Translated by Mia

Transcript (translated) of Marion Cotillard’s TV interview “Le grand journal” in Cannes

She received a Best Actress Oscar for “La Vie en Rose” in 2008, she’s Hollywood’s favourite French star, she’s just finished shooting films with Johnny Depp, Christian Bale, Daniel Day-Lewis, Nicole Kidman, Penelope Cruz and soon also with Leonardo DiCaprio, this is her first TV interview since the Oscars, here’s Marion Cotillard.

Le Grand Journal: Marion Cotillard is the only actress in the world to have wond the BAFTA, Golden Globe, César and the Oscar for a leading role, which is in her case “La Vie en Rose”. I imagine this changes a life. Has it changed your life?

Marion Cotillard: A little bit surely. I’ve had the opportunity to meet exceptional people and to work with them. I work more.

Mostly in Hollywood? In the United States? In France it hadn’t been a problem, but in the United States?

It’s true I had never imagined this when I became an actress. But I’ve just finished working on a film in France, so it’s well balanced.

I’d say it’s true that you’re the Queen of Cannes this year. This has not always been the case. After all, you have plenty of bad memories from the Cannes Festival. What happened?

I think that Cannes has its very good sides but also sides which are a bit more oppressing. When I came here I was a very young actress, and I’m not someone who feels at ease in this kind of situations, so I had some big moments of loneliness.

But now this is no longer the case. We will see you on French cinema screens July 8 in Michael Mann’s Public Enemies. In the film you’re Johnny Depp’s girlfriend. He plays John Dillinger, a bandit of the 30ies, some kind of Robin Hood, a bank robber who turns out to be really likeable.

This period of time in the movie is very particular. In the 30ies, and especially in that area, life during the depression in the US was very hard. There were people who found money, or can find it and he took part of it. Contrary to other people in that period, especially Bonnie & Clyde, he’s a gangster but not a murderer. He was a gentleman who started robbing banks to get his friends out of prison. He spent 10 years in prison for breaking into a grocery shop. They wanted to make an example of him. He really went to school in prison, he learned how to break into banks with cars. At that time they didn’t really use cars to get away real fast.

You’ve said that Johnny Depp was a very reassuring costar when you were very worried about starting to work again after the immense success of “La Vie en Rose” and that he was a real gentleman with you. Very elegant in every sense of the word.

Yes that’s true. Generally, when I arrive on a film site I’m always in the same condition of doubt.

You’ve even said that you’ve doubled in size because you were under so much stress…

How do you know that?!

I just know! That you had physical symptoms and that you had doubled in size. Did you eat loads of chips?!

Well yes, it was the United States, what do you want! I love burgers a lot and for two weeks I just ate ate ate! No, seriously, I react physically when I’m under a huge amount of stress. While doing “A very long engagement” by Jean-Pierre Jeunet for example I became ill just before filming because I was convinced that I was the wrong person for the job, that I would do a bad job… And here I had… I don’t even know what it’s called! I swelled up. A lot actually. My lip was here (pointing to the nose).

We’re now going to see the trailer of the film, which is released July 8.

(Public Enemies Trailer)

We will see you in the musical “Nine” with Daniel Day-Lewis, Nicole Kidman, Penelope Cruz, vous, Sophia Loren, Judie Dench and Kate Hudson. What ‘hallucinating’ cast! You will later shoot another movie, it’s official now, called “Inception” with Leonoardo DiCaprio.

This is Chris Nolan’s next movie, who also made the 2 last “Batman”.

Isn’t there a moment when you say: ‘But I’m dreaming, I pinch myself, this is a dream.” Do you still say that?

Absolutely! But I’m in a… I have been in a state of astonishment for quite some time now. I’ve always dreamed of doing this job and then I got the part in Rob Marshall’s film, the musical, which had been a dream of mine since I was just a kid, to be in an American musical. I find that I’m enormously lucky.

How do you view French cinema now? Is it different? Do they have a different method? Because Olivier Dahan now also made a film over there?

Personally, I think that each film is different. I think there are as many differences between a huge French production and an American independent film as there are between a huge American production and a French independent film… I’m just babbling now, no? Anyway, just to say that each adventure is different.

Don’t you feel that there may be points in which they’re better? Better organized? More structured? Or else faults?

Well it’s true that their organization goes like clockwork. But I’ve been asked this question often enough already and I can’t really find a good response because…

Maybe size of the trailer changes?!

Yeah !

Ok, just a word about French cinema. Right now, to see you in a French film one just has to find what Guillaume Canet is up to. That is in the films he stars in or directs. That’s a coincidence?

It’s a total coincidence in fact! I accepted Karim Dridi’s film “Le dernier vol” 1,5 years, almost 2 years, ago when there hadn’t yet been an actor attached to the project .

And in “Les petits mouchoirs”, the film which Guillaume is just finishing writing.

You’re really protecting your private life which shows that it’s possible.

Yes, it’s true that I’m quite discreet about that yes. As are many others by the way. Practicably, it’s possible.

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