh that actors may be able to relate to and and uh take something from. One is what are some good habits Leia that you would recommend for artists or performers to do? Kind of good habits. It can be you know waking up and doing yoga or it could be you know - of course of course. Yeah. Right. - Every morning I do yoga. [laughter] - No. No. Uh I think - good habits. I mean uh to observe - anything. Yeah. To observe to observe. Yeah. To to uh to stay um curious. Mhm. - And um for for my for my for myself - Mhm. - my part my - for me it's uh to um I think to to observation is - really something that I that I like to do because um there's always something to - to discover. Yeah. And uh if you are very focused and um you pay attention to people and others you will always a miracle will happen. - Yeah. And it comes from actually it's a line that comes from um a famous philosopher - um her name is Simon Veil but not Simon Vale - the the the the politician Simon Veil the - philos philosoph is what she said and I really really believe that that if you - if you pay attention even like anywhere - something will happen if you if you are - um - present and - present. Yes. And it's it's also something that I do when I act. - I try to really not look at myself - and just be with the other - the other actor and to really look at him in the eye and be with him. - Yeah. - And it's always better, I think, when you act to - connect with - the the the person you're working with. Yeah. - And this is the best way to to to create, you know, I I believe in uh - Yeah. - in um in this collective uh - Yeah. - collaboration. - Yeah. Yeah. Got to be there with your scene partner in a really focused and present way. - Yes. - Yeah. Yeah. - Yeah. I love that. I can I absolutely can see that in your performance is that presentness, that kind of being centered. Next one is, what are some of the pitfalls that you wish you had seen coming? It doesn't even have to be career-wise. It could be sort of like maybe something that you had wanted to sort of do differently in a in a role or in a performance or something. What are some of the pitfalls that you wish - pitfall? Exactly. - Uh like kind of a what hurdles problems? - Something unexpected. Yeah. But during like you mean during - like if you if you knew you were going to you know that oh I I should have you know done this a little bit differently if you kind of known that that was going to be coming like what would you - like it's it's um negative - a little negative but it could also be sort of just a stumble you know just a a momentary thing. M it's true that um no no I I I I I it happened to me like quite a few times where I was like why did I you know I should have done this differently and - and uh yeah of course - and um but that's the thing with cinema is that once you do it you know then - yeah there it is - it's already um Yeah, - it's it's already in the past, you know. It's something that really um - um [clears throat] doesn't belong to you anymore, you know, and it's also something that I like. - Yeah. - So, I find it terrifying and - and I like it at the same time - because then it gives you a sense of urgency. - Uh but um - I don't really know. - Just - people like Well, - yeah. Yeah, your your comment though your observation about about uh you know once you kind of realize with film it's already out there that's if you do some stage works you know in the future that you can there's sort of an adaptability that's there you can change it the next night if perhaps you're like I want to do that line reading a little different yeah right - interesting - yeah yeah it's true - challenge yeah - but you know also like a movie is always like you can al you can always sheet - because there's the editing. - There's editing. Right. Exactly. Right. The final rewrite, editing. Yes. And then lastly, Leia, what decisions have you made um in your life that have contributed to success in your life, in your career, in your art? Anything any decisions you've made that's that you feel has really contributed to a successful performance, something in your life, anything like that? that I contributed. Um, - oh yeah, that a decision that you made that you thought that one that really helped. - That was a good decision. You mean in my life? - Yeah. In your life that helped your life or your career. Any decision that helped your life or your career? But I think but it's it's I mean it's um a bit um agreed not agreed but [snorts] no I think that I've met this this guy who became my agent - my my first agent and he really because I was as I as I told you lost Mhm. - He really like helped me to - to work. - Yeah. - His name is Greg Gre Gregory. - And so he he really like took care of me and and I think that uh it was a good decision that uh to to because I met him through this actor, you know, that I - Right. Right. Yeah. - that I was in love with. So um this agent really like Yes. He helped me and he he looked after me. So I think uh it helped me but apart from that I I I would I would love to do something greater than that. - Yeah. - You know maybe in my life I will - at some point - um do something you know for the - for the people more than - Yeah. - you know for myself. - Yeah. I I also take from your answer the sense that it's important to sort of recognize the people who will be part of your team, who will who will give you good energy, who will - help lift you up and help you, you know, Yes. - be where you want to be and need to be, right? - Yeah. - But but I I like Yeah. I think I I really I I I I need, you know, I need to have like a connection with people like I I need connection. I need to this is something important for me. - Yeah. Yeah. - I just find it very scary now. You know, people are just obsessed with their - their phones and it's it's we we we struggle to communicate. - Yeah. - And I and I see so much loneliness in the world today. - And um and yes, I I I something that is something that I find a bit sad. - Yeah. Well, cinema and - and cinema helps to maybe connect. - Yes. cinema and performances and your performances help us all connect and kind of see ourselves in those roles and those those performances. Absolutely. - Thank you. - I just You're so welcome. I just want to remind everybody that Gentle Monster is in theaters October 30th and then on Netflix November 18th. Thank you so much ladies and gentlemen. Leia Sad do. - Such a pleasure. Thank you. [applause] [music]