Kristen Stewart interview. Kristen Stewart: “Sometimes I am driven by an inexplicable force

IN 2002, 12-YEAR-OLD KRISTEN STEWART PLAYED JODIE FOSTER'S DAUGHTER IN THE THRILLER "PANIC ROOM" - AND SHE WAS IMMEDIATELY SPOKEN AS A FUTURE STAR. 6 YEARS LATER KRISTEN WON THE LEADING ROLE IN THE FILM “TWILIGHT” - AN Adaptation of Stephenie Meyer’s Novel of the Same Name ABOUT THE LOVE OF AN ORDINARY GIRL FOR AN UNUSUAL VAMPIRE (PLAYED BY ROBERT PAPINSON). ELLE GIRL JEMMA WATSON TALKED TO ELLE GIRL ABOUT WHY THIS FILM AND THIS ROLE IS DOOMED TO CULT STATUS.

Kristen Stewart: VAMPIRE GIRL
Do you understand why everyone loves this book so much - “Twilight”?
Yes. I understand people who are literally obsessed with this book because it is truly addictive. You get immersed in it very quickly and can’t tear yourself away.
When you read the novel, what scenes did you want to be sure to include in the film?
This film contains some truly iconic moments. For example, the recognition of Edward (the vampire with whom the heroine Kristen Bella is in love - Ed.) who he really is. He shows Bella his true face which shines and glitters in sunlight, and he is ashamed. Bella looks at Edward and thinks that she has never seen anything more beautiful in her life, and he is ashamed! What a scene!
Do you have anything in common with your character Bella?
Bella - very life character. This is probably also why all the girls are so passionate about Twilight. You read a book and easily imagine yourself in the heroine’s place. The story develops very realistically, and you understand that Bella is a living person. She experiences everything that any 17-year-old girl experiences. I also feel like a pretty normal girl, so we definitely have something in common.
What traits of Bella do you particularly like?
Her independence and self-confidence. She goes through life her own way, she accepts things as they are, does not overestimate or fear them. Even when something incredible happens, Bella just lets it happen. In this sense, she is stronger than Edward. Because he suffers, he believes that he is behaving incorrectly, he is afraid of hurting, he is trying to avoid Bella. And she seems to be telling him: “You can’t run from yourself all your life!”
Is it true that Rob Pattinson proposed to you?
Yes. I mean, I don’t know how serious he was, but he is.
How did this happen?
Yes, somehow it goes without saying... We spent a lot of time together, we went through so much... Noah, actually, I’m already dating another guy, so I’ll have to refuse him. (Laughs.)
By the way, what kind of guys do you like? Is there any type of personality that is especially attractive to you?
It's so funny that everyone asks about this! To an ordinary person On the street you wouldn’t ask such a question, since I’m an actress, that means it’s in the order of things... Well, okay. I think a lot of women are attracted to guys who are weaker than themselves. We want to console them and show motherly care. On the other hand, all women are attracted to what they cannot have, the effect of the forbidden fruit is triggered. Tell us that we cannot have something, and we will strive for it. I think I have both of these qualities, but I don’t know for sure...
Do you like vampire-type men?
Yes, I love vampires! They are incredibly sexy.
Why do you think so?
Probably because the classic purpose of a vampire is to lure a victim into a state of complete submission, to the point where he can drink her blood or even kill her and she won’t mind at all. There's something sexy about it - when you give yourself completely to something or someone
and completely...
But this is all theory. What if you met a vampire in real life, what would you do?
In the context of our story, I would watch what I think about, because vampires can read minds! Although this does not apply to me. Bella has a special power that prevents vampires from looking into her head. And if you meet a vampire, try to think about something good.
Were you really scared during filming?
You mean: wasn't I afraid that Rob would bite me after all? No, because there were a hundred people constantly around us! (Laughs.)
Your heroine is a schoolgirl, partly still a child. Who do you feel more like: a teenager or an adult woman?
I am 18 years old. This is a provocative question! (Laughs.)
They won't sell me drinks at the bar, but at least I can drive a car. I think that when a person realizes himself as an individual, he can be considered an adult. I've always had this awareness somewhere inside, and now that society has recognized it and I have a little more rights, I'm very happy!

