French actresses have a strong connection to the James Bond films, stretching back to Claudine Auger’s turn as Domino in 1965’s Thunderball, and France takes centrestage once again in Spectre. This time around it is the highly regarded Lea Seydoux who comes to the fore, starring opposite Daniel Craig in the role of Madeleine Swann, a psychologist who also happens to be the daughter of Bond’s arch-enemy Mr White (played by Jesper Christensen).
Seydoux follows in the footsteps of French stars Carole Bouquet (For Your Eyes Only), Sophie Marceau (The World Is Not Enough) and Eva Green (Casino Royale), to name but a few.
Why is it that French girls figure so prominently in the series? Seydoux offers a coy smile: “Maybe the French girl is often seen as the sexy girl,” she laughs, “the stylish girl. French girls are maybe known for being elegant.”
Elegance is certainly a word that applies to Seydoux, the 30-year-old Parisian who sprung to international attention with her Cesar-nominated performance in 2008’s The Beautiful Person. In 2009 she won the Trophee Chopard, an award given to up-and-coming actors at the Cannes Film Festival. She has since earned three more Cesar nominations and has appeared in a number of high-profile English-language movies, including Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds, Ridley Scott’s Robin Hood and Woody Allen’s Midnight in Paris.
She also starred as a negative character opposite Tom Cruise in Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol, another film that features highly skilled secret operatives, though she says that her turn in Spectre was an especially rewarding experience.
BOND IS WITTY AND FUNNY... ALSO VERY SEXY
“They are both big franchises,” she says, “but the Bond one really is very exciting. It is witty and it is funny,” she smiles... “it is also very sexy.”
Bond is sexy, she says, because of the cars, the film sets, the gadgets, the costumes and the locations, “which are all very exotic”. And then, she notes, there’s the man himself, one of cinema’s most debonair gentlemen, James Bond. “He is strong but at the same time with Daniel Craig and also Sam Mendes [the Skyfall director who returns with Spectre], they have made changes to this man.”
When Craig was first introduced in Casino Royale he was a little rough around the edges. Over the years, he’s become more human and more refined. “He is now nobler,” she adds. “He shows his emotions much more and we have access to his interior and his depth.”
There is a great deal of depth to the supporting characters, too, including Seydoux’s Madeleine, a complex woman with a complicated past and an uncertain future. She has her own journey through the film and, to begin with at least, she and 007 endure a frosty relationship.
SHE IS EXTREMELY SMART
“It is true that women in this film have a new position,” the actress says with authority. “They are strong. My character, she doesn’t need Bond. She is extremely smart. She doesn’t want to be part of his world. She doesn’t need him.”
Madeleine has a social position of her own, working as a doctor in the Hoffler Klink. “She does not need her clothes or her appearance to seduce him,” Seydoux says. “She is an intellectual, very well educated.”
That said, the actress still found herself involved in the action. “I did do some stunts,” she says. “I did one piece of action where I jumped from about eight metres high, attached to a wire.” She recalls the scene and her eyes widen. “It felt very high and was very scary,” she says. “That was my big stunt, and then afterwards I have a few fights and I trained with the stunt guys.”
Her training was important. “I did some boxing. I fight with one of the villains, a really mean guy, Hinx [played by Dave Bautista].” She pauses as she remembers the moment. “Yes, I had to fight with him and he is really big,” she chuckles.
Seydoux is no stranger to action, having showcased her fighting skills in Mission: Impossible, and she says that she hopes to continue thriving in action-packed blockbusters as well as in art-house movies. With the latter, she earned strong reviews for recent outings in the likes of Blue is the Warmest Colour and The Lobster.
I LIKE TO BE A CHAMELEON
“I always try to adapt myself to the film,” she explains. “I like to be a chameleon. I can adapt to different kinds of films. I will still do some French films, and why not some American films? “I liked being in Spectre, certainly. It is a blockbuster, obviously, but I felt very comfortable. I have really, really enjoyed it. I didn’t feel out of place.”
With glowing reports from her director and co-stars, she won’t look out of place either. Craig describes her as “a very talented actress” and the appreciation is mutual. Growing up, she says that it was Craig’s James Bond films that inspired her most of all.
“I really remember the Bond films with Daniel because I started acting when I was 20, which is 10 years ago. And Casino Royale came out in 2006 when I was 21, which was the beginning of my career. I am a fan of cinema and am curious about films in general. This was like the new Bond with Daniel and Eva Green, who is French, and I like her as an actress. I remember that the film had a huge impact on me. I loved the film and I think it is still my favourite. And the love story, I really loved it. For me, Daniel is James Bond and I am so happy that I got to work with him.”
A DREAMER NOT A DRIVER
If there were a female Bond one day, would she like to play her... after all, she can box already! “Yes, I would love to. It could maybe be me... you never know! The world is changing. And would that also mean she likes to drive fast cars? I do not know how to drive! I haven’t got a licence. I’d have to have a double. I have not yet had the time to learn to drive and I do not have the personality to drive because I am a dreamer.”
Will Lea Seydoux be a good Bond girl? Tell t2@abp.in
