New York, Dec. 28 (PTI): French President Jacques Chirac offered help to the makers of The Da Vinci Code, a yet to be released movie based on a famous Dan Brown novel, in filming it at Louvre Museum in Paris but he also suggested that a best friend of his daughter be cast in the leading female role, Newsweek magazine reported.

In early December, while director Ron Howard and producer Brian Grazer were in Paris auditioning actors for the film’s female lead, they got a call from Chirac’s office.

“We thought it was going to be a five-minute thing, like a trip to the Oval Office ? a photo and a handshake,” Grazer said. But they ended up staying close to an hour.