Kristen Stewart gave an interview to the Italian magazine Grazia. We present to your attention the translation of the article.

It's so strange to meet Kristen Stewart in New York. We both live in LA, and today we are at the Crosby Hotel near the World shopping center. The reason is that she is currently promoting two of her new films: the sci-fi Equals and the complex Woody Allen comedy The High Life.

At 26 years old, she is one of the most highly paid actresses in the world. After many films, she begins a new adventure now as a director. And she craves novelty.

One of these innovations is located right on her arm and it says: “One more time with feeling.” a common phrase that every director usually says to his actors, and we can actually translate it as: "Let's do this scene again, but now with more feeling."

In fact, Kristen says it's a lifestyle: "If it doesn't work out the first time, you can always try again and put your soul into it."

And even the fact that during our meeting I cannot ask anything about her personal life and relationship with Alicia Cargile, with whom she got together after breaking up with French singer Soko, today Kristen still wants to talk about feelings.
Especially since they're at the center of both of her new films: in Equals, she plays Nia, a girl who lives in a futuristic society where any kind of emotion is prohibited. But she falls in love with Silas, a guy played by Nicholas Hoult.

IN Social life She's Vonnie the secretary who dresses in Chanel, and Jesse Eisenberg falls in love with her.

- In their latest films you had to deal with different types love: platonic love, teenage love, passionate love, love between two friends and with unrequited love. Which one is the most addictive?

Kristen: You can't say one is better than the other.
You can't define love, but you can't live without it. I behave differently with everyone: I have one relationship with my friend, and a completely different one with my family. And even now I act differently because you are interviewing me. There are many ways to love yourself and love others.

- In Equals you play a girl who lives in a society where people who love risk their lives.

K: Yes, and this is definitely not my type of world at all.

Conversely, in Woody Allen's High Life, your character Vonnie is forced to choose between an older but successful man, played by Steve Carrell, and a young guy with no money, played by Jesse Eisenberg. Who would you choose?

K.: The film was shot in the style of the 30s. At that time, a woman's priority was to find someone who could take care of her. Women's independence was not even a thought then. Watching the film you will see a girl having so much fun with a guy played by Steve Carrell. But she also discovers a quiet life, more personal with that guy without money.

You never told me who you would choose

K: I don't feel comfortable choosing who I play instead of my characters. Personally, I love hanging out with Jesse Eisenberg, so I'll end up with him

-Have you ever suffered because of love?

K: Did you suffer? I was devastated!

-And how did you deal with it?
K: I continued to live, making choices, without looking back.
First you suffer, then you realize that every minute of suffering will make you stronger and more conscious.
I wouldn’t change anything about that pain: I’d rather suffer than remain insensitive. And we must remind ourselves that we are the reason for our happiness, and that we were created to fall in love. Hell, I could write one of these books to help the brokenhearted.

-Last week you appeared on the Talk Show and played twister with host Jimmy Fallon. You showed your competitive side. Have you always been like this?

K: I was the only girl In my family. My life has always been like this: “I can do this too, and I can do this too.” I don't want to really go to extremes in every situation, but if I'm playing, I want to win, and I'm not afraid to say that at all. But people usually like you better if you just lose.

- You world celebrity, style icon and one of the highest paid actresses. What would you do if you could enjoy anonymity?

K: I would walk alone, or I would just go to the mall or to a place full of people, not because I love malls, but because I would finally be able to see people’s faces without the fear of being recognized. Sometimes I think that I became an actress only because of my curiosity about people's lives.

- You started acting at a young age, you were 9 when you played Jodie Foster's daughter in Panic Room. What were you curious about then?

K: Well, at first I was only thinking about how to get a job, come to the set and play a few lines from the script. But after I discovered what a passion I have for cinema and how much art there is in creating every scene!

- We met with you in 2007 for your film “In wild conditions". Back then you were still a young, shy, closed girl. Now you are a focused and confident woman. What else can we expect from you?

K: Film. my film. Last year I've worked on five different films, and now I have the chance to realize a short film that I wrote myself in 3 weeks. I'm so happy. I have wanted to create something of my own since I was a child. and now I have a chance to do it!

- and what will the film be about?

K: The title is "Come Swim", but I will talk about it when it's ready. IN leading role one of my friends named Josh. He's not an actor himself, but he's phenomenal. You'll see for yourself.

