Léa Seydoux has that rare quality only French women seem to possess. No matter how much you may have heard or seen of her – and if you’ve watched Blue is the Warmest Colour that’s rather a lot – she remains mysterious, aloof, intriguing. Since her debut in French film Girlfriends almost a decade ago, the stunning Parisian has created ripples both sides of the Atlantic; from playing the lead in La Belle Personne (The Beautiful Person), for which she won the Trophée Chopard at Cannes, to small yet memorable roles in Woody Allen’s Midnight in Paris and Wes Anderson’s The Grand Budapest Hotel, her star has been of the slow-burn variety.
This month, she is appearing on cinema screens across the globe as Madeleine Swann, the latest addition to the iconic line-up of Bond girls, in Spectre. It’s a role many expect to be her Hollywood breakout.
Seydoux is confident she has brought something new and interesting to the part – a different dynamic to the usual Bond love interest. “My character, she’s something important, she’s Bond’s equal. She doesn’t need Bond, she doesn’t want to be part of his world. She’s not impressed,” explains Seydoux, with typical nonchalance.
She’s no doubt hoping Spectre will enjoy the same enormous level of success as the previous Daniel Craig efforts (Skyfall was the first Bond to break £1bn at the box office), which she personally considers to be “the best” of all the Bond films to date.
My character in Spectre is Bond’s equal. She doesn’t need Bond, and she’s not impressed
Born in Paris, 30-year-old Seydoux grew up in the fashionable Saint-Germain-des-Prés district. One of seven children, including her older sister Camille, who works as her stylist, the name Seydoux is a familiar one in France. Her grandfather Jérome Seydoux is the chairman of Pathé and her great-uncle Nicolas Seydoux is the chairman of Gaumont Film Company, which is the European equivalent of growing up in Hollywood and counting the heads of Paramount and Universal Films among your family members.
Despite having a hypothetical leg-up into the film industry, becoming an actress was not part of the beguiling Frenchwoman’s original plan; she initially studied music at the Conservatoire de Paris and had hopes of becoming an opera singer, before realising she was too shy for a career on stage. It was only after meeting an actor friend that Seydoux realised it was something she’d like to pursue.
She has previously told W magazine how she experienced her dramatic epiphany: “I found his life wonderful. I thought, ‘Oh my god, you can travel, you’re free, you can do what you want, you’re the boss.’” Seydoux also fires back at those who criticise her way in to the world of movies, believing that her family connections have actually made her career harder. “Even if people were to see me as having enjoyed an advantage, it doesn’t interfere with my life,” she says. “What is paradoxical, when you come from a family like mine, is that it is much more difficult to be seen as who you are. You run the risk of disappearing behind your name. So that means that you must then really focus on who you are. What do I really have in common with my grandfather? I have always been driven to be an independent woman.”
That said, Seydoux admits she was nervous to audition for the role – and thought she’d botched it: “I forgot the lines. I think I had stage fright. Also, because I was very early for my appointment, I had a little beer first – that turned out to be a very bad idea. To act properly I need to have a clear mind.”
Despite her confident demeanour, then, she is a naturally nervous person. But crucially, she’s learnt to use this to her advantage: “We’re all scared – all actors in general. We have to act on stage or in front of the camera. We have that sensation, like a writer in front of his white page. You have to use it – I use it, and sometimes it can be very helpful.”
On-screen charisma
The new film marks the return of the Special Executive for Counter-Intelligence, Terrorism, Revenge and Extortion, aka Spectre, a crime syndicate headed by Ernst Stavro Blofeld who – owing to recently settled copyright issues – was last officially seen in 1971’s Diamonds Are Forever. Seydoux’s character is a psychologist at a private clinic in the Swiss Alps. Rumours suggest her name, Madeleine Swann, is a Proust reference, making her possibly the most highbrow Bond girl yet. Monica Bellucci also stars as the oldest Bond girl cast, so all signs appear to point towards the entire franchise getting a thoroughly modern makeover.
We’re all scared – all actors in general. You have to use this, though – it can be very helpful
“Being a Bond girl is amazing, particularly because I’m French and after Eva Green, Sophie Marceau, and Carole Bouquet, I’m part of it. I’m part of this universe,” smiles Seydoux.
Some would consider it intimidating taking on a role in such an iconic part of British movie history, especially when it requires acting in another language, but Seydoux is no stranger to big-budget films and directors pushing her to her limits. “Before, my parts in English have been very small; I’ve done much more French work but it’s something I enjoy – playing English. I like it, I’ve always enjoyed the different emotions I play from the language,” she says.
Seydoux already has spy credentials under her belt, too, having starred in 2011’s Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol as Sabine Moreau, a French assassin with a penchant for uncut diamonds. Though not a large role, she left her mark by showcasing some impressive martial arts while wearing high heels and a little black dress (there is a YouTube video devoted to the movement of her cleavage during these scenes, should you be sufficiently intrigued).
