While being interviewed by the Guardian for her film Nowhere Boy about the teenage years of John Lennon, Kristin Scott Thomas talked about her life and her career and had some very interesting things to say.
The moment that Kristin Scott Thomas knew she didn’t want to be a typical movie star, the moment it seems she switched from playing romantic leads to infinitely more interesting roles, was when a director told her she should make her character more appealing. The idea didn’t grab her. “I just thought, I don’t want to do that,” she says. “I don’t want to have to be pretty. I don’t want to have to be adorable. Because if I’m watching that on screen I get irritated.” She sits back with a sigh. “I can’t bear it.”
But [in general] I don’t want to just be a kind of bouncing board for men to flex their muscles and look brave and courageous and understanding, while I just look bleary-eyed in the background. No, I don’t want to do that. You can also do leading roles that are riveting, but they tend to be – well, certainly in my world – they’re the lower-budget, more arthouse films, because I’m not on the right list to be asked to do those really great meaty roles that you see Meryl Streep or Cate Blanchett doing.”
She has made a brilliant career for herself in France, where she isn’t so typecast, plays far fewer aristocrats, and “can let rip a bit”. By working there, she seems to have avoided the mid-life canyon that many Hollywood actresses fall into, because the French film industry “loves middle-aged women. They love us! They think we’re sexy.” I suggest that other actresses need to learn French. “No!” she says. “Keep away. Not on my patch. There are quite a lot of actresses who can speak really good French. Emma Thompson. Jodie Foster. Cate Blanchett. Keep out.
I find her honesty about life and acting very brave.
Kristin Scott Thomas: ‘I’ve been a very sad person, but I’m not any more’ (The Guardian)
PS- Forgot that she signed the petition supporting Roman Polanski…Not a good thing.
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I love her, too. I just saw her in that French film I’VE LOVED YOU FOR SO LONG and was impressed. It’s true, French (and Swedish) cinema tend to be much more open-minded for women over 35 years old.
I can’t wait to see her in more roles.
Love this, thanks for sharing Melissa!
She play best Alette Nylor in Confessions a shopaholic film!
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