-Have you asked your friend and teacher Jodie Foster for advice?

K: When I told her about the film, the first thing she said to me was: “The first thing you have to learn is that you don’t have to learn anything. You’re ready.” She gave me courage.

- What scares you?

K: When I was a child, I was often tormented by anxiety, and I did not know what the cause was. Growing up, I realized that it is normal to have moments of insecurity.

- Thanks to the Twilight Saga, where you were in love with a vampire played by your ex-boyfriend Robert Pattinson, you became an icon for teenagers. Are you still enjoying these perks?

K: Well, yes, no one would have given me money for my short film if I had not played Bella.

Woody Allen's film was filmed in Los Angeles- the city where you live. Do you feel at home in Hollywood?

K: I live in Eastern region. It's an alternative area and less touristy like Brooklyn is for New York. In the film, cinematographer Vittorio Storaro showed Hollywood in a golden glow, and this is truly where I would like to live in California - sunny and positive.

- Well, the highlight of the film is of course the Chanel dresses you wear throughout the film. Did you manage to keep at least one of them for yourself after filming?

K: Not this time. I usually keep at least one outfit from filming for myself, because at the end of filming I always get the feeling that no one should wear the dresses of the characters that I played. This time everything was different, these dresses were pure art, and they were really expensive.

If I could open your closet, what would I find inside? Dresses you wear on the red carpet?

K: One or two, yes. Especially those Met Gala dresses. But basically all dresses are given for a while. And in my wardrobe you would find a lot of T-shirts and Snickers.

- That's all, nothing more?

K: Yes, but they are all very unique.

translation of prunes

She is modest and generally a “good girl.” In her brown eyes there is purity and light. And an all-consuming love that you can’t cope with... However, all this is Bella Swan from the “Twilight Saga”. And Kristen Stewart, who played her, is completely, completely different...

Text: Yana Schwartz

What kind? Oh, no one will answer this question for a long time, including Chris herself. There are several reasons. Firstly, a girl at 20 is still a “flower”, what a “berry” she will be will become clear in five years. Secondly, Stewart is already secretive. No revelations to journalists. If he agrees to an interview, he gets off with general phrases. In response to sharp questions, he only flashes his green eyes and briefly chops: “No comment.” Yes, yes, and her eyes are not the same color as Bella Swan! Together with Robert Pattinson, who played the main male role in Twilight, she had to put on contact lenses before filming to become brown-eyed. This is how meticulously the novel by Stephenie Meyer was filmed! Since the author wrote that the young vampire and his beloved have brown eyes, that means no “Stuart” green or “Pattinson” blue!.. Perhaps this is how you need to approach things if you want to succeed. With Twilight, in any case, everything turned out great. And worldwide. It was earned by both the film itself (the fourth film, “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn,” is already in full production) and the actors who played in it, primarily, of course, Kristen and Robert.

Here again these two are side by side...

But let's not get too ahead of ourselves. Let’s just say that in the last three years, Kristen’s antics have literally made her fans’ heads spin! The actress commits actions that are difficult to explain (she doesn’t even explain!) and which completely break her bright image that was formed earlier. But at the same time, for some reason, a new one does not emerge. The swell is solid, not a girl! You read publications about Stewart - and the first thought: she drinks blood, a fidgety, from several good guys at once, maybe out of youthful frivolity, or maybe out of a completely mature calculation - it turns out to be some kind of PR! But then doubts come: maybe he doesn’t drink at all, and the villainous reporters are slandering the poor girl?.. In general, this Stewart is a dark horse. The “flower” is either charming and harmless, or carnivorous, and what will happen next, we repeat, hardly anyone knows. Except for mom and dad...

Family scandal

John Stewart always thought his wife Jules had an overactive imagination. But she put up with it because it benefited her work - her wife wrote scripts entertainment programs and series for the FOX TV channel. John also produced and staged various shows there. In general, their family was rightfully called creative. And the children - three sons: Cameron and two adopted ones, Taylor and Dan, and daughter Kristen - showed obvious humanitarian abilities. It was too early to think about the future of the Stuarts Jr., but John hoped to guide them in the right direction with his father’s wise hand. I saw the boys as lawyers or doctors. Not TV people! It's enough that he and Jules are boiling in this hellish cauldron. And his daughter?.. He naively believed that the secretive and proud Kristen would definitely choose some serious profession. In ten or twelve years. And here it is for you! Yes, the girl always loved to go with him and Jules to the studio - she would sit in the corner while her parents were working, staring. In general, like all children. Did he think that his daughter was already hatching an insidious plan - to become an actress? Filming, scenery, costumes, spotlights - this is what poisoned her fragile soul. However, what a scandal this eight-year-old “artist” threw at him and Jules...