Her on-screen charisma and off-screen attitude were all part of the attraction for Bond director Sam Mendes, who describes Swann, Seydoux’s character, as “soulful, feisty and complicated. It’s a pivotal relationship in the movie, so it couldn’t have been a little newcomer; it needed someone with a certain amount of life experience and maturity – and she’s the whole package, really.”
Critical acclaim
Seydoux may still be considered an indie star in Hollywood circles, but in her homeland, she’s the real deal. Having been nominated for several of the most prestigious industry accolades, including Best Actress at the 2015 César Awards and a double nod from the Académie des Arts et Techniques du Cinéma, she’s got the critics all sewn up. Her biggest honour to date came off the back of Blue is the Warmest Colour, when the film won the illustrious Palm d’Or at Cannes in 2013. The jury, headed up by veteran director Steven Spielberg, made the unusual decision of awarding it not just to the film’s director, but to its two lead actresses as well: Seydoux and young newcomer Adèle Exarchopoulos.
This caused significant controversy among French cinema purists, but moviegoers would agree that such praise was well deserved, given the level of commitment that was required for both their roles.
Blue is the Warmest Colour, based on French illustrator Julie Maroh’s graphic novel of the same name, is a sapphic love story documenting the complete cycle of a relationship, all the way from blossoming lust to emotional disconnection. While it mostly explores the emotional themes and implications of navigating burgeoning sexuality, it also features an explicit, and subsequently infamous, ten minute-long lesbian love scene. Both actresses have been outspoken about director Abdellatif Kechiche’s methods for getting the performance he desired and he is well known for being a difficult, demanding but brilliant filmmaker.
2014 Marcel Hartmann
Ultimately, it appears that Seydoux now feels any discomfort at the time was worthwhile. “Even if he has very tough manners, he is a very talented director... He is one of the great directors in France and I wanted to work with him. I’m very proud of our film. I don’t want to detract in any way from the beauty of the film,” she explains.
This is a woman who knows what she wants from her career and isn’t afraid to speak up: a rare quality in young starlets. And aside from her obvious remarkable talents as an actress, she is of course incredibly beautiful; that Gallic gap in her front teeth, those enigmatic blue eyes. Her photogenic qualities made her perfect for Prada’s Candy fragrance campaign – a short film in which Seydoux played the seductress to two suitors. Created by Wes Anderson (which led to her casting in The Grand Budapest Hotel) and Roman Coppola, it is loosely based on French New Wave classic Jules et Jim.
Yes, she [Seydoux’s character] has sex with Bond, but this time it’s different, almost political
In typical Anderson style, the film creates a strange and visually stunning wonderland in which ingénue ‘Candy’ is the star. While we can be cynical about big film names working on commercial advertisements, one thing that is undeniable is Seydoux’s ability to intoxicate and render powerless these two hapless men. From eating a banana split to dancing and skipping around with a birthday cake, it’s certainly more innocent than that lesbian scene, but it’s equally enticing.
Being easy on the eye can be as much of a hindrance as it is a blessing for a woman wishing to be perceived as a serious, credible actress. Woody Allen cast her in Midnight in Paris purely on the basis of a photograph and ultimately no Bond girl has ever been selected for her IQ, but if Seydoux’s steady rise through Hollywood is a result of her being choosy about her roles, it’s a technique that’s working; for the most part her directors praise her highly. Woody Allen told Vogue, “Although she only had a few very brief moments in Midnight in Paris, everyone fell in love with her and kept asking me at every screening, ‘Who’s that girl, who’s that girl?’” After Spectre, there will plenty more asking the same thing.
Standout scenes
As for getting intimate with Bond? “Yes, she has sex with Bond, but this time it’s different,” assures Seydoux. “It’s almost political in this film – and you’ll see that the producers are extremely intelligent. They really thought through the whole project, the whole story.” Whether this film will break new ground remains to be seen, but there is an extreme level of hype surrounding Spectre. From Daniel Craig unzipping Monica Bellucci’s dress as she whispers, “if you go there, you’re crossing into a place where there is no mercy,” to Christopher Waltz’s big reveal as 007’s arch nemesis, the trailer promises a sexually charged, high-octane adventure, befitting Craig’s last hurrah as Bond.
But there is one other scene that particularly stands out: on a journey together, Craig and Seydoux are pictured on a train. There is a timeless quality to the setting, all antique golds and velvet dining booths. Seydoux sits opposite Bond in a liquid satin gown, her lips painted the deepest shade of blood red, and fixes him with a penetrating stare that no man could ignore. “Is this really what you want? Living in the shadows, hunting; being hunted? Always alone?” she enquires, her husky Parisian tone just audible over the rumble of the train.
Who’s that girl? That girl’s Léa Seydoux, and we’re happy to make her acquaintance.
Spectre is showing at cinemas from 26 October.
