TEEN People
‘used to’ for past habit or action
Léa
Passport
seydoux
First Name: Léa Family Name: Seydoux Place and Date of Birth: Paris, 1st July 1985 Job: actor first; fashion model second Notes: currently one of France’s most successful actors
was terrified of flying and trains. Being an actress helps me transform my fears into something more positive, and it makes me feel strong.
Are you a sensitive person? Yes, I’m very sensitive, but I’ve learned how to be strong and how to be myself, just like Belle! My boyfriend helps me a lot. He knows how to deal with the rebellious*, stubborn* side of my character. When I act, I like to play characters that are complex and difficult to understand – deep emotions can be powerful, but it’s important to know how to balance your emotions and to remember to laugh. I have to admit though, when I was a child I used to imagine I was Cinderella!
Léa Seydoux is an award-winning* French actress. She is one of only three women to have won the Palme d’Or prize at the Cannes Film Festival. Let’s find out more about her! You played Belle in Christophe Gans’ Beauty and the Beast? What does beauty mean to you? In today’s world, people put too much emphasis* on physical beauty. You can fall in love with someone who isn’t physically attractive, like the “Beast” in the fairytale, whose ugly appearance hides a beautiful soul*! Beauty isn’t always obvious and you don’t always see it with your eyes. For me, beauty is more about how someone is than what they look like. Beauty is poetry, it’s in the movement of a hand, in a smile that lights up a face. I wouldn’t want to be a catwalk model, they’re too thin and they look so serious and cold. Beauty shines* out of people, it’s a positive thing!
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When you played Beauty you looked like everyone’s idea of a princess, with the most incredible dresses and jewels. How do you dress in real life?
At 28, you are already a Hollywood star and you’ve worked with Quentin Tarantino, Woody Allen and Wes Anderson. How do you choose which films to be in?
I never wore pink dresses as a little girl, in fact I always had short hair and was a bit of a tomboy*. This was my way of pleasing my sister Camille who wanted a younger brother! I don’t spend a lot of time in front of the mirror, I’m happy with the way I look. I don’t wear much make-up when I go out, and I wear jeans a lot. For me, it’s important to look past appearances and see into a person’s heart.
I like working with independent directors who are working on their own projects. I think these films have the greatest potential to become extraordinary. I like taking risks with my acting career, not making the most obvious decisions, and I’m not afraid of hard work. Each time I start on a new film I feel a mixture of excitement and fear. But I think it’s better that way – a bit of fear makes you work harder!
What was your childhood like? I had lots of brothers and sisters, and my family was pretty unusual. My mother took us with her to Africa when she was making documentaries*, and my father told me that the most beautiful gift he could give me was freedom. My family wasn’t really interested in my acting career, but they didn’t stop me. Things weren’t always easy though. I had a difficult time growing up and had to see a therapist* when I was 14. I used to get anxious, I often had panic attacks* and I
Glossary award-winning: person who has won prizes for what they do documentaries: factual TV programmes/films about current issues emphasis: importance panic attacks: sudden, strong feeling of fear and anxiety rebellious: wanting to break the rules shines: gives out a bright light soul: the non-physical part of a person stubborn: not wanting to change your opinion or behaviour therapist: (here) person who helps with psychological problems tomboy: girl who behaves like the traditional idea of a boy