And the following happened. In the school performance for Christmas, the daughter was given a small role - either a sorcerer or an angel. She mentioned it casually over dinner a couple of weeks ago. When the performance took place, alas, he and his wife were busy at the studio and could not come. But among the audience were their boys, and they did not express any particular enthusiasm for their sister’s stage debut. And suddenly this sweaty fat man, a casting agent, suddenly appeared at their house and said: “Your daughter is a talent! She definitely needs to register with our acting agency. I guarantee there will be roles!” It turns out that he was at the performance, and Kristen's performance amazed him. What could a father answer, whose plans did not include having an artist daughter? - “Thank you, but we refuse.” Before he had time to utter these words, Chris flew into the room, like a little fury (it turns out, she was eavesdropping, the scoundrel, on an adult conversation), and immediately - tears, screaming! And not even a request - a demand: “Take me to the agency!” I calmed down only when he promised to think about it. To think - but not to agree... And when the passions subsided, the agent left and all the children, including the crying Kristen, fell asleep, Jules started her song about the “magic of numbers.” You see, she had a presentiment that the coming year 1999 would become a turning point in the fate of their daughter. Like, nine is the most important number for her, born on April 9, 1990. In general, my wife’s imagination ran wild, she almost world fame began to prophesy to the child! And he, John Stewart, realized: he would have to give in...

Strange graduation

But Chris had a sad secret that she hid from her parents. Only the brothers knew that their little sister was being bullied by her classmates. “They had such entertainment - to come up to me and say: ugh, how disgusting you are! - the actress told reporters many years later. “I didn’t understand why they did this, and I suffered.” The boys (all three of them a little older than Chris) wanted to soap the necks of the main offenders, but their sister forbade them to do so. Out of pride - they say, I can handle it myself. However, the bullying continued, and Chris hated school fiercely. Therefore, the brothers suspected that she became an artist in order to skip classes under the pretext of auditions, auditions, and filming. They were partly right, because as soon as the girl was offered her first full-fledged role in the melodrama “Safety of Things,” she began to convince her parents that now the most reasonable thing was to transfer her to home schooling. And she convinced me. That is, already at the age of 11, Chris left the hated educational institution. This happened in 2001. And in 2009, right on film set In the third part of the “Twilight Saga”, she finally received a high school diploma. “I know it's a little late, but I just graduated with honors! - the actress said in an interview. “On this day, I was filming the graduation scene in Eclipse and I told the crew: “Hey, guys, I’m actually graduating from high school, and I won’t have another graduation!” Can you take a photo as a souvenir - for me, not for Bella?” And it turned out like this: the extra actor shakes my hand and hands me a certificate. And I, as expected, am in a robe and cap.”

...However, we digress. Directors seriously paid attention to Chris in 2002, after the release of the film Panic Room. She got into it, one might say, by accident. Originally the role of Sarah, daughter main character, was intended for another girl actress. But after many upheavals, during which the lead actress Nicole Kidman was replaced by Jodie Foster, Stewart was also on the list. She was chosen by the twice Oscar-winning Foster herself, who was amazed by their external resemblance. And after the premiere, critics also noted how similar Chris’s performance was to Jodi’s performance in her youth. It was a very flattering comparison. And Chris still names Foster among his few idols...

After Panic Room, Stewart began acting every year, often in several films at the same time. Some roles and films were more successful, others less so. Among the latter was the psychological teenage drama “Speak.” She never came out wide screen, was only shown on television, although it received positive reviews. In this film, Chris played a very difficult role - the girl Melinda, who stopped communicating with people after being raped. Deal with adversity and return to normal life helps her in the plot true friend David. This guy was played by the handsome, dark-haired, burly Michael Angarano.

In bed with a vampire

She is 13 years old, he is 16. The most classic scenario for first love! It happened to Michael - that's for sure. He always flew to filming as if on wings. How faithful knight, dragged Chris’s bag behind her, was thrilled when she dozed on his shoulder during breaks. And when the film was shot, he moved from his native New York to Los Angeles, closer to Stewart. I even started surfing when I found out that it was the favorite sport of my green-eyed girlfriend. She seemed to really enjoy all these displays of affection. Yes, and Michael too.

The guy began to visit the Stewarts' house, walked her favorite dogs with Chris - collie Oz and mongrels Jack and Lily, admired her beloved cats - Jella and Max (although he never really respected cats), helped Chris improve in playing the guitar, went with her to clubs and shopping. In those years, even reporters did not dare to attribute closer relationships to teenagers, they only noted: “Stewart and Angarano are having an affair!” The paparazzi don't seem to have captured any of their kisses. But photos were published: Michael is carrying Kristen on the back of his neck, and they are both having a lot of fun. Indeed, a classic teenage novel in which the guy is sincerely in love, and the girl is bathed in this love.

Several years have passed. Both he and she continued to actively act in film, however, in different paintings. And when the opportunity arose, we met again. The fans were touched: what a constancy of feelings. Actually, Chris’s invitation to the main role in “Twilight” did not promise changes in her relationship with Michael. However, everything immediately took a strange turn.

Stewart was the first person cast by director Catherine Hardwicke for the role. She didn’t even have any special rivals. The same cannot be said about Robert Pattinson. Before him, Hardwick looked through 500 applicants to embody the image of the vampire Edward Cullen. It is not known whether the director forced Chris to act out with each of these young men. love scene, to understand whether I hit the mark with my choice, but with Robert it turned out that way. The Briton had just arrived from England when he ended up... in Catherine Hardwicke's bed. It was in the house and on her bed that the auditions took place: a scene of passion between Bella Swan and Edward Cullen. Catherine was pleased and approved Robert for the role. She later admitted: “I told Robert: don’t even think about having an affair with her! Chris isn't eighteen yet. They'll put you in prison! And the filming of the first part of the “vampiriad” was done without passion and muzzles.

An offer of marriage

But then something strange began to happen. The same Catherine Hardwicke told reporters that Chris herself admitted to her: they say that she has a “relationship” with Pattinson, and it began while working on the second part of the saga. Why would the director lie? But in all the rest, I must say, quite in rare cases, when the newspapermen managed to press Stewart with the question: “Is it true that you and Robert are having an affair?”, the girl invariably answered: “We are connected only by friendship.” And Pattinson echoes her. Meanwhile, they are constantly seen together. A certain Diane Nutley, supposedly Robert's aunt, trumpeted to the whole world that her nephew and Chris secretly flew to Paris - there Robert introduced the bride to his parents. So why was it necessary to reveal the secret? And a certain Gordon Rael, who called himself a friend of the couple, told the newspapers: “The guys are already looking for a house in which they intend to live together. Chris wants it to be spacious and beautiful.” And another friend of Pattinson, who wished to remain anonymous, said that Robert, tired of Chris tossing between him and Michael, demanded that the girl finally make a choice. There are no comments from the “main characters” themselves. At the same time, they are found either kissing at a concert of the Kings of Leon group, or having dinner by candlelight at Cecconi's restaurant... By the way, this meal took place after the MTV Movie Awards ceremony, at which Stewart and Pattinson won in the categories “ Best Actor", "Best Actress" and... " Best kiss"! How can one not decide that there is no smoke without fire?

So poor Michael came to this conclusion. Therefore, he rushed to the set of the third part of “Twilight” in Vancouver and proposed to Chris. She refused. Or rather, she asked me to wait - they say, I decided to get married only after 25 years. This is how one of Angarano’s friends commented on this story: “Michael agreed. He loves Kristen so much that he would do anything for her. And she doesn’t believe that there is anything between her and Robert. It would be too mean." However, a few months later, reports appeared in the press about the breakup of their relationship. Michael was the initiator. Apparently, the guy was desperate to understand the feelings of his beloved Chris. Or learned something that others don’t know.

Meanwhile, the girl energetically gives reasons for new gossip. For some reason, she began to smoke a pipe and appear in public in such a manner that the words “alcohol” and “marijuana” began to appear next to her name in tabloid articles. And then she appeared on the pages of newspapers at the moment of a hot kiss with... Dakota Fanning, a friend and colleague in the “vampiriad”. It was then that the journalists remembered Kristen all her admiration for Jodie Foster and her overall resemblance to her. She, as you know, does not hide her lesbian preferences.

Today, the fog around Kristen Stewart's bright image is not dissipating, but on the contrary, it is only becoming thicker. Just recently there were reports that she left Robert and is now dating his best friend, British actor Tom Sturridge. Maybe she finally fell in love for real? Or, having chosen the path of acting as a very little girl, she prefers only to play in life?..

On March 2, the film “Personal Shopper” starring Kristen Stewart was released on Russian screens. Cinemafia brings to your attention a translation of an interview with the actress.

In the fall, at the New York Film Festival, I was already able to watch Olivier Assayas’ film “Personal Shopper” and even attend a press conference with the participation of the director and leading actress Kristen Stewart. My impressions of the film and a review of the press conference can be read at. In connection with the film's release in Russia, Cinemafia invites you to read Kristen Stewart's interview for The Upcoming portal.

— Did you think that you would work with Assayas again so soon, just two years after the release of the film “Sils Maria”?

- No. But I knew that Olivier liked to work with the same actors and cameramen. So, deep down in my heart, I hoped to film with him again. We obviously worked well together on the set of Sils Maria, and I understood that sooner or later we would do something together again creative project. But I had no idea it would happen so soon! Producer Olivier, Charles Gillibert is mine good friend. It was he who told me that Olivier was working on a new script. It seems that it was in Cannes, when we presented Sils Maria. To be honest, this is the first time I've met someone like this close-knit team, a real team. I didn't want to leave them. It's like we were made for each other! I felt really lucky. And when Olivier invited me to star in Personal Shopper, I admit, I was excited, but not surprised. We really wanted to continue working together in the same composition.

— One gets the feeling that in your person Assayas found not only an actress, but also a person ideally capable of embodying that image modern girl, which he dreamed of showing in his films. Can you say the same about him? That he's the director you've always been looking for?

- Yes, definitely. We both managed to work with a lot of people. But the two of us manage to understand each other without words, which is ideal for our profession. We don't talk that much, but we do hear each other and share common interests, we are equally curious. Working with Olivier is a lot of fun.

— How did Assayas offer you a role in “Personal Shopper”?

“He told me that he was writing a very simple script, and that he was writing it for me, in the hope that I would want to take part in the project. When I received the text, I was very scared, I was afraid to even imagine that I would have to call Charles or Olivier and tell them that such a role was not for me! Fortunately, everything turned out to be completely different. After reading the script I was impressed. It was so different from Sils Maria. Especially for me! It seemed to me that I knew Olivier, but at that moment I could not understand how he came up with a similar story. She opened my eyes to hidden aspects of his personality. It's a very contemplative film. In Personal Shopper, Olivier was able to describe invisible worlds without naming them. I think it's a more personal film than Sils Maria. He is not analytical, but sensual and deeply human. Olivier is a thoughtful and intelligent director, but he was able to express very personal emotions in this film. And that's really great. I didn’t feel that way in him on the set of Sils Maria.

“Personal Shopper” deals with themes atypical for French cinema, such as ghosts and spiritualism, but manages to be quite different from American supernatural thrillers.

- Yes. In Sils Maria, Juliette Binoche's character (Maria) and my character (Valentina) are having a conversation about films. They disagree about a movie they just watched, about mutants in space. Valentina believes that fantasy and Science fiction carry no less truth than many so-called “more serious” films. The use of symbols and metaphors in a movie like this doesn't make it any more superficial. Such films ultimately speak about the same problems and explore the same questions that films that position themselves as psychological explore. It's funny to think that Olivier created New film literally based on a line of dialogue in Sils Maria. In addition, “Personal Shopper” is a genre film, and therefore stands apart from most auteur films. French films. The film is a genre film, but it does not try to scare with ghosts, but instead invites us to reflect on reality. Also, in my opinion, the film puts the most scary question in life: " Am I completely alone or can I get in touch with someone else?«

— What was the most difficult thing about working on “Personal Shopper”?

— I play a lonely, unsociable and extremely sad girl. It was very exhausting to reproduce such an image all the time. Even when we were filming scenes with other actors, I could never really be among them. It was as if they were all ghosts. At that moment I did not consider myself a person in in every sense this word. There could be no interaction between me and others because I didn't really feel like I existed. Because of this, I plunged into an extremely unpleasant painful state. Luckily, I was surrounded by people I love, so I never had to feel alone. I was very lucky. If the atmosphere on the set had not been so positive and friendly, I would definitely have been left exhausted and felt like everything was collapsing around me. In the film, I'm always rushing from one place to another. I am in constant motion. I lost a lot of weight during filming. It was an exhausting process.

Maureen hates both her job as a personal shopper and her rich and famous client. But she can't resist the temptation to try it on fashionable clothes, thereby violating various prohibitions - and gets pleasure from it.

“Maureen is attracted to the same things she hates.” She is worrying personality crisis. I really like that she was not made a feminist, criticizing the superficiality of consumer society. She struggles with herself: Maureen is very attracted to the world where her career is beginning to take shape, but at the same time she is ashamed of this attraction. Sometimes I feel something similar, as we all do to one degree or another. The events of the film are connected with the world modern fashion, but it could have happened in 1930s Hollywood. I don’t know for sure whether things were better or worse then. But people always strive for where everything shines. Like tiny moths.

— “Personal Shopper” takes up the theme of grief. But this is also a story of liberation, a girl trying to find freedom by choosing a very strange path for this.

- Yes. The best periods of my life have always been preceded by misfortune. Moments of peace and bliss often come after disturbing events. You feel more alive if you are faced with death. At the end of the film, even when she didn't find what she was looking for, Maureen was still able to start over.

— How did you prepare for the role of Maureen? How important is it to you? appearance your characters?

- Very important. I wanted people to feel that Maureen is a twin, searching for the same symbiosis that she lost after the death of her brother. So I came up with a very simple, somewhat androgynous look for her. Her appearance also reflects the love/hate relationship between Maureen and the fashion world. Therefore, the choice of clothing was very important. As for preparing for a film, I always read the script once, but then refuse to look at it. This way I learn about new stage directly on the set. I don't need to memorize anything specific for a film. Olivier wanted to start filming a little earlier, so that later I could start filming in the Woody Allen film, where I have the role of a young, charming, feminine and happy girl. But I understood that I would not be able to act in these two films in that order. I realized that after everything I had to go through for the role in Personal Shopper, I would be devastated and not at all likeable! I didn't have to prepare, but I knew where to look for what I needed. I knew where to find the trigger I needed, and all I had to do was pull it. And I was ready to do it for the film.

— You and the “Personal Shopper” film crew worked on the streets of Paris 48 hours before the terrorist attacks on November 13. It's hard not to think about this while watching, the film seems full of tension and disturbing specificity of our times.

— When I watch a film, I tell myself that we all live in our own world, completely absorbed in the things that concern us, and only us. Maureen's attention is so focused on her obsessions that she hardly notices the people around her or her surroundings. She's not really in Paris, or anywhere else for that matter. It pains me to watch a film in which a character runs up and down Paris, a city that is about to suffer so terribly, and does not experience an ounce of enjoyment. This is very bitter and painful. I hate to say it, but we were really lucky. The day after November thirteenth a new day of filming was supposed to begin, but it was impossible to work. Everything seemed so fake. It's like we were filming in a studio...

— Before you starred in two films with Assayas, what did you know about French cinema?

- I saw several cult paintings, like Breathless (1960) and Jules and Jim (1962). Charles, Olivier and all film crew opened for me new world watching movies and other manifestations of love for cinema. I found a lot of French films on DVD. This is truly a unique experience for American actress- suddenly find yourself part of such a universe. And it's so cool! In Hollywood, everyone shares the same values. Here in France everything is so different and exciting. In the United States, films are made for entertainment and to make money. Auteur or non-commercial films comprise only a very small part of the industry. Ultimately, the directors I like most in the United States are those who share an approach to filmmaking similar to that of European and French directors. In France this approach is not at all the same as in Hollywood. The French are always willing to take risks, while big-budget American films use ready-made and proven plots.